Death and taxes. Complaints about in-laws. Reruns of Seinfeld. Some things are never-ending. Another item to add to the list? Georgia, Alabama and Florida water wars.
Despite the fury surrounding the presidential election, life goes on in the nation’s capitol and, with some extra effort from an Alabama senator, the water wars are getting dragged into it again. This past week Senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue introduced two amendments to the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies appropriations measure looking to block language that, according to a statement from the Senators, “directly attacks the state of Georgia” in its legal dispute over water with Florida and Alabama.
“This is absolutely the wrong way to resolve disputes among our states, and Georgia has been working in good faith for years to resolve these disputes. Our state remains focused on continued conservation efforts so that we are good stewards of the water resources in these river basins. I am prepared to use every tool at my disposal to ensure Georgia is not unfairly disadvantaged in a decades-long tristate water dispute,” said Isakson.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Senator Perdue blamed Alabama and Florida’s losses in court for this latest attempt at bringing Congress into the equation through the language inserted into the bill by Alabama Senator Richard Shelby.
“Now, because of unfavorable court rulings, we are seeing a senator attempt to tip the scales in this water dispute by short-circuiting that litigation through the appropriations process. That’s just not appropriate. These amendments will remove this harmful language from this appropriations bill and preserve the progress the three states have made in these ongoing water negotiations,” said Perdue.
Neither Isakson or Perdue are on the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Committee which submitted the bill to the full Senate. The Chairman of this pivotal committee debating the aforementioned appropriations bill? Alabama Senator Richard Shelby. The House equivalent committee, which ultimately would also have a voice in the passage of the bill, does not have any Georgia members either. It does have two members from Alabama, one a Vice Chair, and one from Florida, all Republicans. For now, the bill in question has a long way to go. Tomorrow, four gun-control bills are set to be attached as amendments which will undoubtedly set off a round of arguments and delay passage.
The thrust of the argument is for now still being played out in the courts. Litigation is pending at the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court in D.C. and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The Supreme Court case will go to trial in November, guided by a court-appointed special master. Perdue’s argument for the amendments stresses that the solution to the Water Wars should lie with the courts, not with the Senate. “The senior senator from Alabama is attempting to impose Washington as the solution for a matter that should be, and is being, handled by the states,” said Perdue. The Supreme Court is also in Washington but it remains to be seen which building there will determine the “final” outcome.
