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A TRIBUTE TO SENATOR KYL by Arizona Water Professionals and Policy Makers

Spring 2026 Dear Senator Kyl, It is the nature of water policy in Arizona that measuring any one person’s impact on it is difficult. This volume is testament to the huge and positive impact you have had on our state’s water security and stewardship. Thank you for all the time and attention you have devoted to us over the eleven years since the Kyl Center for Water Policy was launched. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to work with you and learn from you. Yours,

Sarah Porter, director

Jon Kyl has brought to Arizona a focus on logic and rational decision making that is, by design, always empowering to the largest number of people possible. He has brought brilliance to the complex debates of water and international affairs and other burning national issues and has contributed mightily to the success of Arizona in all aspects. The Kyl Center for Water Policy at ASU will go on into the decades of the future promoting research, analysis, collaboration and dialogue to ensure management of our most precious water resources so that we can continue to see ongoing and steady economic and social development here in Arizona. And Jon Kyl has helped lay the foundation for all of that.

ASU President Michael Crow

By 1985, it seemed that everywhere I went in the community, attorney Jon Kyl was speaking. This point emphasizes that he was speaking not only in the courtroom but in the community. He was often described as a politically conservative voice, but that may have reflected, in part, his frequent appearances at Phoenix Chamber of Commerce events. In any event, I marveled at the extent to which he, as a busy attorney, could muster the time and energy to be so active outside his law firm. Of course, this activity set the stage for his election to Congress. I think no one was surprised at the result. Many have written about Sen. Kyl’s long record of public service, as I will—briefly. I had the opportunity to meet with him several times while seeking federal legislation authorizing Indian water rights settlements in Arizona. These meetings began during his time in the House of Representatives, and then, later, there were meetings in the Senate. Sen. Kyl always listened intently. This was not surprising, given his extensive knowledge of water law and policy, which he developed during his early legal practice. In our meetings, he always asked penetrating questions and made thoughtful observations. Who can say what Sen. Kyl’s most significant achievement may have been on behalf of Arizona water interests, but I will never forget crucial days during the behind-the-scenes negotiations of the Gila River Indian Community Water Rights Settlement. Multiple parties were involved, and negotiations were at a standstill. I credit Sen. Kyl with orchestrating a breakthrough that led to the successful completion of the largest Indian water settlement in our nation’s history. Notwithstanding all of the points that are often made about Sen. Kyl’s congressional service, some of my favorite memories stem from the time of Sen. Kyl’s approaching retirement from the Senate. It was later reported to me that Arizona State University offered Sen. Kyl the opportunity to do “whatever he wanted to do” at the university. I cannot attest to the accuracy of that report, but what I do know firsthand is what happened at the Morrison Institute of Public Policy during those days. Sue Clark-Johnson was the Executive Director of the Institute at the time, and she spoke with me about creating a center within the Institute to focus on water policy. She hoped we could persuade Sen. Kyl to endorse the creation of such a center and perhaps lend his name to it. At the conclusion of private meetings with Sen. Kyl, he supported the idea of such a center and agreed that we could name it the Kyl Center for Water Policy. This decision on his part not only launched what was then a fledgling effort but also ensured the rapid growth of the center into the powerhouse it is today, as a repository of a vast database on water and as a persuasive voice in the public square on questions of water rights and public policy. I don’t know whether Sen. Kyl could have envisioned the importance of his initial decision to lend such support to the proposal. Still, virtually all Arizonans, current and future, will benefit from that decision. Others may see this decision as a small part of Sen. Kyl’s legacy, but for some of us, it is right at the top among all the things he has done.

Richard N. Morrison

I met Jon Kyl in 1977, shortly after I was hired by the Arizona State Senate. Jon was representing the Salt River Project in negotiations among stakeholders that ended up establishing the Arizona Groundwater Management Study Commission tasked to develop a new comprehensive groundwater management code. While Governor Raul Castro (a Democrat) did not appoint Jon (a Republican) to serve on the Commission, Jon continued to be active in negotiations among farms, cities and copper mines to forge compromise legislation. Indeed, Jon joined the infamous Rump Group led by Governor Bruce Babbitt in 1980 because some farmers complained that the Rump Group was being too hard on agricultural interests. In 1980, I joined the newly created Arizona Department of Water Resources as Chief Counsel where I also served as lead lobbyist. I remember running into Jon one day in 1981 in Senate President Stan Turley’s office. I had come to talk to the President about the Department’s budget, which was under attack. When I confided my concerns to Jon, he urged me to stay strong, reminding me that, “It ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings.” Ultimately we were able to salvage the Department’s budget with the help of President Turley and Senate Minority Leader Alfredo Guitierrez. Jon went on to serve for eight years as a congressman from Arizona and another 18 years as a U.S. Senator. As Senate Minority Whip, he was recognized by Time magazine in 2010 as one of the most influential people in the world. In 2015, my husband, Michael Schiffer, and I interviewed Jon for our documentary, Groundwater... to enact a law for the common good. His insights still resonate and would be worth heeding today... “The founders of our country understood that the way that we would get things done is having all the people with vested interests come together and fight it out in an arena in which it could be done productively, constructively, for the good of the whole, with everybody having to make compromises.” When Jon retired from the U.S. Senate, Arizona State University established the Kyl Center for Water Policy where I have had the privilege of serving as a senior fellow for the last ten years. I especially remember Jon’s support of my research for the Kyl Center. When I was getting attacked from all sides for my draft of a white paper, “The Elusive Concept of an Assured Water Supply, the role of CAGRD and Replenishment,” Jon once again encouraged me to stay strong and to push for publication of a paper that was both factually and legally supported. The Kyl Center and I will miss his guidance.

Kathleen Ferris

Senator Kyl was kind enough to come and speak with my students on many occasions. Before he would come to class, I would always tell my students, “Senator Kyl would be famous to water lawyers even if he had never run for office.” He was already one of the most influential and respected water lawyers in the history of the U.S. before his name was ever on a ballot. My uncle, Stan Turley, served in the Arizona State Legislature and worked closely with Senator Kyl for years shaping Arizona’s water future. Uncle Stan always spoke so highly of Senator Kyl, and over the course of my career, I learned firsthand why my uncle held him in such esteem. I watched him pull conciliation and compromise from the grip of conflict. I do not believe I have ever heard him say no to any request for help. Senator Kyl is a statesman of the highest order, a peacemaker and a leader, and a generous and selfless friend. I am deeply grateful for his service to Arizona and the United States of America, and for his mentorship and encouragement to me personally. He and his family are forever in my prayers, both that they be comforted and strengthened in their challenges, and that they feel the love and gratitude of me and so many like me whose lives are better because of Senator Jon Kyl.

