CAPR's blog

How is that Hirst Fix working out for ya?  In Spokane County, the answer is shamefully, woefully, not well!  Spokane County's response to the latest in fix for Hirst, 6091 which is now session law,  is to go ahead with a questionable water bank that will be severely intrusive and seriously devalue properties with covenances stating restricted water use, and requiring an easement for the property right of the air space above your home so you may be monitored for enforcement purposes!  6091 fails by many miles, far short of the much needed oversight of Agencies and Local Government that a well-constructed constitutionally based bill should have.  Ecology has written with the help of Spokane County Commissioners, Water Resource Managers and Aspect Consulting a systemic method to deny the people of Spokane County the d

For too many years, the people of Skagit County have wrongfully had their water rights stolen from them.  CAPR worked hard through the CAPR Skagit County chapter to right the wrongs by educating people about how this Phony Water Crisis came about, and helping Richard Fox and his family in legal battles to restore his water rights.  This battle was fought by the Fox Family on behalf of thousands of people in Skagit who had their water rights interrupted or stolen.  http://caselaw.findlaw.com/wa-court-of-appeals/1731705.html

Now there is an opportunity to right the wrongs that have been done to the Fox Family and many hundreds of other families in Skagit County.

Today, January 13, 2018, the Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks Committee SB 6091 is amended and can be seen here:

http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2017-18/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/6091-S.pdf  It is now in the Rules committee, where it will either languish and compete with other "Hirst Fix" bills, or will be voted in Rules to go to the Senate floor for a vote.  

Yesterday, the Washington State Legislature started the new Legislative session with great ceremony and fanfare in Olympia.  On the first day of session, every year, the legislators walk down the aisle, Democrats on the left, Republicans on the right as they stride to their respective seats.  The flag ceremony, the anthem, new leadership sworn in, newly electeds recognized by their peers, and the visitor’s gallery is filled to capacity.  Thus begins the clock for the countdown to the end of the “short” session.  Every second that ticks by, a certain sense of urgency grips the state.  From long, painful experience we know our freedoms and our pocketbooks will not be safe as long as the legislature remains in session in Olympia.

Citizens' Alliance for Property Rights Defending and restoring property rights since 2003

 Stop the Phony Water Crisis!

A CAPR Legislative Action Alert!

UPDATE!

We at CAPR were fortunate to have Mr. Hopper as a key note speaker at the annual CAPR Banquet and Auction.  His work has benefitted property owners over many years, most famously winning at the Supreme Court in the Rapanos v. United States case against the EPA.  We are grateful for Mr. Reed and his work.  The Pacific Legal Foundation calls Mr. Hopper "A man of conviction, courage and compassion, Reed was a loving family man and generous friend and on the professional level, a brilliant litigator and renowned Supreme Court advocate."  Thank you Mr. Reed Hopper.

CAPR has created a flyer which represents the comments on Hirst we have gathered from Washington Citizens.  Please print and use this flyer for visits to the legislature.

Join your CAPR Lobbyist and CAPR Members on the first day of legislative session, January 8th, to visit your legislator and express your opinions of a Hirst Solution.

Read the proposed bill and watch the public workshop hearing for that bill.  Of interest, there is now also a proposed amendment to this bill by the tri-counties of Spokane, Pend Oreille, and Stevens.  That proposed amending language is printed after the printing of the proposed bill.