Hirst Decision Still in Forefront of Legislative Session

Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler said that rural Central and Eastern Washington counties don’t have the resources to deal with the implications of the state Supreme Court’s Hirst Decision.

“They don’t really have the budget capacity to do it. Somebody might say, ‘Just form a water bank’ and well you have to find some deposits to start the bank with and those water deposits aren’t easy to come by. We want to look for solutions that can work in the smallest, low-budget counties as well as a big county.”

Schoesler said they want to avoid giving counties more mandates and duties to perform. He noted that they are already working in several areas.

“They’re not eager to get into another service when they deal with mental health, criminal justice, their roads and a host of other areas. They really don’t want to get into more areas, they would like it fixed.”

Schoesler said he has talked with the county planners in his district and they are looking for help.

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