Rhett Larson

It was an intimidating experience for me, a young woman just beginning my career as a water resources manager for the City of Mesa, to step into the raucous negotiations in 2000 that would ultimately produce the Arizona Water Rights Settlements Act. The room was filled with the state’s most prominent water lawyers; no one hesitated to press their clients’ positions forcefully and, at times, aggressively. Watching John Weldon, Don Pongrace, and Pam Williams take turns sparring is something I will never forget. Yet whenever Senator Kyl entered the room, the arguing stopped and everyone listened. That respect stemmed not only from his role as Arizona’s senator, but from his deep command of the technical details, his appreciation for the necessity of compromise, and his clear understanding of what it would take to carry a settlement across the finish line and to the President. Arizona needed that leadership, and he delivered. I am deeply grateful to have worked with him on those efforts, and I hope the state is fortunate enough to see another senator of his caliber in the future.

Kathryn Sorensen, PhD Director of Research & Professor of Practice, Kyl Center for Water Policy, Morrison Institute for Public Policy Senior Global Futures Scientist, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, ASU

I deeply enjoyed the opportunity to meet Senator Kyl and to learn from him as a mentor. As only the second-ever staff member of ASU’s Kyl Center for Water Policy, I had a unique opportunity to observe his leadership up close. He was generous with his time, thoughtful in his guidance, and so gracious. His character and leadership left a lasting impression on me. He always offered very meaningful guidance and encouragement. I especially remember appreciating his words of wisdom when we were developing the Arizona Water Blueprint, which meant a lot to me. My greatest memory of Senator Kyl is listening to him speak about compromise. He spoke with such clarity, humility, and intellectual rigor. His insights were both principled and practical. His perspective was grounded in respect for others and focused on solutions. I wish we had more leaders like him. Senator Kyl is a true gem.

Susan Craig Program Director, Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, ASU

Senator Kyl played a consequential role in advancing Tribal water rights settlements in Arizona. At critical moments when decades of litigation, competing state interests and federal responsibilities threatened to stall progress, Senator Kyl brought sustained attention, political resolve and a practical understanding of western water law to the settlement process. He recognized that unresolved Tribal water rights were not only a matter of justice for Tribal nations but also a source of long-term instability for Arizona’s water future. Through his leadership in the US Senate, he moved complex and politically sensitive Tribal water rights settlements forward – efforts that required bridging multiple governments and local interests. These contributions helped lay the groundwork for several of Arizona’s landmark Tribal water rights settlements and for a broader shift toward recognizing the unique and enduring role that Tribal sovereignty plays in western water negotiations.

Cora Tso, J.D. Senior Research Fellow, Tribal Water Policy, Kyl Center for Water Policy, ASU

Among Senator Kyl’s most enduring legacies is his leadership in the passage of the Gila River Water Rights Settlement Act, a key component of the Arizona Water Settlements Act of 2004. This landmark legislation brought to conclusion decades of negotiation and litigation, successfully resolving the water rights claims of our Community. The Arizona Water Settlements Act not only affirmed our rights to a substantial share of the state’s water but also provided resources for vital infrastructure and economic development projects, that will empower our people for generations to come. Senator Kyl’s ability to bring together diverse stakeholders—tribal leaders, state officials, federal agencies, and water users— was instrumental in forging the consensus needed to enact this historic settlement. The Arizona Water Settlements Act, with the Gila River Water Rights Settlement at its heart, stands as a testament to Senator Kyl’s unwavering dedication to Arizona’s future. His work has not only brought greater certainty and stability to water management across the state but has also set a national standard for how large tribal water rights claims should be resolved. Today, the benefits of Senator Kyl’s efforts continue to flow—quite literally—to communities across Arizona. His legacy reminds us that true leadership requires both vision and humility, and that the most enduring progress is forged through dialogue, partnership, and honor. In remembering Senator John Kyl, we honor a leader whose commitment to justice, equity, and the well-being of all Arizonans— especially its first peoples—will be felt for generations.

Gila River Indian Community

After he was a Supreme Court lawyer and before he was a

Resources Committee, knowing that he would be in a better

consultant, Jon Kyl was a legislator in the truest sense of the

place to pass water legislation when it was ready from that

word. For over twenty years, in Washington DC, he legislated

committee. Before the settlement talks were done, Senator

to help or prod or lead Arizonans and the nation. He fought and

Kyl quietly passed innovative legislation to create a fund that

legislated for victim’s rights; he lent his serious fact-seeking

would accrue receipts while the parties worked through their

attention to the Intelligence Committee during our nation’s

differences. He also started working with the new Secretary

reckoning with September 11, 2001; he legislated to secure

of the Interior to help her with her priorities to gain trust and

Arizona’s natural resources – especially water, but also lands,

support for Arizona’s issues.

our access to energy sources, and innovative ways to protect endangered species while not endangering our access to water and lands. He did this by understanding that each piece of legislation needed its own strategy through committee and the floor, he did this by working across the aisle to partner and move legislation, and he did this with a doggedness of purpose, an obsession with detail, and apparently an indifference to sleep. Perhaps in no place is this more apparent than in securing water rights settlements for tribal and non-tribal communities.

Any one of the three major settlements would have been a large piece of legislation to pass separately. Together, they were a massive piece of legislation, and expensive. But they also balanced each other, drawing together the parties from central and southern Arizona and satisfying the U.S. justice department’s needs. And together, they would need only one hearing in both houses, and once past committee, one vote on each chamber’s floor. And, ultimately, the fiscal hawks in the administration would have only one chance to stop it.

I’m honored to have worked for Senator Kyl as his Water and

I could go on and talk about the fights and the trades that

Energy Counsel as he dedicated himself to passage of the

were necessary to secure those committee hearings, or the

Arizona Water Settlements Act of 2004. This Act included the

incredible work Senator Kyl did on the floor of the Senate

water rights settlements for the Gila River Indian Community

to mediate the issues of other states who were holding up

(the largest tribal settlement in the history of the United

everyone’s legislation in 2004. I could talk about the many

States), the Tohono O’Odham Nation, and the settlement

friends and allies who helped along the way. Or I could talk

between Central Arizona Water Conservation District and the

about his partnerships across the aisle to secure each other’s

federal government to finalize tribal and non-tribal allocations

water bills and the quiet battles with the Justice Department.

of Central Arizona Project water and final repayment costs.

Suffice it to say that Jon Kyl strategized, partnered, and

Jon Kyl did not sit in Washington, DC waiting to see if the parties at home would find a way to settle their water disputes. He partnered with Bruce Babbitt when he was Secretary of the Interior, and they would meet the parties on Fridays and weekends to work through the many issues. When Bruce Babbitt stepped down as Secretary, Jon Kyl continued the work with GRIC, the cities, the CAP, and the justice department to find a way forward. While this work went on, Senator Kyl worked to be placed on the Energy and Natural

maneuvered at every level of government over several years and did the work back home in the negotiating room to bring the tribes and their neighbors the settlement of their issues and the reliable funding (or so we hoped at the time) to tie it all together. It was an incredible honor to be part of that and to learn from the best.

