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House approves measure to require legislative review before new watershed moratoriums
Summary
Senate Bill 290, amended on the floor, requires a legislative review process before state agencies can impose new moratoriums on permits within watershed areas and preserves existing protections for Lake Maumelle and the Buffalo River. Representative Diane Vaught said the bill restores a legislative voice on moratoriums; the House passed the bill
The Arkansas House voted to pass Senate Bill 2 90, a bill that limits the ability of a single agency to impose new moratoriums on permits in watersheds without a defined process that includes legislative review.
Representative Diane Vaught, the bill sponsor on the House floor, framed the proposal as returning a voice to elected officials after what she described as ad hoc moratorium decisions affecting farmers and local communities. "This bill will give us back a voice," Vaught said, adding that the measure preserves existing protections for the Buffalo River and Lake Maumelle while establishing procedures for any future moratoriums.
Vaught told colleagues the bill covers all 57 watersheds in Arkansas and aims to protect agricultural producers already working in watershed areas; she said the bill was negotiated with state agencies and the governor’s office to avoid unintended harm to those watersheds.
Members asked technical questions on why the Buffalo River and Lake Maumelle were treated as distinct cases; Vaught said the distinctions were historical and tied to existing protections and the scale of water supply served by Maumelle. After floor discussion, the House clerk reported the tally as 78 yays, 11 nays and 14 present. The bill passed the House.
The transcript records sponsor remarks, several member questions and the final roll-call result. The measure’s text, as discussed on the floor, aims to preserve current moratoria for the Buffalo River and Lake Maumelle while requiring a formal process — including legislative notice and review — before additional moratoria are imposed in other watersheds.
