ACWA 2006 Legislative Leadership Award Presented to Assembly Member Jackie Goldberg.

Lawmaker Honored at ACWA Conference

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today presented its 2006 Legislative Leadership Award to Assembly Member Jackie Goldberg (D-Los Angeles) for her efforts to secure legislation critical to public water utilities.

The award is presented to legislators for outstanding contributions in the field of water development or for a viable contribution to the water industry or major ACWA issues. The nominee must have given remarkable and visible support of or assistance to the legislative objectives of ACWA and its member agencies.

The award, presented at ACWA's 2006 fall conference and exhibition, recognized Goldberg for authoring and winning passage of AB 2951, which preserves the authority of local public agency utilities to charge rates that include a capital component to pay for improvements needed to serve their customers.

The success of AB 2951 reflected years of work by ACWA and the Assembly member to pass the legislation, which was needed in light of recent legal challenges targeting that authority, particularly with respect to monthly rates charged to schools and other public entities.

"Assembly Member Goldberg deserves our thanks and recognition for taking on this difficult issue," ACWA President Randy Fiorini said. "She recognized the fairness issues involved, and supported water agencies by authoring this bill and working hard to pass it - despite strong opposition from her education community allies and supporters."

ACWA is a statewide association of public agencies whose 440 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more information, visit www.acwa.com.