Brenda Burman General Manager

Jon Kyl speaking at an event in Phoenix, Arizona, April 2017. Credit: Gage Skidmore

Director, Kyl Center for Water Policy Morrison Institute for Public Policy Arizona State University 411 N. Central Avenue, 9th Floor Phoenix, AZ 85004

RE:

Salt River Project Tribute to the Honorable Jon Kyl

Dear Ms. Porter: Thank you for the opportunity to share SRP’s sentiments and gratitude on the legacy of Senator Jon Kyl. Senator Kyl’s legacy stands as one of the most consequential in the history of Arizona January 27,natural 2026 resources law and policy. Across his decades of service—as an attorney, water and Member of Congress, and United States Senator—he repeatedly shaped the legal, policy, and Sarah Porter practical foundations of Arizona’s water future. His work helped ensure that Arizona could Director, Kylcomplexities Center for Water Policygrowth, and competing demands with clarity and fairness. navigate the of scarcity, Morrison Institute for Public Policy Arizona State University Before entering public office, Senator Kyl spent twenty years in private law practice developing 411 N. Central Avenue, 9th Floor expertise and serving clients on matters related to water, power, Indian law, and environmental Phoenix, AZ 85004 regulation. During this period, he contributed to significant matters that helped shape Arizona

water law and policy including the early phases of the Gila River and Little Colorado River General Steam Adjudications and the 1980 Groundwater Management Act. His work on Arizona v. San RE: Apache Salt River Project Tribute to the Honorable Jon Kyl Carlos and United SRP Tribute to theTribe Honorable Jon KylStates v. Superior Court helped develop the legal framework for January 27, 2026 the quantification of federal reserved water rights in Arizona and the West – a foundational step Dear2 Ms. Porter: Page toward the durable, statewide structure we have today.

SRP Tribute to the Honorable Jon Kyl Thank you for the opportunity to share SRP’s sentiments and gratitude on the legacy of Senator January 27, 2026 SRP Tribute toand the later Honorable Kyl Senator Kyl became the delegation’s foremost authority on In Congress in legacy theJon Senate, JonSenate, Kyl. Senator Kyl’s stands as one of theelected most consequential in theleaders, historyand of Arizona Page 2 the he served as a critical resource advising officials, business others January 27, 2026

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I met Senator Kyl literally the second or third day I began working at SRP in January 1986. I was asked to attend a meeting with SRP’s lawyers at Jenning Strouss & Salmon’s offices. I was introduced to him as he was cleaning out his office on Monroe Avenue having just been elected to represent Arizona in Congress. Little did I know at the time that I would actually spend a great deal of time with him in my SRP career. As I became involved in addressing Tribal water right claims, I frequently traveled with John Sullivan and John Weldon to Washington D.C. to meet with Senator Kyl and his staff to discuss the latest developments on tribal water rights negotiations. I was floored at the breath of his knowledge and his strategic thinking of how the negotiating parties (of which there were many and with many varied interests) could reach settlement, and moreover, how Congress could make it happen. He was always encouraging and optimistic about success in all of our meetings. He always looked for the “art of the possible” (one of his favorite lines) in our discussions—internally with SRP and externally among all the negotiation parties. Moreover, he was an absolute gentleman in how he treated everyone. I can’t say enough about how much I admire Senator Kyl, what he did for SRP and Arizona in his many years in Congress and after, and personally, how much he encouraged me to be bold and creative in solving water issues. I owe a great deal of gratitude to him and will always remember our interactions in tackling Arizona’s water issues. His legacy in addressing perhaps Arizona’s most challenging issue—water, is unmatched. No one has done more to resolve water conflicts in this state and to develop and encourage sound, sustaining water policies. Thank you so much Senator Kyl! God bless you and your family!

Dave Roberts

Dear Senator Kyl, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for everything you’ve done to secure Arizona’s water future. From your early days working with the Salt River Project—an organization that embodies the spirit of collaboration and innovation that built Roosevelt Dam— to your decades of service in Congress, your leadership has made a lasting difference. You understood that water isn’t just a resource; it’s the lifeblood of our communities, and you fought tirelessly to protect it. Your efforts on projects like the Central Arizona Project and your commitment to resolving tribal water rights through cooperation rather than conflict have shaped a stronger, more sustainable Arizona. Even after leaving office, your continued work through the Kyl Center for Water Policy shows how deeply you care about the generations to come. I’ll always remember briefing you in DC about the status of The Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan (DCP) in the fall of 2018. I assured you that we would get it over the finish line and you challenged me to do just that. You’ve challenged the entire water community over the years to find comprehensive and collaborative solutions, and we are all better for it. I am truly grateful for your wisdom, your vision, mentorship, and your unwavering dedication. Arizona is better because of you— and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. With deepest regard,

Leslie Meyers Associate General Manager, Water, Salt River Project

I have been fortunate to work with Jon Kyl for nearly 50 years during his remarkable career as a lawyer at Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, during his terms in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and afterwards when he was doing work on behalf of the Salt River Project. It has been a continuous learning experience for me for which I am eternally grateful. His successful oral arguments before the United States Supreme Court in Arizona v. San Carlos Apache Tribe, 463 U.S. 545 (1983), and before the Arizona Supreme Court in United States v. Superior Court, 144 Ariz. 265 (1985), set the stage for the quantification of all federal and state water rights in Arizona by the Arizona state courts. During his tenure in the United States’ Congress he successfully shepherded congressional approval and funding of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, San Carlos Apache Tribe, Yavapai Prescott Indian Tribe, Zuni Tribe, Gila River Indian Community, 2004 Tohono O’odham Nation, and White Mountain Apache Indian Tribe water rights settlements. While our memories fade as we grow older, no one will forget his accomplishments and the deeds he performed for our Country, our State, and the People. Stephanie and I wish the best for Jon and his family.

John B. Weldon

I was fortunate enough to work for Senator Kyl for five years

Throughout his time in Congress, he dedicated his time,

as his legislative water advisor. His integrity, intellect and hard

political capital, and expertise to resolving a number of Indian

work remain unmatched. Beyond being one of the best water

water settlements, including the Salt River Pima-Maricopa

attorneys in the State of Arizona, he was one of the best

Indian Community Water Rights Settlement, the Gila River

legislators in Congress.

Indian Community Water Rights Settlement, the Southern

One of his most significant contributions was his work on resolving outstanding Indian water claims. During his time in the Congress, Senator Kyl brokered and secured passage of a number of historic Indian water settlements that brought certainty to water users in the State of Arizona and funding for desperately needed water infrastructure to Arizona tribes. The value of his work cannot be understated. Without these settlements, the cloud on most of the water rights in Arizona would remain. As a then-Representative, Kyl so aptly stated in his testimony before Congress regarding the need to resolve outstanding Indian water claims:

Arizona Water Rights Settlement, the Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement, and the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Settlement. None of these settlements came easy and all required extensive negotiations with the settling parties, including the Department of the Interior, and Congress. It is worth mentioning the latter. Senator Kyl was adept at dealing with the most conservative Republicans as well as the most liberal Democrats. His credibility with fiscal conservatives convinced them to agree to the spending in the settlements and his negotiation skills and pragmatism allowed for deals to be made

I know we have failed in many duties, but one of the

with Democrats. This approach has resulted in extraordinary

areas in which the U.S. Government has fallen down,

benefits for the State of Arizona and its water users, tribal

particularly the Congress, is the failure over the years

and non-tribal alike. The settlements that he championed also

to come to grips with the problem of defining the nature of reserved water rights and allowing that to be litigated in court endlessly, with all of the different decisions that then have to be interpreted by both Federal and State as well as Indian officials. That has left a great

helped establish a model that has been an inspiration to other water basins, States, and tribes to work to resolve conflicts through proactive negotiations rather than continued conflict and debilitating uncertainty.

deal of confusion in the law, and it has also resulted in

His integrity, brilliance, and decency are unmatched and his

a situation where the number of claims, or the amount

legacy will be felt for generations to come. The example he

of claims so far, exceeds the available water supply in

set of leadership through thoughtful work across the aisle

those places that litigation is inevitable.

and bringing together people across historical and economic

The purpose of settlements like this [the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of Arizona water settlement]: is to try to cut through that and resolve the situation in a fair way, but that recognizes reality: that we can’t deal with a situation where the amount of the claims is three times as much as the available water.

divides should serve as a North Star for every politician.

