Magic Valley ‘Gang of 8’ lawmakers betrayed own constituents on water | Opinion
The votes cast by our legislators at the Statehouse impact us all when it comes to water issues. It’s critical we elect leaders who understand water and its importance for Magic Valley resources, management and funding.
Did you know that Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld, Sen. Joshua Kohl, Rep. Clint Hostetler and Rep. David Leavitt all voted no on vital water legislation and against their own constituents’ needs?
These votes include:
- Senate Bill 1269 – adds transparency to our cloud seeding program, which brings 600,000 acre-feet of water above Milner Dam annually. Can you imagine how much more difficult our water supply challenges would be without this added supply?
- House Bill 445 – budgeted more than $30 million for water projects and recharge infrastructure, which included improving and sustaining the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer. While they voted against it, other Idaho lawmakers understood the importance of water and stepped up to pass the funding anyway. And in a striking irony, a significant share of that investment is now flowing right back into the Magic Valley, benefiting the very constituents those four legislators voted against.
- Senate Bill 1304 – strengthens water delivery infrastructure and reduces risk for irrigation providers. Their opposition stood in the way of efforts to ensure water is delivered reliably to the farmers who depend on it.
Zuiderveld, who represents all of Twin Falls County, is also spreading doubt about the legitimacy of early quagga mussel detection in the Snake River. She has the highest position of power in Twin Falls County and claims the rapid response to this invasive species was done with hidden agendas and secret scheming. It was not.
These four legislators repeatedly turn their backs on our operations and our communities, voting against water and against agriculture. We cannot let this happen again.
At the May 19 primary election, cast your vote for a new set of conservative Republican legislators who put our community first. Our Magic Valley depends on it.
Alan Hansten is chairman of the Surface Water Coalition (SWC) and general manager of the North Side Canal Company (NSCC), where he has worked since 2009 and served as general manager since 2013.