A bipartisan bill to beef up Arizona’s Colorado River Litigation fund advanced Thursday at the state Capitol.
Lawmakers created the fund last year and put in $1 million. It will be used for legal costs in the event that Arizona ends up in court.
Another $2 million of existing funds for the Arizona Department of Water Resources were also consolidated for the litigation last year, according to Gov. Katie Hobbs’ spokesperson, Liliana Soto.
The seven basin states that use the river are in negotiations on a new water sharing agreement. As one of the Lower Basin states, Arizona is expected to take significant cuts.
This year, there is strong bipartisan support for a bill from Rep. Gail Griffin (R-Hereford) that would add another $1 million to the fund.
“Hopefully we don’t ever have to use it,” Griffin told her colleagues on Thursday.
River negotiations have not been successful so far, so a strenuous legal battle is a serious possibility.
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