SACRAMENTO – Today, Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) released the following statement after her bill, SB 559—the State Water Resiliency Act of 2021—was approved by the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee by a 6-0 vote:

“We are on the verge of a global food crisis and Californians can avoid by learning from the crisis in 1974,” said Senator Hurtado. “Hunger and famine are not just a reality in some far away land anymore, it could be a real possibility for Americans if we fail to be proactive. The State Water Resiliency Act of 2021 will provide much needed funding for canal conveyance repairs throughout the Central Valley that will impact more than 31 million Californians. These projects represent access and reliability of clean, safe, drinking water, health, jobs, and our food supply chain. Two-thirds of the nation’s fruits and nuts come from California--one-third of its vegetables-- and this drought, as well as the damage to our water infrastructure has threatened our ability to produce food at the volume we do. SB 559 provides us the opportunity to not only plan for our future, but to protect it as well.”

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