Dates for the Interim Committee to explore expansion of the bottle bill including an increase in the handling fee --- have been set. Please get petitions in and please work to get people to both the interim meetings and the January 4th petition presentation. Please contact the legislators in your district to express support for expansion of the bottle bill. If you have questions, contact Jane Clark at [log in to unmask], Lyle Krewson at [log in to unmask], or Garth Frable at [log in to unmask] INTERIM DATES: December 28 in room 116 of the Capitol at 9:30; and the 2nd date January 5 in room 116 at 9:30. LEGISLATIVE MEMBERS: Please encourage your members and friends that live, work, or serve these districts to contact their legislators and voice support for updating the bottle bill. If you have an opportunity to contact Senator Bartz and Senator Freeman before next Thursday to express your support it would be helpful. You may also request to be put on the agenda to speak at the interim by contacting Tim McDemott at 281-3444. Rep. Clel Baudler; 2260 Hwy 25, Greenfield IA 50849; (515) 743-6327; [log in to unmask] --- Counties or portion of Counties Adair, Guthrie and Madison; and the cities of Adair, Bagley, Bayard, Bridgewater, Casey, East Peru, Fontanelle, Greenfield, Guthrie Center, Jamaica, Macksburg, Menlo, Orient, Panora, St. Charles, Stuart, Truro, Winterset, Yale. Rep. James Hahn; 805 W. 4th St., Muscatine IA 52761; (319) 263-1208; [log in to unmask] -- Counties or portion of Counties Muscatine and Scott; and the cities of Durant, Muscatine, Stockton, Walcott. Rep. Don Shoultz; 295 Kenilworth Rd., Waterloo IA 50701; (319) 235-1920; [log in to unmask] -- Counties or portion of Counties Black Hawk and the City of Waterloo. Senator Merlin Bartz; 2081 410th St., Grafton IA 50440; (641) 748-2724; [log in to unmask] -- Counties or portion of Counties Cerro Gordo, Mitchell, and Worth; and the cities of Carpenter, Clear Lake, Dougherty, Fertile, Grafton, Hanlontown, Joice, Kensett, Manly, Mason City, Meservey, Northwood, Plymouth, Portland, Rock Falls, Rockwell, Swaledale, Thornton, Ventura Senator Dick L. Dearden; 3113 Kinsey, Des Moines IA 50317;(515) 262-1203; [log in to unmask] -- Counties or portion of Counties Polk and the city of Des Moines. Senator Mary Lou Freeman; 203 Villa Rd., Alta IA 51002; (712) 732-3781; [log in to unmask] -- Counties or portion of Counties Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, O'Brien, Plymouth, and Pocahontas; and the cities of Albert City, Alta, Aurelia, Calumet, Cherokee, Cleghorn, Fonda, Gilmore City, Hartley, Havelock, Kingsley, Lakeside, Larrabee, Laurens, Linn Grove, Marathon, Marcus, Meriden, Moneta, Newell, Oyens, Palmer, Paullina, Plover, Pocahontas, Primghar, Quimby, Rembrandt, Rolfe, Sanborn, Sioux Rapids, Storm Lake, Sutherland, Truesdale, Varina, Washta, Webb PUBLIC MEMBERS Donn Dierks, Council Bluffs -- IRA Member representing League of Cities Scott Doll, Council Bluffs -- Soft Drink, Beer or Grocery Laura Foell, Sac City -- ISAC Amber Hard, Des Moines -- Iowa PIRG representing IEC I think Michelle Javornik, Bettendorf -- IRA Member representing IRA Rose Kleyweg Mitchell, WDM -- HyVee John Otterbeck, Cedar Rapids -- Soft Drink, Beer or Grocery Thomas Pitts, Oskaloosa -- IRA Member representing Redemption Centers Kirk Tyler, Waukee -- Association of Business and Industry, Bottlers Gary Wilcox, Waterloo -- Strong supporter representing League of Women Voters Mary Wittry, Carroll -- IRA Member representing ISOSWO ======================================================= The amendment to have a study committee explore expansion of the bottle bill including an increase in the handling fee --- below is the text of the amendment. House Amendment 8677 Amendment Text PAG LIN 1 1 Amend Senate File 2430, as amended, passed, and 1 2 reprinted by the Senate, as follows: 1 3 #1. Page 16, by inserting after line 32, the 1 4 following: 1 5 "Sec. . REDEMPTION OF BEVERAGE CONTAINERS â€" 1 6 STUDY. 1 7 1. The department of natural resources shall 1 8 conduct a study regarding the redemption of beverage 1 9 containers as provided in chapter 455C. The 1 10 department shall organize a committee in order to 1 11 conduct the study. A departmental official shall 1 12 serve on the study committee as a voting member. In 1 13 addition, the department shall invite members of the 1 14 following organizations to serve as voting members of 1 15 the committee: 1 16 a. The Iowa league of cities. 1 17 b. The Iowa state association of counties. 1 18 c. The Iowa environmental council. 1 19 d. The Iowa grocery industry association. 1 20 e. The Iowa recycling association. 1 21 f. The Iowa society of solid waste operations. 1 22 g. The league of women voters. 1 23 h. The owner of a redemption center. 1 24 2. The committee shall study issues related to all 1 25 of the following: 1 26 a. Requiring the redemption of beverage holding 1 27 noncarbonated beverages other than milk, but including 1 28 tea, water, fruit and vegetable juices and drinks, and 1 29 sports drinks. 1 30 b. Increasing the reimbursement to a dealer or 1 31 other person operating a redemption center from one 1 32 cent to two cents per empty beverage container 1 33 redeemed. The department shall study the feasibility 1 34 of establishing a schedule which provides for 1 35 increases in the reimbursement amount. 1 36 c. Requiring that all beverage containers sold in 1 37 Iowa have a minimum postconsumer recycled content of 1 38 twenty-five percent by weight. 1 39 d. Creating a "Robert D. Ray Beautiful Land Fund" 1 40 in order to support local and state litter and 1 41 recycling initiatives. The committee shall consider 1 42 the feasibility of using moneys from unredeemed 1 43 deposits in order to support the fund. 1 44 3. The department shall prepare a report regarding 1 45 findings and recommendations of the committee, 1 46 including proposals for legislative action. The 1 47 report shall be submitted to the governor and general 1 48 assembly not later than January 10, 2001." 1 49 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT to [log in to unmask]