(Associated Press) — A few Republicans are trying a last-minute push to fund water quality efforts in the state.
Today is the last day Senators and Representatives get paid but before they end the session, they must pass a budget, something also still being debated.
According to the Associated Press, two GOP-led Senate committees voted Monday to approve the water quality legislation, which would gradually increase spending on water quality initiatives by about $27 million a year by 2021.
Republican Senator Ken Rozenboom says he’s talked with House colleagues but acknowledges the session could end before the bill is approved.
The legislation would tap funding from metered water and gambling money. The bill ends in 2030, though Republicans say lawmakers would use the deadline to assess whether the setup is working. Democrats say the bill doesn’t do enough to address a multi-billion-dollar issue. Republicans say it’s a starting point.
The bill needs a full Senate vote and procedural votes in the Republican-controlled House.
