AFTER A LONG CAMPAIGN SEASON culminating on
November 8, 2016 with national, state and local elections,
we can finally say with a heavy sigh that it is over. Whether you
were shocked, overwhelmed, pleased, or were even somewhat
entertained with the election outcomes, 2016 was one for the
history books.
While it is still too early to know whether and how newly
elected representatives to our legislative bodies will begin to
implement changes in water management and other resources-based
policies, CA-NV AWWA remains committed to continued
education and public outreach on important water issues as well
as identifying opportunities to directly engage and affect policy.
When any new administration takes office, there are shifts in
policy and approaches to governing, and that will certainly be
true with the Trump Administration. Exactly what those changes
will be are now under review and will become more evident in
the weeks and months to come. Under the overarching objective
of strengthening the nation’s economy, as President-elect, Trump
stated his intent to rein in policies and regulations by the United
States Environmental Protection Agency, charging that many of
the agency’s rigorous actions are intrusive, costly, and hurt job
creation. On the other hand, he has been vocal about reinvesting
in America’s infrastructure. He acknowledges that aging systems
throughout the nation are in need of improvement and upgrades
to meet current and future needs. This includes our nation’s water
delivery, treatment, and storage systems.
In addition to the White House, Republicans successfully
retained control of both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of
Representatives. In the House, all 435 seats were up for election,
and the Democrats picked up seven seats, making it 194 seats held
by Democrats and 239 seats by Republicans, with the Republicans
retaining their majority. In the Senate, 34 out of the 100 seats
were up for election. The Democrats gained two additional seats
bringing the count to 46 Democrats and 51 Republicans. There are
two Independents in the Senate and the final seat, representing
Louisiana, was decided in a runoff in December with a win by
Republican John Kennedy.
In Nevada and California, the election outcomes took a different
turn from the federal races, with many races in both states
favoring Democrats. Prior to November 8, Republicans controlled
the executive and legislative branches in Nevada. As of November
9, Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval will have a different dynamic
to consider as he will be working with a Democrat-controlled
State Senate and State Assembly. With all 42 seats in the Nevada
State Assembly up for election, the Democrats made huge strides,
picking up 10 seats, making the State Assembly 27 Democrats
and 15 Republicans. In the Nevada State Senate, 11 of the 21 seats
were up for election. With the party affiliation switch of State
Senator Patricia Farley from Republican to Independent, and an
additional loss of one seat by the Republicans, the Democrats now
14 SOURCE winter 2017
hold 11 seats, Republicans nine, and there is one Independent.
Democrats continue to dominate California’s political
landscape. If it were possible for a state to move from “blue”
to a “deep blue,” California would be the prime example. In
the California State Assembly, all 80 seats were up for election
with 17 incumbents either termed out or running for a different
office. Democrats were able to gain three seats to increase their
influence with a super-majority status. Acquiring a two-thirds
majority can assist in moving priority policy issues forward in a
timely manner, pass taxes, urgency measures and constitutional
amendments. The number of Republican-held seats slipped to
25, potentially further impacting their ability to have a marked
engagement on pertinent issues in their respective chamber.
In the California State Senate, half of the 40 seats were up
for election. Senate District 29 was vacated upon the death
of Republican State Senator Runner in July 2016. Republican
Assembly Member Wilk clinched the seat, returning the district to
a Republican hold. Democrat Josh Newman ran and won District
29, giving Democrats 27 seats and a super-majority in the Senate
as well as the Assembly.
As Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown prepares for the last two years
of his second term, his administration has laid the groundwork
for more progressive resource-based policies that are intended to
be implemented before he leaves office. The new composition
of the state Legislature may further enhance Governor Brown’s
objectives.
What does all this mean for water managers? We all know
that 2017 will be a busy year for the water community, not only
because we will all be working on a broad array of legislative and
regulatory efforts, from water quality to water-related financing,
but also because we will be adjusting and responding to a new
landscape of state and federal elected representatives. CA-NV
AWWA is often seen as an informational resource with a unique
and highly respected technical knowledge base. Contacting
our respective elected state and federal representatives and
establishing a solid working relationship will benefit not only the
Section and its membership, but it will also benefit the millions of
customers and communities who depend upon us for reliable and
safe water supplies. S
Note: reported election results are based upon information
available as of November 21, 2016. For more on how AWWA expects
to be working with the new administration and Congress, see
AWWA’s Washington Office Prepares for New Administration
and Congress on page __ in this issue.
Rosalie Thompson is an in-house state legislative representative for the
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. She served as a
legislative staffer in the State Capitol for 13 years and is currently chair
of CA-NV AWWA’s Government Affairs Committee.
HEADS UP
NEWS & VIEWS ON ISSUES, LEGISLATION, AND REGULATIONS
“And, It’s a Wrap!”
By Rosalie Thompson