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Why Utah Lawmakers are Worried About Having Enough Water in the Future

Utah lawmakers say drought and the dwindling Colorado River make it more important than ever for the state to act now to safeguard its interest in the river.

A bill to set up the Colorado River Authority of Utah passed the House 61-12 Tuesday and will be taken up by a Senate committee for further consideration.

Sponsored by House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, HB297 sets up the authority made up of representatives from major water districts in the state, as well as the Colorado River commissioner representing Utah.

House Lawmakers Call for School PFAS Protections

Dozens of House lawmakers asked the Trump administration yesterday to demand protections against per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in school drinking water.

House Rolls Out Sweeping Bipartisan NDAA Amendment Targeting Toxic Chemicals On Bases

House lawmakers presented an extensive amendment to the annual defense spending bill targeting harmful chemicals that have contaminated hundreds of military bases.

Lawmakers Push for Inclusion of ‘Forever Chemical’ Regulation in Future Stimulus Bill

A group of more than 80 members of Congress is pushing for the inclusion of provisions to regulate a class of cancer-linked chemicals in future stimulus legislation dealing with infrastructure.

Lawmakers Urge Governor Newsom to Reconsider Incidental Take Permit

Several Congressional leaders sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom expressing disappointment in the decision to issue an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) for long-term operations of the State Water Project.  The six Members of Congress who represent a large portion of California noted that the ITP will have a detrimental impact on cooperative efforts to govern California waterways.

California Must Act Now To Prepare For Sea Level Rise, State Lawmakers Say

The camera zooms in on the majestic sandy bluffs that make this stretch of the San Diego County coast so iconic: a close-up, everyone realizes, of that cliff crumbling in real time — ancient sand and soft, somewhat cemented rocks tumbling onto the beach below.

Moments later, a popular commuter rail rumbles by. Some in the room gasped. Lawmakers watched in sober silence.

“This is a natural phenomenon; it’s feeding the beaches, but it’s happening more and more frequently in part because of sea level rise,” said Merrifield, director of Scripps’ Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. “So what can do? That’s why we’re here, right?”