From Mark Lambert
Iowa Environmental Council

First, thanks to everyone who called or e-mailed your Senator regarding SF
503, the "open feedlots" bill.    This bill was being supported by the Iowa
Cattlemen's Association, and the original language said that DNR could not
require manure-control practices unless 50% cost share was provided by the
government.

The bill was brought up for debate in the Iowa Senate last evening, Monday,
April 2.   Senator Mike Sexton (R -Rockwell City) floor-managed the bill.
Senator Jack Kibbie (D-Emmetsburg) offered an amendment to change the
requirement for cost share from "at least" 50% to "up to" 50%.   The
amendment passed.

Then, Senator Mary Lundby  (R-Marion) offered an amendment to prohibit the
construction of an animal feeding operation in a 100-year floodplain.
(This language was the same as a bill that had passed out of the Senate
Natural Resources Committee earlier this year,  but has never been placed
on the debate calendar).    Senator Sexton questioned whether the amendment
was germane to the bill.   The chair ruled that the amendment was germane.

Those speaking in favor of the amendment were Senators Lundby, McKean,
Black, Fiegen, Kibbie, Hansen.    Those speaking in opposition were Senator
Sexton and King.   HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS:  After more than an hour of
debate, the amendment passed by a 47-3 vote.   Senators voting "no" were
King, McLaren and Drake.

The Senators then debated the bill further, and the final vote on the bill
was 32-18.  The eighteen "no" votes were:  Bolkcom, Connolly, Dearden,
Deluhery, Dvorsky, Fink, Flynn, Gronstal, Hammond, Hansen, Harper, Holveck,
Horn, Maddox, McCoy, Redfern, Shearer and Tinsman.  Some Senators who were
going to oppose the bill decided to vote for it since the Lundby amendment
passed.

ACTION TO TAKE:  SF 503 now goes to the House, and it is very likely it
will be assigned to the House Agriculture Committee.     If your
Representative is on the House Ag Committee, please contact her or him and
1)  urge opposition to the language that conditions enforcement of
manure-management laws on the provision of cost-share money and 2) urge
support of the language banning the construction of animal feeding
operations in the 100-year floodplain.   Members of the House Ag Committee
are:  Klemme, De Boef, Kuhn, Alons, Atteberry, Baudler, Boggess, Fallon,
Frevert, Houser, Huseman, Johnson, Kreiman, Manternach, May, Mertz,
Rayhons, Rekow, Scherrman, Schrader, Teig.

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