SALT LAKE CITY — House Speaker Mike Schultz is planning to put a pause on any major new water legislation to see how big bills already passed by the legislature are working.
"We have moved the needle so far with policy over the past couple of years, I think it’s important maybe to take a break for just a minute," he told FOX 13 News in a recent interview. "Not take our foot off the gas pedal, but just a look back and say, 'These are policies we’ve put in place, are they working the way they’re intended to?'"
This week, the Speaker will hold an annual water symposium which began when the Great Salt Lake started to post record declines. The Utah State Legislature has passed a number of bills and spent over a billion dollars on water conservation efforts. Some of those policies are just being rolled out.
Speaker Schultz, R-Hooper, told FOX 13 News he is pleased with some things they have accomplished. There is proof that water conservation is working. "Agriculture optimization," which offers financial support to get Utah's top water user to switch to new water-saving technologies, has been so successful that the Speaker offered support for ongoing funding. He said it benefitted farmers, ranchers and the food supply as well as the rest of the state.
But he acknowledged they are still rolling out policies to track what happens with saved water.
"I'm in favor of the voluntary stuff," he said. "Using incentives, such as helping for some of those things, are better off than mandates."
But the legislature faces pressure from environmental groups who argue the state simply has not done enough to address water problems, particularly the crisis facing the Great Salt Lake. A judge is deciding if a lawsuit over the lake will proceed to trial or be dismissed.
This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative that partners news, education and media organizations to help inform people about the plight of the Great Salt Lake—and what can be done to make a difference before it is too late. Read all of our stories at greatsaltlakenews.org.
