Thank you for your excellent work, Neila!--Tom



-----Original Message-----
From: Neila Seaman, Sierra Club <[log in to unmask]>
To: thmathews <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tue, Apr 22, 2014 2:54 pm
Subject: Iowa Chapter Responds to Sen. Black




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Dear Thomas:
First, I want to thank all of you for responding to our action alert regarding the Ag/DNR appropriations bill.  Communicating with legislators is an important part of keeping our democracy intact.
Many of you chose to share with me the response you received from Sen. Dennis Black.  I apologize for the disrespectful reaction you received from the senator.  However, the content of the message that you sent to legislators was accurate and respectful.  I have read the bill and the Senate amendment many times.  I watched and re-watched Senate debate on the bill.  I did not randomly include the points we made in our action alert and I am perplexed as to why the message would invoke such a negative response.  I have responded to Sen. Black.
See my response.
HF2458 originated in the House.  During House debate, it was amended and then it went to the Senate.  Sen. Black's subcommittee drafted an amendment that rewrote the bill.  A couple of amendments were added and the bill passed the Senate.  It then went back to the House. On Monday afternoon, the House refused to concur with the Senate bill so it now goes to conference committee for negotiations.  Because the conference committee members had not been assigned until after the action alert was distributed to you, we targeted all legislators from the Ag/DNR Appropriations subcommittee who would be included in the pool, including Sen. Black.
The conference committee will negotiate the bill and then make recommendations to their respective chambers.  A new vote in the House and Senate will then occur, either late Tuesday or Wednesday.
The action alert was crafted to address the issues that the Chapter has determined are important. It was reviewed by several Chapter leaders prior to its distribution. Language that required using taxpayer money for nutrient reduction that was removed in the House version was retained in the Senate amendment. The Chapter has always been concerned that the nutrient reduction strategy fails to adequately address reducing nutrients. We expressed those concerns publicly through our comments and in a guest editorial in The Des Moines Register.  The Chapter continues to believe that without timelines or accountability, taxpayer money could be wasted with no acceptable results.
The diversion of REAP funding continues to be of concern.  Since the House version of the bill is still alive, it is quite possible legislators could insist that open spaces funding be diverted to pay for state park maintenance and operations.  Sen. Black insisted to me in his equally disrespectful response to my message to him that he has "fought off the R's several times when they thought they could get their claws into the fund."  Sen. Black is retiring and the Chapter continues to be concerned that REAP funding -- which has always been vulnerable -- will be diverted.
Although the senator continued to cite the Senate amendment doing away with the House bill, HF2458 still stands as the reprinted bill.  It is still alive.  I stand by the accuracy of the action alert.
Thank you, again, for responding to our action alert.  I hope this particular incident does not prevent you from responding to our future alerts.  And always, always, always feel free to contact me with your concerns and questions.  You can best reach me by email at [log in to unmask] 
Sincerely,

Neila Seaman, MPA, Chapter Director
 











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