California emergency drought bill to be introduced

FRESNO — House Speaker John Boehner is scheduled to visit the Central Valley of California on Wednesday, joining three Republican colleagues to propose emergency legislation aimed at drought relief, a congressional aide said Tuesday. At the Bakersfield stop, Boehner will join Rep. Devin Nunes of Tulare, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield and Rep. David Valadao of Hanford.

 

The lawmakers are expected to announce a bill that seeks to halt the restoration of the San Joaquin River through 2015. Boehner's visit follows Friday's announcement by Gov. Jerry Brown formally declaring California's drought.

 

Two other parts of the proposed bill would allow farmers to pump irrigation water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and to form a joint House-Senate committee to tackle long-term water woes.

 

As the nation's leading farming state, California could be in its worst dry spell in a century, unless significant rain falls within the next two months. The parched weather could also wreak havoc during California's notorious wildfire season.

 

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