The bond would pay for a water storage and delivery system for
the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta - as well as environmental
mitigation and other spending projects. It's a bipartisan
deal between lawmakers and former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger -
and it was supposed to be voted on two years ago. But a later
deal moved it to this fall, in hopes of a more favorable political
environment.
Earlier this month, Assembly Speaker John Pérez told reporters
he wants to slim down the water bond - but keep it on this year's
ballot. But now, Governor Brown is suggesting a water project
might not need the bond money at all. He told reporters after
an event in Orange County that the "big water users" will pay for a
project that gives them a reliable water supply - and lawmakers
should "take a hard look" at whether the bond should go before
voters. Brown's tax initiative is also heading for the
November ballot.
Brown Wraps Up Southern California Trip
Governor Brown wrapped up a two-day trip to Southern
California Thursday. That's where he pitched his proposed
sales and income tax initiative and the rest of the platform he
discussed in this week's State of the State address.
On Thursday, he spent an hour meeting privately with 50 Orange
County CEO's and top-level executives from major industries.
Lucy Dunn with the Orange County Business Council says Brown was
well-received.
Dunn: "When you talk about a tax
measure that funds education, that gets our business community
going - well, this is something that's really of interest to
us. So I would say that they were very open to his
proposal.
Dunn says much of the discussion focused not on the governor's
tax initiative but on what the governor could do to help businesses
deal with the state's regulatory system.
Brown later spoke to a crowd in San Diego.
