The nation’s largest water district ramped up its spending on Washington lobbyists as drought deepened in California, says a story by Southern California Public Radio and the Center for Responsive Politics. The Westlands Water District spent $600,000 on lobbying in 2013, six times what it spent in 2010, says the story. In addition, says Southern California Public Radio, internal documents show Westlands also paid $90,000 to former California congressman Tony Coelho for Washington representation.
“The lobbying comes as Congress and federal agencies consider how to respond to three years of drought conditions that have cut water supplies across the state and ratcheted up political pressure from the hard-hit agricultural sector, including many of Westlands’ customers,” says the story. Bills in the House and Senate take different approaches to trying to make more water available.