Senate committee passes water compact

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 262, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes water compact bill on Feb. 20 by a vote of 8-4.

The bill, carried by Sen. Chas Vincent, R-Libby, will ratify a water rights compact entered into by the Tribes, the state of Montana and the U.S. government.

The compact is an agreement for the equitable division and apportionment of water rights between the state and the Tribes. It has met with stiff opposition from state legislators, citizens and county commissioners in the Flathead.

The Montana Farm Bureau applauded the committee's action in a press release.

"We want to thank all of Senate Judiciary Committee members who voted to pass this bill,” Montana Farm Bureau executive vice president John Youngberg said. "We especially want to thank Sen. Vincent who spent hundreds of hours studying the compact and bringing the bill to the Senate. We now look forward to seeing the bill pass the full legislature."

Montana Farm Bureau members in their policy have supported a negotiated agreement on water compacts.

"We believe this is a fair settlement for users on and off  the reservation,"  Youngberg said.