Ryan A. Smith Shareholder, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP

Jon Kyl is exceptional. He was almost peerless in his efficacy as a legislator, the role in which he was, of course, best known within the State and nationally. He was a trailblazing water attorney, having argued and won a landmark water case before the US Supreme Court prior to his election to Congress. He is widely recognized, and will be long remembered, for his integrity and his constructive and thoughtful approach to his work. I served as Senator Kyl’s field director during the last four years of his final term. I arranged and staffed much of his travel within Arizona over that span and was among those staffing him in certain meetings in the State and Washington, DC. In those discussions, I was fortunate to have observed the results of his extensive preparation and his strict adherence to the highest ethical standards. I learned much from our conversations during those travels and the briefings in the office. He was very respectful to, and invested in, his staff. When he left office, the senator was a national figure. He had risen to the position of assistant minority leader, or Republican Whip, in the U.S. Senate, the second ranking role in the chamber. It is notable that he left office at his

peak influence in leadership. While known throughout the western United States for his water expertise and related accomplishments, he was a national thought leader on defense, arms control and tax policy. His impact on the Federal judiciary, including the Supreme Court, is lasting and significant. Of course, this tribute volume is largely purposed to recognize Senator Kyl’s immense legislative, legal and policy accomplishments relating to water. He is perhaps best known for his focus, sustained over many years, on resolving Indian water rights claims. These efforts, of which my former colleague Ryan Smith has written eloquently and accurately nearby, resulted in multiple settlements that not only have had enduring and substantial effects in the years since, it is readily apparent these agreements, which have been enacted into law, will continue to provide benefits for the tribes and other settling parties, and the State of Arizona, for generations to come. As Ryan aptly indicated, the settlements required a confluence of circumstances to become law. Senator Kyl occasionally referred to these efforts as “like a moonshot.” His mastery of the legislative process, his deep understanding of his State, which included the needs of the involved parties, and his willingness to do the work, among other things, combined to yield successful outcomes. The senator’s legacy of leadership in water law and policy extends beyond these critically important tribal settlements. I learned about one of the most significant accomplishments years after he left office. During a session of the Colorado River Symposium in 2017, one of the speakers, Bennett Raley, a Colorado attorney and the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science during the George W. Bush Administration,

spoke about the way in which Senators Kyl and Feinstein meaningfully assisted with the very difficult matter of reducing California’s use of Colorado River water through the actions that produced the Quantification Settlement Agreement in the early 2000s. Although the Boulder Canyon Project Act and the decree entered by the US Supreme Court in Arizona v California in 1964 confer to California a legal right to 4.4 million acre-feet of Colorado River water, that state had been legally diverting more than the entitlement by utilizing water in part from the Arizona apportionment. The arrival of Arizona and Nevada at full utilization of their respective entitlements necessitated the reduction of California’s consumptive use from, for example, 5.22 million acre-feet in 1990 and 5.28 million acre-feet in 2002, to only the volume to which it was entitled. This was deeply challenging on multiple levels, including politically. In his remarks at the Symposium about the transition, Mr. Raley stated that “Senators Feinstein and Kyl were absolutely rock solid. We talked to them a lot….You can’t have two more serious senators than those two and that they were there through the whole process watching closely.” The significance of this reduction of California’s use, which was eased somewhat by the efforts of the two senators, is enormous. After hearing Mr. Raley’s comments, I phoned the senator and learned more about the happenings from this fascinating and consequential period. He continued to advocate and educate regarding water issues after leaving the senate. In the months after he left office, Senator Kyl met with a group of water experts to prepare for a major water speech and to discuss the concept of a water institute or center. I was a member of Senator Flake’s staff at the time and was, by far, the youngest and least knowledgeable in the room. Among many other things, the matter of where to locate such a water center was discussed. We all now know how that eventually played out. Months later, after Governor Doug Ducey was elected, Senator Kyl led a meeting in Phoenix involving Senators McCain and Flake, and the new governor, to discuss the salience of various water issues. The senator’s advice and admonitions were timely. While I will keep the substance of the conversation in confidence, I will say that his predictions and emphases were remarkably prescient. In June 2023, Senator Kyl collaborated with Secretary Bruce Babbitt on an op-ed which appeared in the Arizona Republic which provided vigorous advocacy for the consumer protections in the Assured Water Supply program and for the maintenance of the State’s highest in the Nation water standards. The effort began with the senator’s desire to work with the former governor in advocating for Arizona’s water supply. Both the former senator and the former Interior secretary and governor knew what they wanted to say and how they wanted to say it. As memorable as the senator’s accomplishments have been, his method, in my view, is also part of his legacy. He has been an avid consumer of information, which was part of the preparation that yielded those successes. He emphasizes the desirability of maintaining a constructive posture;

indeed, constructive has been among his favorite words. He respects those who similarly seek solutions. He respects complexity and resists oversimplification. I recall when he somewhat testily told his communications director and me that he would never join Twitter because of the character limit. He indicated the world is more complicated than punchy sound bites and perceived the platform as antithetical to his worldview. My appreciation, and that of many others, for Senator Kyl only increased with the time spent with him. Working in his office was a remarkable and very rewarding experience and he has been a great friend and mentor since. I listened closely to his career advice, including his encouragement that I accept an offer in 2016 for my current position as the deputy director for the Arizona Department of Water Resources. After the senator announced he would not seek another term, The Wall Street Journal editorial board commended him in the Journal’s pages. The piece, entitled “Kyl’s Consequences: How to be an effective senator,” was reprinted and I, among others, received a signed copy along with a personal note from him. That signed print is now in my office. I’ll close with a portion of that opinion, which I believe encapsulates some of what I had referred to as his method: “The US Senate has 13 freshmen this year and we hope more than a few of them have signed up for Jon Kyl’s seminar on how to make a difference in what can be the world’s most dysfunctional body….The Arizonan, who is now second in the GOP leadership, has made his mark the old fashioned way—by knowing what he is talking about….His career is proof that you can achieve more as a Senator if you do your homework than if you appear non-stop on cable TV.”

