Iowa Sierrans:
Greetings from the 2008 Session of the Iowa Legislature! We are
finishing the second week of the Session, and I want to give you some
sense of the early days. This email follows on the notes I sent last
week on Sierra’s priorities for the 2008 Session.
The Governor’s State of the State message contained interesting
reference to global warming and the 25 by 2025 reduction goal,
significant expansion of the Bottle Deposit Law, and a mention of
Local Control relative to Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
(CAFOs). But no bills on those from the Governor’s Office yet to
report about.
Governor Culver said that the state needs to fully honor the
commitment to REAP, to create a statewide odor management program, to
improve water quality and to build on the progress made with renewable
energy. He said that the bottle bill should be expanded to include
more containers and raise the deposit to 10 cents, with eight cents
gong to the consumer, one cent to REAP and with one more cent going to
redemption centers and retailers. The one cent going to redemption
centers and retailers will replace the unclaimed bottle deposit money;
legislators will need to determine how to split the expected $20
million between the centers and retailers.
Energy Efficiency Bill Proposals:
Senator Robb Hogg, part of a bi-partisan group of legislators
supporting energy efficiency goals, said that better government
oversight of the money the state spends on energy efficiency programs
could greatly increase the efficiency of those programs. Hogg said “We
know how to do it and we are already investing millions in energy
efficiency programs administered by public utilities and others.
What’s missing is the sort of focused effort that puts the pieces
together and achieves best results possible.”
The key provisions of such a bill, according to Hogg, are:
• Establish a state-wide energy efficiency goal to improve energy
efficiency 1.5% per year (projected to save Iowans $9 billion over ten
years)
• Make energy efficiency assistance available to all Iowans by
authorizing uniform requirements for energy efficiency plans
• Establish an energy efficiency improvement standard of 1.5% per year
applicable to all utilities after a three-year phase-in period.
• Make more effective use of current $106 million in energy efficiency
spending
• Allow flexibility in meeting the energy efficiency standard
including: Customer-owned renewable energy; Plug-in vehicles; the
banking and trading of energy savings
• Create incentives for utilities to exceed savings standard; use
third party providers of energy efficiency as remedy where standard is
not met.
• Provide ongoing assessment of the impact of energy efficiency on
jobs and the economy , projected at creating more than 5,000 green jobs.
• Convene a transportation energy efficiency advisory council to make
recommendations for improving transportation efficiency
My note: The Governor’s Energy Bill is expected to include many of the
same or similar provisions. We should see it in the next week or so.
BULLETIN: SF 261 requiring inspections of septic tanks at point of
sale of a residence, was passed out of House Environmental Protection
Committee today! Hurray...one of our priorities. It passed the Senate
last year, so we just need to finish it in the House now.
Bills Introduced:
Really, not many bills have been introduced as yet...they mostly are
still up in Bill Drafting, but we will see a rush of them over the
next few weeks.
Below is a listing of the bills introduced so far that are of subject
matter interest to Iowa Sierrans, with a very brief description, the
Committee to which they are referred (in parentheses), and in some
cases the subcommittee members assigned to work on that bill.
To access more information on any bill click on this weblink, http://www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/Cool-ICE/Perl.htm
, then choose the appropriate bill file and number. You will have
access to the text of the bill, and to the history of each bill by
clicking on the link ‘Complete Bill History’.
NOTE:
SF = Senate File
SSB = Senate Study Bill
SCR = Senate Concurrent Resolution
SJR = Senate Joint Resolution
SR = Senate Resolution
HF = House File
HSB = House Study Bill
HCR = House Concurrent Resolution
HJR = House Joint Resolution
HR = House Resolution
SF 2017 HYBRID CATS (Reilly) Excludes hybrid cats, defined as the
offspring of a domestic cat and a lion, tiger, cougar, leopard,
cheetah, ocelot, or other non-domestic feline, and the offspring of
that cross, from the definition of wild dangerous animals.
(Agriculture)
SF 2024 BOTTLE HANDLING FEE (Beall, et al) Increases the bottle
handling fee to 2 cents. Strikes requirements that redemption centers
be approved by the DNR. Strikes the ability of retailers to refuse to
accept bottles under certain conditions. Penalties Establishes civil
and administrative penalties of up to $10,000 for violations rules,
permits or orders related to bottle returns. Requires the EPC to
develop a screening procedure to determine when violations should be
referred to the AG and when violations should be handled
administratively. Establishes procedures for contested cases and
other related matters. (Natural Resources)
NOTE: This is the one which the Senate Natural Resources &
Environment Committee may bring out in a few days, although not the
bill most likely to pass. It does not expand the included containers.
Developments will proceed on this issue!
