SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Democrats in the California Senate have proposed $3.4 billion in new spending to combat the state's drought.
The independent Legislative Analyst’s Office says the proposal would equal all of the state's combined spending during the previous five-year drought that ended in 2016.
The money would pay for things like trucking in drinking water for small communities and encouraging farmers and homeowners to use less water.
Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins said the state needs to take advantage of a surprise state surplus and billions of dollars in new federal funding to prepare for the drought.