Clint Chandler Deputy Director, Arizona Department of Water Resources

A small multitude of Arizonans are said to have been in the room where it happened during the negotiations over the Groundwater Management Act of 1980. All of them would not have fit in the room. Jon Kyl was in the room. I was not in the room. In those days I was a young lawyer at a no longer extant law firm called Jennings, Strouss and Salmon. The Salt River Project was the firm’s marquee client. Jon was in the room to represent SRP, which principally meant representing agricultural interests. Not having been in the room myself, I can’t provide dazzling insights about the negotiations. I have no doubt that Jon’s contributions included fearsome intelligence, masterful finesse, boundless energy and unshakeable integrity but always with an unswavering focus on the client’s position. I know this because he brought all of those things to the practice of law. While he was in the room, which was a lot, I had to watch a fair amount of the rest of his legislative practice. This was a wonderful way for me to jump start my career. Managing clients is among the very hardest parts of law practice. I found myself often asking “how would Jon deal with this?” I cannot imagine a better role model. Despite frequent perceptions to the contrary, I am not and have never been a water lawyer. My involvement with water issues came from being a Central Arizona Project Board member around the turn of the century. Water has long represented the clearest political consensus in Arizona: We need all we can get; we will fight anyone who tries to take what we have; we will argue about it constantly. That consensus has been our greatest strength when we have kept it non-partisan. Water has long been the thing Arizona does best. Senator Kyl is a major part of making that true.

Grady Gammage, Jr. Gammage & Burnham

Although I began to work for the Central Arizona Project in 1999, I didn’t have much opportunity to work directly with Senator Kyl until I became General Manager in 2015. This was after the Senator had retired from the Senate (the first time). I was asked to be a member of the Kyl Center Advisory Board, and Senator Kyl attended a number of the meetings. I was always impressed that he engaged in the conversations directly—the Kyl Center’s business was important to him, and he obviously did not consider his name being used as merely honorific, nor did he consider his presence at these meetings as just checking the box. Later, while Senator Kyl was appointed to temporarily replace Senator John McCain after his passing, ADWR Tom Buschatzke and I had an opportunity to brief Senator Kyl on the Drought Contingency Plan. It was as if the Senator had never been out of office. He had a deep understanding of the Colorado River, asked extremely relevant questions and made insightful comments and suggestions. He was only “filling in” for a few months, but he was completely up to speed and was able to fully engage in the briefing. These experiences only make Senator Kyl’s recent diagnosis all the more bittersweet for me, after observing him share his exceptional intellect and deep understanding for so many years.

Theodore C. Cooke, D.B.A.

On behalf of all those who have worked on the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program, I thank Senator Jon Kyl for his leadership in crafting Public Law 109-448, the U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush in December 2006. This path-breaking legislation authorized the U.S. Secretary of Interior to carry out the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP). Senator Kyl’s recognition of the importance of binational efforts to characterize shared groundwater enabled joint study of the transboundary Santa Cruz and San Pedro aquifers. The legislation established TAAP as a strong federal agency-university partnership. Senator Kyl’s leadership and commitment, along with that of the late Congressman Jim Kolbe, enabled the robust, binational collaborative assessment program that is still active. As someone who has been involved in TAAP since testifying in the 2006 House of Representatives subcommittee hearing on the Bill to authorize TAAP, I extend my most sincere thanks to Senator Kyl for his water leadership! Sincerely,

Sharon B. Megdal University of Arizona

On a personal note: From the first time I was in the same room with him, Jon Kyl made a strong and positive impression. In 1986, after being appointed in 1985 to fill a vacancy on the Arizona Corporation Commission, I launched an unsuccessful statewide campaign to continue serving through the remainder of the term. I was, by the way, a political neophyte. Among the many campaign events was one where I appeared on the stage with Jon Kyl, who was running for the first time to represent Arizona in the US House of Representatives. If I recall correctly the event was at a High School, possibly in Scottsdale. The candidates had the opportunity to stand up and make some comments. I did not know anything about Jon Kyl. What I remember seeing from behind (we were sitting on the stage behind the speakers) is someone who spoke very articulately and with confidence. In fact, Jon’s body posture exuded confidence! While I cannot remember the other candidates at that event, I do remember Jon and the very positive impression that he made.

For many years, Senator Jon Kyl offered counsel that was unmatched in its clarity, steadiness, and depth. His ability to cut through complexity with calm, principled insight made him someone I—and so many others at Arizona Public Service Company—relied on without hesitation. When difficult issues arose or when we needed a perspective grounded in experience, integrity, and genuine wisdom, Senator Kyl was the person we turned to. His guidance strengthened our organization and shaped the way many of us approached our work and our responsibilities. Beyond his professional counsel, I have come to value our friendship just as deeply. The time we spent together, whether discussing policy, sharing stories, or simply enjoying good conversation over lunch on a picnic table in Greer, AZ, remains meaningful to me. I always appreciated his warmth, his humor, and the ease with which he connected on a personal level. Those moments reminded me that behind his distinguished career and formidable intellect is a gracious, thoughtful friend whose company I truly enjoy. His presence has enriched my life in ways that extend far beyond the professional sphere.

Don Brandt

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, I was part of the team from the Central Arizona Water Conservation District working on the Gila River Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act. Senator Kyl was deeply and personally involved. Several different times, when the Senator was in Phoenix, he would ask me and my coworker Doug Miller, General Counsel for CAP to come to his office to work on specific language to be included in the Bill. What impressed me was the camaraderie and atmosphere while we worked. It was not Senator Kyl and his staff directing Doug and me on what to do. It easily became Larry, Doug and Jon crafting language that was in the best interest of all of Arizona. Senator Kyl was “Arizona’s Senator.” If the issues affected Arizona, Senator Kyl was always personally involved. I admired and respected him as a man and as a Senator.

Larry R. Dozier

Jon and I have known each other for over 50 years, and he is and always has been my idea of a truly professional lawyer and a really good friend. He has served this country as a political figure that I wish more political figures could live up to in addition to his highest reputation as a lawyer.

M. Bryon Lewis

Senator Kyl has been a leader in water law and policy in Arizona and the West for more than five decades. Following his graduation from law school, he spent twenty years as a water lawyer at Jennings, Strouss & Salmon in Phoenix. In that capacity, he represented the Salt River Project and others on important water matters that affected and continue to affect all Arizona residents. Among other things, he was involved in numerous high profile water cases and had a large hand in drafting the landmark 1980 Groundwater Management Act. I unfortunately joined Jenning Strouss just a few years after Senator Kyl was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and left the firm, but his presence continued to be felt at the firm for many years thereafter. The precision and passion with which he practiced law always set the standard for our group. Senator Kyl remained committed to western water issues during his time in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. He was instrumental in obtaining congressional approval of numerous Indian water settlements, which resolved significant disputes among tribes, the United States, and other Arizona water users. Those settlements continue to provide certainty and promote cooperation among those entities going into the future, and they likely would not have occurred without Senator Kyl’s skill and diligence. As he now exits public life, Senator Kyl leaves an important and lasting legacy with respect to Arizona water law and policy. Few other individuals have had such a significant and lasting impact on Arizona in their lifetimes.

