Texas and has been suffering from a severe drought and rapidly growing Dallas-Fort Worth district has found itself without an ample source of water. As a way to quench this thirst, the area has been looking to Oklahoma for help.
Oklahomans have refused, however, given Oklahoma law prohibits sending water out-of-state.
As a result Texans have sought for relief through the Red River Compact, an agreement between Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas Congress approved in 1980. The case reached the Supreme Court on Tuesday where Texas argued the compact means they have a right to 25 percent of the water in question, a claim Oklahoma disputes.
Host Carmen Russell-Sluchansky spoke with James McDonald, an attorney at Williams & Connolly LLP who wrote a brief on behalf of Professors of Law and Political Science, and Erik Jaffe, a principle at Erik Jeffe PC who wrote an amicus brief on behalf of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Dallas Regional Chamber, Greater Forth Worth Real Estate Council, to discuss the case.
