New Mexico lawmakers say all options need to be considered as the state grapples with a persistent drought, dwindling water supplies and legal pressure from neighboring Texas.
Numerous bills have been introduced, from revamping the state's water plan to boosting the number of judges who handle water rights and spending millions of dollars on infrastructure.
Senate Conservation Commission Chairman Peter Wirth says the bills don't provide a "silver bullet" but mark the start of an important discussion on the state's future.
One bill calls for studying supply and demand issues along with the economic consequences of having such a limited water supply.
The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Democrat John Arthur Smith of Deming, warned Tuesday that New Mexico will not be able to attract new businesses or grow the ones it has if the state has no water.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.