Mark McGinnis Salmon, Lewis & Weldon, P.L.C.

It is a true honor to provide a few remarks about my

campaign and was hired to serve as his rural field director in

association with Jon Kyl, his family and staff over the last

Arizona, where I served for eight years. I had the wonderful

few decades.

opportunity to associate with many of his stellar staff in the

My first recollection was during my college years (80s) when my mother, Myrna Udall, was serving as the Republican Chairwoman of the Apache County Republican Party. She

state and in Washington, D.C. It was during my time serving in the same capacity with Representative Rick Renzi that I was a regular attendee of numerous meetings held that led to the Indian Water Rights Settlement Act in 2004. It was that same

served in that, or similar capacity, for years and even today,

year I accepted an offer to serve as the executive director

many approach her in her 90s for advice on local and national

of the Agri-Business Council of Arizona (now the Agribusiness

political matters. Senator Kyl and his wife have been a huge

& Water Council of Arizona or ABWC), where I served for

help to her over the years, in addition to being good friends.

twenty years before semi-retiring to manage the family farm

I recall when my hometown of Eagar and neighboring town of Springerville were split congressionally. I was able to get acquainted with then Representative Kyl, Rep. Jim Kolbe and I believe it was Senator McCain at the time; I may stand corrected. That was my first real foray into politics and the public policy process. Over the years, Senator Kyl and his wife would spend time in Greer at their cabin and would ask my parents to invite a few

in the White Mountains and to serve as a consultant with OceanWell in California. They are currently developing state-of-the-art offshore desalination which should prove to be a huge tool in the toolbox for Arizona’s long-term water augmentation goals. During my years as director of the ABWC, I enjoyed the association with Senator Kyl and his staff. They always made themselves available to meet in Arizona and Washington, D.C. The Senator often made himself available to speak at my

couples to Molly Butler Lodge to visit over lunch or dinner

annual meetings and other events. I am tempted to mention

about federal issues and get acquainted as constituents. My

names of staff but I’m certain I will exclude someone by

parents enjoyed that association, bringing others to the table

accident. Senator Kyl really did have great staff! I’m so grateful

to visit with the Senator on matters of concern, mostly related

for Senator Kyl’s attention and background with regards to

to public lands, natural resources, water, etc. The Senator

water policy in Arizona. I’m grateful for all who developed the

would often take some time and ride with my father, moving the

Kyl Center for Water Policy and staff, who are doing wonderful

cattle herd during pasture changes on the Flying Box Ranch

work on our behalf!

forest permit near Big Lake. It was great one-on-one time with the Senator, and he was always given a good steed to ride that wouldn’t be too lazy or want to pitch him.

There is really nothing more important than the management and use of water; it is a very difficult topic to master. Senator Kyl has mastered it and has been a true leader, mentor, and

Years later, after college graduation, I found myself involved in

“Water Buffalo” when it comes to the future of Arizona’s water

congressional and state legislative campaigns. While working

policy and management. I’ve been very fortunate to learn so

for various candidates, I recall meeting my cousin Robert

much from the Senator and wish him and his family all the

Glazier who was hired to run Senator Kyl’s Senate campaign.

righteous desires of their hearts during the years ahead.

That was a nice bonus of campaigning for Senator Kyl. In addition, I worked for J.D. Hayworth’s first general election

Chris Udall

I serve as the Director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture, and have had a long career in various facets of agriculture across the state of Arizona. When I think of Senator Jon Kyl, one word comes to mind in flashing bright lights: “Statesman.” Thirty years ago, I was a young buck farming and getting active in politics, serving as the Graham County Republican Chairman. In my role I attended the annual state Republican meetings in Phoenix, and Sen. Kyl was always the highlight of the meeting for me. In fact, hearing from him became the main reason I wanted to attend those arduous – and at times painful – meetings. While the crowd sometimes booed our other Senator, Sen. Kyl was always warmly welcomed. What I remember most is his ability to take an issue – any issue no matter how complex and controversial – such as water or immigration, and in five minutes he would explain the issue, how we got where we were, and what solutions existed to solve the problem. I always stood in awe of his knowledge and his ability to share that knowledge in a unifying way no matter the crowd. At one point, Jon was the Senate Minority Leader and considered the 4th most powerful politician in the United States of America. I was awestruck by the power vested in him, yet confident to know that someone of his caliber was in such a powerful national role. While he was a conservative, he was not a firebrand. He was a statesman. As Senator, Jon took the lead on common-sense conservative solutions to immigration, water, regulation, budget, taxes, judicial confirmations, and other key issues of his day that impacted agriculture. Of particular impact to us in Graham County agriculture, Jon took up the mantle of negotiating Tribal water settlements that allowed for adjudication of the Upper Gila River in hopes that financially-crippling litigation would not continue indefinitely. While that hope has not been fully realized, I know firsthand that the citizens of the Upper Gila appreciated that they had been listened to and their concerns addressed. Upon his retirement, I heard Jon’s name floated for a possible U.S. Supreme Court appointment. I couldn’t have been more excited. I believe our country would be in a better place if Jon had received that appointment. As it turns out, his calling was to temporarily fill the Senate vacancy left by Sen. John McCain’s death in 2018. It was a tumultuous time in politics, and having Sen. Kyl return to that position with his experience and temperament was stabilizing for our state. During his second stint as a Senator, Jon was very supportive of Yuma agriculture, and the University of Arizona’s Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture, where I was Executive Director. I especially appreciated his visits to Yuma, and to our center, in order to better understand the needs that agriculture had. We knew we had a friend in Jon Kyl. If there is one person I aspire to for my contributions to this world, it would be Jon Kyl. I wish him nothing but the best in this next stage of a long and illustrious life that not many get to experience, and I hope his family takes solace in the fact that their sacrifices allowed Jon to have an incredible impact on these United States of America.

Paul Brierley Director, Arizona Department of Agriculture

No one in Arizona – indeed, perhaps no one in the country – has done more to advance the seemingly intractable negotiations over tribal water settlements than did Senator Kyl. The key to water law in the Southwest is not volume, but certainty of supply. The hard work and determination of this great titan of the Senate helped provide that sense of certainty to the supplies of many of Arizona’s tribes, our nation’s first-in-line water users. His active participation in Southwestern water issues already is greatly missed.

Tom Buschatzke Director, Arizona Department of Water Resources

Sen. Kyl with Robby Barkley and other Yuma farmers at the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture.

Senator Kyl deserves both our gratitude and a secure place in Arizona history for bringing Arizonans together, building bridges, proposing innovative consensus solutions, and getting results. Your leadership in settling Indian water rights, forging the 2004 Water Settlement Act and enacting national legislation for forest restoration are just a few of the many issues where I have had the privilege of working with and learning from you. And as you retire from public life, we look forward to your continuing advice and counsel.

