A U.S. Senate committee moved a bill authorizing the Arkansas Valley Conduit to the Senate floor Thursday, with strong bipartisan support of the state’s senators. While the bill must still pass the entire Senate and House, Thursday’s move was hailed as a major step forward. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee approval Thursday came despite opposition from the Bureau of Reclamation at an earlier hearing. The new bill would clear the way for a 65 percent federal match that would be repaid over time by excess-capacity lease revenues from the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project.

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