California Legislature pulls water bond measure off fall ballot
SACRAMENTO — The state Legislature on Thursday pulled an $11-billion water bond measure off the fall ballot, delaying it until 2014.
Democratic lawmakers said that asking voters in November to approve new debt to improve the state’s water system would jeopardize Gov. Jerry Brown’s $8-billion tax measure, which voters will consider then.
“We are faced with a tax levy in November,” said Sen. Lois Wolk (D-Davis). “It would be disastrous to have [the borrowing] on the ballot.”
Pulling the bond paves the way for Brown’s tax measure to appear first among the 11 propositions scheduled to go before voters.
Lawmakers also said the water proposal was too large and full of projects that have been criticized as unrelated to water quality.
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