Senate Rules Committee advances reappointments of State Water Resources Control Board Chair Esquivel and member Morgan

The Senate Rules Committee voted to advance the reappointments of Chair Esquivel and board member Ben Morgan to the State Water Resources Control Board, sending both nominations to the full Senate by a recorded 5-0 vote.

Chair Esquivel told the committee the board has prioritized reducing the number of Californians without access to clean water, saying the population affected has fallen from about 1.6 million to roughly 800,000 in recent years. "We know we still have a lot of work to do on that front," he said, noting the board's role responding to drought, wildfires and emerging contaminants.

Members pressed the chair and Morgan on several recurring issues: whether statewide, "one‑size‑fits‑all" orders accommodate regional differences such as those between the North Coast and the Central…