Bruce Babbitt

Senator Jon Kyl and I began our careers at about the same time since we were born only a month apart. We shared a passion for water (as many Arizonans did) and embraced work to serve others. Over the years my accomplishments were significant… his were monumental. We first met in the late sixties or early seventies. I was employed by the Salt River Project and Jon was a lawyer with Jennings, Strouss & Salmon. SRP was represented by Jon’s law firm and so we had occasion to work together on various water matters. After 20+ years I left SRP as one of their associate general managers and joined the Central Arizona Project (CAP) as general manager. By that time Jon was a strong voice representing Arizona in Congress, first as a member of the House of Representatives and then as a U.S. senator. It was at this time we worked closely together on water matters critical to the state of Arizona and its citizens. While at CAP, I worked with members of Congress and their staffs for 14 years. Jon Kyl was probably the smartest member of Congress that I ever worked with. He was definitely the hardest working, and he put together the best staff that I ever worked with. He was an incredibly effective leader, not because of his position or title but because of his work ethic, collaborative style and what can only be described as passion for doing the right thing for the right reasons! We could sure use more leaders like Jon Kyl in Congress today! Over the course of a lifetime we experience unprecedented events, wins and losses, exceptional people. Unfortunately, that same period of time tends to erode our memories and even blur our vision of times, places, events and people but there are always some exceptions…Jon Kyl is one of those exceptions for me…he is one of those leaders who become legend over time. HE WAS JUST THAT GOOD. I was blessed to know him and work with him on matters that benefit us all.

Sid Wilson

Senator Jon Kyl at the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Central Arizona Project, October 22, 1996

My earliest memory of Jon Kyl harks back to shortly after I joined the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (“CAWCD”) as its first in-house counsel in February 1984. CAWCD operates the Central Arizona Project. Before that, I had been a lawyer with the United States Department of Justice for three years, then a lawyer with the Phoenix law firm of Fennemore Craig for about seven years. I knew almost nothing about water law, CAWCD or its place in the world, and even less about Arizona politics. Early on, I was asked to give testimony on an Arizona House bill that was of concern to CAWCD. I can’t remember what the issue was, but CAWCD and Salt River Project (“SRP”) found themselves on the opposite sides of the issue. Jon Kyl represented SRP at the time. I showed up in the hearing room with my testimony in hand, and Jon buttonholed me, having persuaded me (and CAWCD) that it wasn’t in CAWCD’s political interests to cross swords with SRP in that forum. When I stood up to speak, I testified that our concerns had been satisfied and that we withdrew our objections to the bill. Jon thanked me afterward and was so gracious about it that I didn’t feel defeated; far from it, I felt good about myself. Jon’s graciousness, his political acumen, and his intelligence are the traits I remember most vividly about him. My next major interaction with Jon occurred shortly after his election as an Arizona Senator, during the course of negotiations to settle Indian water rights claims. Because of their amount, in the millions of acre-feet of water, and their very early priority date, these claims threatened to eviscerate non-Indian water rights and undo generations of economic development in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. While several abortive attempts had been made over the years to negotiate settlements of these claims with the tribes, none were successful until Senator Kyl stepped in to provide support for the negotiations and the eventual enactment of federal legislation to authorize them. Without his help and political support, none of these settlements would have occurred. Senator Kyl became a personal hero of mine as a result. One key settlement stands out above all the others, the settlement of the water rights claims of the Gila River Indian Community. That settlement resolved the largest single water rights claim of any Indian tribe. It was coupled with the settlement of a $500 million financial dispute between the federal government and CAWCD concerning the amount that CAWCD owed to the federal government for repayment of the costs of the CAP. These settlements were embodied in the Arizona Water Settlements Act of 2004, a major achievement in the history of Arizona water law and the Central Arizona Project. This result could never have been achieved without Senator Jon Kyl. It was a singular privilege for me to have known and worked with him during that time.

Doug Miller

In my early 20s, I had the privilege of working for and learning from Jon Kyl in his Phoenix office as Regional Representative. As other Regional Reps know well, it’s a great gig because of time you get to spend with the boss on the road, exploring all the corners of Arizona together. Perhaps I had banked some goodwill on these trips when I was given some grace after badly bungling a “special project” given to me as a young staffer. As I recall, Senator Kyl was selling his car in Washington, D.C. and wanted to replace it with his Phoenix vehicle so he could buy a new one to keep at home in Arizona. I was tasked with driving his Mercury Marquis from Phoenix to the nation’s Capital. All packed, set and ready to go, I eased the boat out onto Camelback Road and proceeded to rear-end a poor woman about 100 yards outside the parking lot. Her car was fine, but the boss’s had some fresh scuffs. I was off to a bad start. On a high-stress phone call with “JK,” it was hard to tell if he was upset about the incident or not. “Just keep driving and we’ll take a look when you get here,” he said. After the cross-country drive without further incident, I parked in the Senate garage and met him in his D.C. office. “Well, let’s go have a look,” he said. I was sweating bullets. We made our way down to the garage and he took a good long look. “Where are the scratches?” Senator Kyl asked. I pointed them out. “That’s it?” He asked with a smile. “You call those scratches? Those are just character builders!” I couldn’t help but laugh, of course relieved. “You were sweating bullets!” He said, laughing. “Let’s get back to work.” Senator Kyl is the best I’ve ever seen at connecting the small picture to the big picture. For such a hardworking, detailed-oriented man who demands excellence from his staff, he doesn’t sweat the “character builders.” That’s one reason I treasure having had the opportunity to know him..

Andy Jacobs Policy Development Group

Ernest Hemingway said that “courage is grace under pressure.” Marlene Dietrich is quoted as saying that “courage and grace

Natural Resources Committee, who called for a series of field

are a formidable mixture. She went on to observe that the only

hearings with the intent of proving that Arizona could neither

place you see the two is in the bullring.”

use, nor afford, to take the water available through the CAP.

The bullring is an apt metaphor for serving in Congress.

Nevada, on the other hand, had a seemingly bottomless

Like the bullfighter, an elected official must perform before an audience, some of them cheering for you, others just as happy to see you make a mistake. Like the bullfighter, elected officials

checkbook, capable of financing any sort of legal or political challenge to Arizona’s right to take its full annual Colorado River entitlement.

are constantly facing new challenges; to survive you must be

But Arizona had a formidable weapon—Sen. Kyl. Certainly,

alert, agile and fearless.

his presence in the Senate was important in and of itself. But

But to be a truly great bullfighter, you must exhibit something

particularly intelligence and courage.

more, some rare quality or set of qualities that sets you apart

more important were the characteristics I mentioned earlier,

from your peers.

