Iowa House of Representatives

Led by State Representative Paul Bell, D-Newton, the Iowa House today approved a resolution to add an amendment to Iowa’s constitution that creates a new natural resources and outdoor recreation trust fund. Senate Joint Resolution 2002, which is the top priority of conservation groups, hunters and fishers, is designed to protect and enhance water quality and natural areas, like parks, trails and wildlife habitat.

In order to be approved, SJR 2002 must pass the House and Senate again in the next General Assembly and then it would be on the ballot in November 2010 for a vote by the general public. If approved by the public, the amendment would dedicate 3/8th of 1 cent if the state’s sales tax is ever raised by a future Legislature.

The proposal was crafted by the Sustainable Natural Resource Funding Advisory Committee, which was established in 2006, with members from Ducks Unlimited, the Sierra Club, Farm Bureau, Iowa Environmental Council, Izaak Walton League, and others.

Led by State Representative Mark Kuhn, D-Charles City, the Iowa House approved a record $16 million for Iowa’s Resource Enhancement and Protection program (REAP) today.  REAP partners with local communities to help clean the environment, protect natural resources and expand recreational opportunities.

The money approved for REAP is a $500,000 increase over last year and the highest amount since 1991. Continuing the progress from last year, the House also approved $40 million for the Environment First Fund, funded the Vet Diagnostic Lab at Iowa State University, and continued support to combat agroterrorism.

The bill, House File 2662, now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Key legislators from the Iowa House and Senate say the 2008 session has made or is about to make major accomplishments in making Iowa a leader in the new energy economy while making the state more energy independent.

“These measures will continue the progress we’ve made in renewable energy and move us a closer to our goal of energy independence,” said State Representative Donovan Olson, Boone, the chair of the House Environmental Protection Committee. “From good-paying jobs to a cleaner environment to added value to our agricultural products, renewable energy and energy efficiency efforts are good for our state.” (more…)

A new initiative to improve Iowa’s water quality was approved by the Iowa House of Representatives today, called the Surface Water Protection Act. The bill is the result of a two-year watershed planning task force.

“It’s been 21 years since the Legislature created the Groundwater Protection Act to improve the quality of our ground water and we’ve had great success stopping contamination,” said State Representative Donovan Olson, D-Boone, who chairs the House Environmental Protection Committee. “It is time for us to focus our efforts on improving the quality of our surface water.” (more…)

On a bi-partisan 13-7 vote, the House Environmental Protection Committee today approved an expansion of the Iowa’s bottle bill to include water, sport and juice drink containers.  The bill, House Study Bill 734, also increases the handling fee paid by distributors to non-profit redemption centers from 1 cent to 2 cents.  The bill does not increase the 5 cent deposit paid by consumers.