SF 2027 PESTICIDE APPLICATOR EXEMPTIONS (Bolkcom) Strikes two
exemptions from the law requiring the certification of pesticide
applicators which allow a person to apply pesticide for 21 days if the
person is not required to be certified as a commercial, public, or
private applicator so long as they are under the direct supervision of
a certified applicator; or a person who would otherwise be required to
be certified as a commercial applicator may only have to meet the
requirements of a private applicator so long as they apply a
restricted use pesticide to agricultural land. (Agriculture)
SF 2049 COUNTY BIOMASS SITING (Hogg) Establishes a county biomass
project siting program in the DNR for supervisors in all counties to
locate a site for a biomass electrical production facility that can
generate 25 megawatts of electricity. Requires the DNR to adopt rules
for the siting program. Requires counties to submit a progress report
by 2010. Sets a goal for approval of biomass facilities site by the
counties of 2012. Requires counties to submit an assessment of the
feasibility of such a facility by 2012. (Natural Resources)
SF 2070 RENEWABLE ENERGY PURCHASES & FACILITIES (Hogg) Increases the
purchase percentage for utility purchase from alternative energy
production facilities to 14% by 2014, 20% by 2020 and 25% by 2025.
Allows amounts in excess of the requirements to be resold.
Establishes specific production requirements for different alternative
sources, including that 350 megawatts must be from community-owned
renewable energy sources by 2014, 500 megawatts by 2020 and 625
megawatts by 2025. Requires by 2014 that 80 megawatts to be from a
sustainable, closed-loop biomass facility, that 20 megawatts be from a
methane gas recovery facility and 5 megawatts must be from a solar
energy conversion facility. Makes the biomass, methane and solar
facilities eligible for renewable tax credits. Makes definitions.
(Natural Resources)
SF 2071 RENEWABLE ENERGY PURCHASES (Hogg, et al) Increases the
purchase percentage for utility purchase from alternative energy
production facilities to 14% by 2014, 20% by 2020 and 25% by 2025.
(Natural Resources)
SSB 3106 LOW UTILITY RATES (Commerce) Authorizes the Iowa Utility
Board to approve discount rates for gas and electric utilities for low-
income customers who qualify for disconnection restrictions. Contains
related provisions. Heckroth (C), Bolkcom, McKibben (DHR) See HSB 549
HF 2054 SMOKING BAN II (Wise) Bans smoking in all restaurants on July
1, 2008, and in all bars on July 1, 2009. Excludes casinos and
riverboats. Sets the penalty for a person who violates the ban at
$25, and does not allow surcharges or court costs to be added to the
penalty. (Commerce)
HF 2060 LAKE MACBRIDE BOATS (Staed) Strikes the horsepower
restrictions on motorboats on Lake Macbride but requires such boats to
be operated at a no-wake speed. (Natural Resources)
HF 2067 LOCAL SMOKING BAN (Foege) Allows local governments and boards
of health to adopt smoking restrictions that are stricter than state
law, including allowing bans. (Human Resources)
HF 2079 CLIMATE CHANGE INCENTIVES (Schickel) Requires the DED, in
consultation with DALS, UNI, ISU and UI, to study giving companies
incentives for developing technologies to control, predict or
otherwise deal with climate change. Requires a report to the
Governor, the Office of Energy Independence and the Legislature by
December 31, 2008. (Economic Growth)
HF 2080 CONSERVATION TAX CREDITS (Ways & Means; Successor to HF 902)
Creates an income tax credit for the contribution of real estate to a
qualified conservation organization. Makes the credit equal to 50% of
the value, and up to $100,000 in value. Allows the credit to be
carried forward for 20 years. Floor Manager: Frevert
HSB 537 SMOKE FREE WORKPLACE ACT (Commerce) Establishes the Smoke-free
Air Act and prohibits smoking in public places and places of
employment. Makes some exceptions, including for some private clubs,
tobacco outlets, and several other exceptions. Designates the DPH to
enforce the chapter. Establishes civil penalties of $50 for
violations for a person who is smoking in a prohibited area, and a
schedule of escalating penalties for businesses that allow smoking.
Allows a private citizen or employee to bring an enforcement action.
Makes findings concerning smoking and air quality. Allows the DPH to
issue a restraining order for being a public nuisance to violators.
Gives the DPH other duties. T Olson (C), Lukan, Petersen, Van Fossen,
Wise
HSB 549 LOW UTILITY RATES (Commerce) Authorizes the Iowa Utility Board
to approve discount rates for gas and electric utilities for low-
income customers who qualify for disconnection restrictions. Contains
related provisions. Bailey (C), Berry, Van Fossen (DHR) See SSB 3054
____________________________________________
Lyle Krewson
Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter Lobbyist
1725 S. 50th Street #602
West Des Moines, IA 50265
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515-238-7113 - Cel
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