DCP central to new U.S. Chamber TV spot

The Drought Contingency Plan takes center stage in a new television advertisement that just hit the Phoenix market.

The 30-second spot features Arizona state Sen. Sine Kerr, R-Buckeye, discussing the importance of the DCP’s passage to Arizona. It was produced by the United States Chamber of Commerce with support from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Arizona Legislature passed the DCP in January to manage future Colorado River allocations and stave off federal intervention in Arizona’s water management strategy. Congress authorized the plan’s implementation in April.

In the ad, Kerr asks voters to thank U.S. Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., for her leadership in passing the DCP in Congress.

“Martha McSally led the effort to pass the Drought Contingency Plan, keeping the water flowing and Arizona growing,” Kerr said in the ad.

Kerr said it is not common for legislation to pass through Congress as quickly as the DCP.

“I know that Sen. McSally was a champion for us in Congress and the Senate, and it went through Congress in record time,” Kerr said. “She was instrumental in that, and I’m just very proud of the work she did on DCP.”

Kerr, a Buckeye dairy farmer for nearly 40 years, said she did not hesitate when asked to appear in the ad.

“Water’s life… to farmers, to everyone,” she said. “No matter what you do, no matter where you live, water touches your life every single day.”

Water is particularly vital to Kerr and her district, which includes wide swaths of rural Western Arizona.

“We’ve made great strides to conserve water behind Lake Mead, and we already are seeing that it’s working,” Kerr said. “It’s great to see that progress, but we’re always looking ahead.”

Kerr said one of her main concerns is ensuring the water supply is secure for future generations.

“That’s really important to me, not only as a legislator but as a dairy-business owner,” she said. “We think in generations; we don’t just think the next few years. With that in mind, that’s how we look ahead is for the future generations.”

Kerr is the chair of the state Senate Water and Agriculture Committee.

This latest ad follows another U.S. Chamber-produced ad that aired in the Phoenix market, supported by the Arizona Chamber and Arizona Manufacturers Council. The previous ad featured Manufacturers Council Chair Dawn Grove and highlighted McSally’s advocacy for the proposed United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on North American trade.