Senator is very proud of the work the Legislature did on Senate Bill 1740, on which she was the sponsor. She notes that instead of creating a new bureaucracy, the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona was expanded and reworked to allow it to oversee and manage this effort. Kerr explained that the bill has two main components: one is to explore the options of securing new water from outside the state’s boundaries. The other is to fund state projects, especially in rural areas, that are designed to more efficiently use the water that the state already has at hand. For the most part, the out-of-state projects are ambitious and are focused on long range solutions, while the in-state projects are expected to have payoffs in the short term designed to more efficiently utilize the state’s water. On the long-term list are such projects as harvesting the flood waters of the Mississippi or Missouri rivers, building a desalination facility in Mexico or elsewhere, and looking at other types of technology that may have some utilization. “I like to think nothing is off the table,” said Kerr.
projects in different areas. “My husband and I actually farm in a waterlogged area,” she said, explaining that the Gila River has a very high water table resulting in the need to drain some fields. Though this funding bill took a great deal of Sen. Kerr’s time this past year, she doesn’t think the issue is solved. “I do think there will always be water bills for us to discuss. This next session (2023), I think we might need some legislative fixes for SB 1740. I suspect there will be some hiccups we have to address.” Of course, Kerr has other legislative interests, but she reiterated that water is clearly at the top of her list for the time being. She did note that she will term out of the State Senate after her next term expires. She does not yet have an expressed interest in another office but noted that the need for ag-minded and ag-influenced officials is ongoing. “I always encourage my ag colleagues to consider running for office,” she said. Her other passions include family and children’s issues, caring for and serving our veterans (five consecutive generations in her family have served in the military), and education issues.
Arizona State Sen. Sine Kerr
The in-state projects would be smaller in nature and are more focused on the immediate future. The projects on this list include new or updated water treatment facilities, improved rain harvesting and new paths to recharge aquifers. While Arizona is often on the top or near the top of any discussion list about states with acute water needs, Kerr reminded that the state is large with many micro-climates and the need for different
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