On Saturday, Tom Beal of the Arizona Daily Star reported on
Sen. Gail Griffin's efforts to re-establish state funding for AZGS in fiscal
year 2018. Last year's state budget zeroed out AZGS funding and transferred the
Survey to the Univ. of Arizona. https://tinyurl.com/FundingAZGS
In January 2017, Sen. Griffin introduced SB1184 refunding
the Survey at 2016 levels of $941,000. The Senate supported the bill 28 to 2,
sending it forward into the Arizona House of Representatives. On Thursday (9
March) at 10:00 a.m., the House Lands, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee,
chaired by Representative Barton of District 6, will hear the bill.
As reported in the Daily Star, Sen. Griffin is calling on
state government to put money back in the budget, for ‘an important state
agency that is world-renowned for what they do.’ ‘The state's mining and real estate organizations
supported the bill, along with geological associations.’, according to the Daily Star.
With university support, AZGS is moving forward in
refilling positions in web development (1/2 time), programming (1/2 time), and geo-infomatics (full
time).
We thank Sen. Griffin for her continued support of the
Survey and its mission - to encourage and promote sustainable use of Arizona’s
mineral resources and to identify geologic hazards that threaten people and
property.
Image: AZSenate Republicans tweet (3/6/2017)
showing Sen Gail Griffin in session at the Arizona Senate.
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