After all, this was the man who successfully argued James

Each of us has our own ideas about what it means to be

set aside the one person/one vote principle under the Equal

an outstanding public official, a cut above the rest. For me,

Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment for SRP. CA and NV

the key characteristics are: Integrity, Courage, Intelligence,

might be able to get a bill through the House, but the Senate was

Commitment to Service, and Humility. Senator Kyl possesses

an entirely different story. There they would face Sen. Kyl whose

each of these qualities.

reputation as an extremely skilled water lawyer plus his integrity

I have had the privilege of working with Senator Kyl on a number of water issues over the years, each of them seemingly intractable. Issues that most elected officials would run away from. But Senator Kyl never hesitated to take them on and always with a “roll up your shirtsleeves” kind of approach. I remember when Arizona’s Colorado River rights were challenged by our neighbors in California and Nevada in the early 1990’s. Woody Woodraska, then General Mgr of MWD and Pat Mulroy, head of SNWA announced an alliance between the two states—in a press release they referred to themselves as the “DREAM TEAM.” They would challenge Arizona’s rights under the 1928 Boulder Canyon Project Act in Congress and the Supreme Court, if necessary. Their threats were not hollow ones. California had the 40-plus member delegation in the House and in particular, Rep. George Mitchell, Chairman of the House

v. Ball, before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1981, the case that

and his willingness to become personally engaged, presented an insurmountable obstacle for the short-lived Dream Team.

The demise of the Dream Team fundamentally changed the dynamic of the lower basin discussions at the time. Rather than being on the defensive, Arizona then led the way for a number of critical state and federal law changes, including the Arizona Water Banking Authority, the lower basin surplus criteria, and the Gila River Indian Community Water Settlement. And at every step of the way, Sen. Kyl was a key member of Arizona’s water team. He even had his own parking spot at the Arizona Department of Water Resources due to his frequent attendance at meetings with Secretary Babbitt and ADWR’s senior staff. One last story illustrates his commitment to service and his humility. Early on in the Gila River Indian Community settlement discussions, we established a routine of meeting with Sen. Kyl on Friday afternoon at his state office upon his return from D.C. One afternoon, the briefing was running long and I realized that I was going to be late picking up my then 8-year-old daughter Kathryn from after-school care. Not only was I going to have to pay a fine for being late; I was going to face the wrath of the babysitter for keeping her late on a Friday evening. So, I grabbed my things and raced out of the Senator’s office. I picked up my daughter from school and headed home. We pulled into our driveway and as we walked up to the front door, my daughter suddenly grabbed my hand and said, “Mommy, a strange man in a beat-up old car followed us home and now he’s walking up our driveway!” I turned around, prepared for the worst, only to find Sen. Kyl. “Kathryn,” I said, “that ‘strange’ man’ is a U.S. Senator.” It seems that in my rush to pick-up my daughter, I had left my briefing notebook in his office and since we are neighbors, he didn’t hesitate to pick it up and drop it off on his way home. Senator Kyl, thank you for your ceaseless grace in public office and thank you for being the bullfighter in the ring for Arizona. I was truly honored to work with you. I can think of no one who better represents the ideals of service in public office than you. With the deepest respect,

Rita Maguire

Jon Kyl is among the most respected and competent leaders in Arizona history. I met Jon Kyl when I was an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona and he was a law student. I did not know him well but I saw that he was a leader in his law school class. He was Editor of Law Review and was active in debates in Moot Court. He was a member of Pi Kappa Delta, the National Forensics Honorary. Jon was already engaging in debates and discussions about water, an indication of things to come. After law school, Jon Kyl became deeply involved and committed to issues affecting our country and our State. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, he was a leader in public policy discussion on many topics of the day. Many of us who were young at the time had a very superficial, incomplete understanding of the forces impacting our communities. Jon Kyl stood out from the rest of us in understanding, communicating and involving himself in important issues. Jon became an expert on water law and, for years, his help was sought by corporations, tribes and governments. I supported Jon Kyl when he first ran for Congress and for every election thereafter. I attended regular meetings of his supporters and listened to him talk about his involvement in issues. Water in Arizona was prominent. When he moved to the Senate, he gained further recognition for his expertise on water and many other issues. He rose quickly in the Senate leadership ranks and occupied top positions for years. In the late 1980’s, I entered political life and Senator Kyl immediately came forward as a supporter. He was a wonderful friend and mentor as I moved through a variety of political experiences. I will always value Jon Kyl as a person who had a tremendous impact on Arizona and my own life.

Betsey Bayless

Back in 2010, many of my friends were encouraging me to

Instead, he stepped forward once more to serve his state,

jump into political office here in Arizona. I was connected with

knowing the moment demanded steadiness, credibility and

Senator Jon Kyl—who I had always admired—for some advice.

great humility. Once he stepped back to the Senate for that

I expected to receive guidance on polling, fundraising and the mechanics of a campaign.

brief return, he didn’t just phone it in. I was impressed that he immediately began packing his schedule with meetings and town halls all across the state. When he joined us on the

Instead, he asked me a question that would change the course

campaign trail that November, he wasn’t sure how he’d be

of my life.

received after being off the scene a few years. Jon Kyl ended up being a rockstar in county after county—everyone wanted

“Are you a legislative personality,” he asked, “or an executive

to meet him and thank him for his years of service to our state,

personality?”

country and to the conservative cause.

Senator Kyl wasn’t trying to steer me toward a particular office.

Jon didn’t chase the spotlight. He did the hard, often unseen

He was asking something much deeper—how I thought about

work that actually moves policy forward. He believed deeply in

leadership, service, and decision-making. He helped me see

conservative principles, and he also believed in actually governing

that my instincts as a former CEO and business person were

with conservative principles—not just talking about them.

executive in nature: outcomes, accountability, and building teams to get things done.

Arizona benefited enormously from his calm, steady leadership during consequential moments for our state and our country.

Without that conversation, I’m not sure I ever would have run for Governor.

Jon Kyl leaves a legacy of seriousness, service, and statesmanship that is too rare today. His impact will be felt

Jon Kyl was a true statesman—someone Arizona could be

for generations, most notably in the judiciary. Without Jon Kyl,

proud to call its United States Senator. He understood that

there is no Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Senator Kyl reshaped the

public service is not about headlines, ego or social media

courts and, in doing so, helped restore constitutional balance

posts. It’s about results, integrity, and putting the people

and rein in the excesses of the administrative state for an

you work for first. In Washington, Senator Kyl’s word meant

entire generation.

something. He earned the respect of colleagues on both sides of the aisle because he was serious, prepared and principled.

Arizona is better because Jon Kyl served. I am better because

A workhorse; not a show horse.

he mentored me. And our country is stronger because he answered the call—every single time it mattered.

That is why, in 2018, when faced with the difficult task of filling the seat of John McCain after his passing, there was only one person I trusted to do it right. Senator Kyl had every reason to stay in a comfortable retirement, chopping wood at his cabin in Greer, Arizona.

Governor Doug Ducey

With his legendary knowledge of water matters, Senator Jon Kyl has given Arizona years of service in protecting our most important resource. His unequaled legal knowledge, from representing Salt River Project to drafting legislation on water issues, provided Arizona an added measure of respect nationally, an invaluable advantage. His leadership in Congress played a critical role in protecting Arizona’s water. All who love Arizona owe Jon Kyl deep respect and profound gratitude.

Terry Goddard President, Central Arizona Water Conservation District Former Arizona Attorney General and Mayor of Phoenix

LAWYER, LEADER, STATESMAN, MENTOR AND FRIEND. THANK YOU, SENATOR KYL

A Tribute to Senator Kyl