The WFU lobby day was attended by perhaps 40 or so folks from all over the state. Representing CSP was Co-coordinator Forest Jahnke. We met first in the downtown MATC building where we had discussions and explanations of the four main issues:
1) SB 632/AB 816 restricting local control over frac sand mining
2) SB302/AB 679 eliminating the DNR’s ability to look at cumulative impacts of high-capacity wells and imposing a 65 day deadline for approval
3) Money in electoral politics, specifically AB 225 which would double campaign contribution limits for state races
4) Investing in rural schools (special aid for transportation costs and debt-relief incentives to attract good new teachers to rural areas). There were also little postcard-style hand-ins in favor of the cookie bill (baked goods equivalent of the pickle bill allowing small-scale sales sans a legal kitchen and all that jazz).
The event went off smoothly, Forest met and networked with several great new people as well as friends/allies from before, and even got to lobby alongside Daren Von Ruden (the President of WFU).
Jennifer Shilling was, as usual very supportive of all our issues.
Lee Nerison was supportive of nearly all the issues including the newest frac sand bill, but was hedging seriously once again on the groundwater giveaway bill. Care must taken to help him understand the dire situation our water will be in if current policies continue on their current course and extraction limits are allowed to loosen. As much as we might want to, we cannot legislate as much water for everyone as everyone wants forever. Our water must be held in public trust and treated carefully and respectfully.