At a press event on the steps of the state capitol Thursday, legislative leaders from both sides of the aisle pledged their support for the campaign to defeat the $11.14 billion water bond that has been placed on the November 2nd ballot. Three new co-chairs for the No on the Water Bond Campaign, including Assembly Member Bill Berryhill (R-Ceres), Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis), and Assembly Member Joan Buchanan (D-Livermore), were joined by assembly members Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks), Ted Gaines (R-Roseville), and Chuck DeVore (R-Irvine) calling on voters to reject the environmentally destructive and enormously costly bond.

The bipartisan legislators officially joined a coalition that has been led by environmental, environmental justice, and consumer advocacy groups including the Planning and Conservation League, Sierra Club California, Friends of the River, Restore the Delta, the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, Clean Water Action, and Food and Water Watch.

In addition to the enormous cost of the bond, particularly in the face of a $20 billion budget gap, the Planning and Conservation League objects to the measure because it provides $3 billion in public funds to build new destructive dams and then allows those dams to be privatized after they are built. This means the bond enables private interests to sell California’s public water supply for profit.

We are excited to have a bipartisan team of legislators working with us to defeat this boondoggle.