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<br />.r ..,-.... Iif., <br />'()lJ25~~ <br /> <br />':'-~l~I.T-:t:\ ':'i:' I <br /> <br />Arizona," he sllid. "I don't believe there are' bonding people <br />foolish enough to loan money without backing by the state." <br />Senator Blansett also insisted that the cost of the project would <br />be more nearly $2 billion than $1 billion. <br /> <br />. A Republican senator from Tucson, Douglas. Holsclaw <br />while voting for the bill, expressed hope that "the House ha~ <br />enough courage and foresight to insist on placing a limit on <br />the amount of bonds which Clln be sold and also an interest <br />limitation." <br /> <br />The House, however, found its own "middle way'." This <br />;,vas an amendment which stipulated that even after the filing <br />of a feasibility report, the bonding authority could issue bonds <br />only with the express permission of the legislature. Rep. Delos <br />. Ellsworth (R-Maricopa), House majority wt)ip, said it repre- <br />sented a preferable "positive" rathe.r than "negative" approach. . <br /> <br />Another House amendment directed the Power Authority <br />and Stream Commission to look for alternative ways of paying <br />ant the project incase the FPC denied licenses to build the two <br />darns. And a third amendment provided that the project could <br />not be launched before December 15, 1967. This of course, was <br />to give Congress, for all pr:ol.ctical purposes, the rest of the year <br />within which to approve a federal CAP. <br /> <br />Thus amended, the bill was passed 52-4 and sEmt back to <br />the Senate, where the amendments we,re promptly accepted. <br />It then went to Governor Williams, who signed it .March 14 <br />with a statement that "for the first time in its long dry history <br />(this) puts Arizona on record with a clear-cut decision to tap <br />water from the Colorado with or without the help of the federal <br />government." He termed the legislation "a very significant <br />step" toward the development of Arizona water resources and <br />congratulated the legislature, the Stream Commission and the <br />Power Authority. "Arizonans fought for 11 years before the <br />U.8. Supreme Court decided in our favor,the rights to Colorado <br />River water," said Governor Williams. "Victory came June 3, <br />1963. We have waited another four years for Congress to <br />authorize the CAP. Now we have taken the matter into our <br />own hands and intend to proceed with all due haste to imple- <br />ment this act. We all agree that a federal project would be best, <br />but a state project is far better than none. And Arizona must <br />and shall put to beneficial use its fair share of Colorado River <br />water." <br /> <br />..' <br /> <br />Congressional Hearing Starts <br /> <br />Even as the determined Arizona lawmakers were putting <br />together their do-it-yourself CAP, federal legislation was once <br />again starting through the congressional labyrinth. A hearing <br />on several pending Colorado River bills got under way March 13 <br />before the Subcommittee on Irrigation and Reclamation of the <br />House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. The bills in- <br />cluded Arizona's $1.2 billion proposal providing for Hualapai <br /> <br />-50- <br /> <br />