Gov. Jerry Brown has broken his silence on water bond talks.
He’s opposing the $11 billion measure currently on the November ballot and proposing a $6 billion bond instead.
Brown’s outline sets aside a third of the money for storage projects, such as dams and reservoirs.
Republican state Sen. Anthony Cannella says that’s not enough.
"It’s a great starting point but it’s clearly lacking, especially in the storage area," Cannella said. "He’s offered up $2 billion for storage and we really need $3 billion. So if we can get to $3 billion for storage, I think we’re there.”
The governor’s office has spent the last several weeks looking for a middle ground between supporters and opponents of his Delta tunnel proposal. Brown calls his bond “tunnel neutral.”
Democratic state Sen. Lois Wolk says the biggest sticking point remains finding a state agency both sides can trust to manage Delta restoration funds.
"It has to be real collaboration. It can’t just be hollow," Wolk said. "The word can’t be hollow. There have to be actual requirements for consultation and for cooperation and for decision-making.”
A deal must be reached by the end of next week.
