Would you please make a call today or this weekend into Senator Lois Kolkhorst’s
office to OPPOSE Committee Substitute Senate Bill 225. (Click on the info button for more details). The bill is up for a vote as early as Monday at 2 pm in the Agriculture, Rural and Water Affairs Committee. Sen. Kolkhorst could be THE swing vote that kills the bill.
Please call her Austin office at 512.463.0118. Simply ask that she “vote against Senate Bill 225 — as it has been substituted”.
Here’s why we are urging your help to defeat this bill:
The bill deals with protests by the public and landowners of surface water rights (rivers and streams) applications by the public and landowners; however, it involves fundamental issues of proper notice and meaningful opportunity for landowners to protest applications. This bill, basically, erodes the public’s right to know about applications timely and to be told what they must do to formally protest an application that adversely affects them. Hearings on applications may occur without affected public and landowners even knowing the application was filed or a hearing was scheduled. Even if they do get a hearing, the bill would restrict the issues they would be allowed to raise in protest of the application.
This is unacceptable not only for surface water applications, but we are also convinced these changes would spill over into groundwater permitting law as well.
If the bill makes it out of Committee, it will be difficult to kill on the Senate floor.
Again, make the call to Sen. Kolkhorst’s office right away — leave a message this weekend if you can’t call today or Monday morning — before the Monday hearing scheduled for 2 pm. Agenda Notice Here.
If you plan to attend the hearing, please let us know.
Thank you so much!
P.S. You might know that it is already difficult for landowners to file contests to challenge water developers. Let’s not make it worse!
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