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-Editorial
The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors won the second round of the legislative fight against Assemblyman Chad Mayes who introduced legislation that would require the California Energy Commission to study and report to the legislature options for IID’s electrical service to the Coachella Valley post-2033.
At the May 19 meeting, the IID Board of Directors was informed by General Manager Henry Martinez that Assembly Bill 2629 that was introduced earlier this year died in commissions in Sacramento during a legislative session.
“We are very happy to know that the bill died for this year in Sacramento, this is something we have followed since it was introduced,” Martinez said.
Assembly Bill 2629 would have required the Energy Commission, the Imperial County Local Agency Formation Commission, and the Riverside County Local Agency Formation Commission to meet for the purposes of determining the sphere of influence of the Imperial Irrigation District and options for electrical service to the Coachella Valley at the end of the 99-year lease of electrical rights in the 1934 compromise agreement between the Imperial Irrigation District and the Coachella Valley Water District.
Mayes is an Assemblyman representing the 42nd District, encompassing parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties
This was not the first time IID and Mayes have around with each other. Mayes introduced an assembly bill that would add more members to the IID board from Coachella forever changing the balance of the board. Assembly Bill 854 died in the rules committee at the California State Assembly since there was not enough support for the bill to move forward. The IID Board took a strong opposition on the bill that would have required the members of the IID Board to increase from 5 to 11 members with a majority coming from Riverside County.
“I’m very glad to hear Assemblyman Mayes’ bill died but we know there will be another bill just like AB 854 reincarnated into this one,” Board President Norma Galindo said.
