Flood control bills stay on Senate shelf

Statement by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk

“One year after the catastrophe of Katrina, the California State Legislature failed to address the crucial issue of flood protection in the Central Valley -- failing to establish a real standard of flood protection for the lives and property of thousands of Californians for years to come.  New housing subdivisions will continue to be approved and more and more people will continue to be put in harms way.

As hard as we tried, we fell short to adopt serious policy reforms.  I’d like to congratulate the Assembly for passing the major bills required, even if we were unsuccessful in persuading our colleagues in the Senate that these reforms were urgently needed to accompany the flood control bond measure on this November’s ballot.

The key measure, AB 1889, a bill to establish minimum 100-year flood protection standard and a goal for achieving 200-year protection was held in the Senate Rules Committee.  Instead, the Senate approved a cynical package of half-measures hoping it would satisfy the public demand for serious policy changes.  It was a shameful maneuver that fooled nobody.  Not a single witness appeared to testify in support of the measure. 

I cannot hide my disappointment that real flood protection standards for the Central Valley remain an elusive goal.”