I nudged my Senator, Jeff Danielson (Pres ProTem), on the Culver and
the Beall Bottle Bill proposals. He basically reiterated Gronstal's
position that nothing's going to happen because (1) Culver's proposal
is a DOA tax increase and (2) Beall's proposal doesn't have consensus
support from the Lobby, ie, the bottlers and grocers vs. the public
and redemption centers. I replied that Beall's study bill is a
vehicle: put it in gear and give it some gas. Then see how far it
can go. I got no further response.
Bill Witt
Quoting Lyle Krewson <[log in to unmask]>:
> 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
>
> [log in to unmask]
> 515-238-7113 - Cel
> ____________________________________________
>
>
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