CAPITOL LETTERS

"Oh-oh, we're halfway the-re..."
So, the Senate went ahead and passed the session's major water planning bill this evening -- the first in a decade. But this legislation, that nearly crumbled over contentious reservoir sites, still has to come up for debate in the House tonight. It could be rough.
Most of the bill is non-controversial. It sets guidelines for water conservation and for protecting the ecology of the state’s rivers, lakes, bays and estuaries. Here's the beef -- the bill sets aside 19 Texas locations for future reservoirs, and, well, reservoir sites almost ALWAYS cause a brawl.
Two Dallas reservoirs were removed in the House version of the bill. But the conference committee stuck them back in -- with a provision that cities and water districts must start spending money on those reservoirs by 2015, or risk losing their designation.
That's peeved some House lawmakers, particularly those concerned wtih the environmental and economic impact of flooding big portions of East Texas.
Here's hoping they do SOMETHING on this before midnight.