Bottle Bill Press Conference -- Please attend > There will be a press conference for this Friday at 10:00 AM at the > Statehouse -- Room 19 (lower level). If either the Bartz or Brunkhorst bills come out of committee we need to attack them in the press as not being real expansion bills (they kill convenience, etc.) and press for a real debate on the floor to get a true expansion out. Please be there in mass! The next few days are critical if the Bottle Bill is to be protected and expanded. We urge you to support House File 69, House File 172, and Senate File 97. Oppose Senate File 194 (introduced by Senator Bartz) and House Study Bill 142 (introduced by Representative Brunkhorst) This bill was to be voted on in committee today. As you know, for over twenty years Iowa's roadways, streams, lakes and trails have been cleaner because of the Bottle Bill and the habits of stewardship it has helped to instill in all of us who live here. It has created jobs, especially at sheltered workshops which employ people with disabilities, and thousands of Iowa school children have used it as a fundraising tool within our communities. As Iowans, we recycle 90 percent of our containers without the use of taxes. States without bottle bills only recycle 30 percent. 86% of Iowans support the Bottle Bill. House File 69 (Grundberg), House File 172 (Shoultz), and Senate File 97 (Boettger) will protect and expand the Bottle Bill. This legislation will increase the handling fee per container from 1 to 2 cents. The handling fee paid to grocery stores and redemption centers has not changed in 22 years. This increase will support the essential role they play in the Bottle Bill's success. Many redemption centers will close in the next 18 months if the handling fee is not increased. These proposals also expands the Container Redemption Law to include bottles and cans used for tea, water, fruit and vegetable juices and drinks, sports drinks, and other noncarbonated beverages excluding milk. In 1978, many of these estimated 250 million beverage containers did not exist, but are now a source of litter. These beverages represent the fastest growing segment of the overall beverage market. Expansion will eliminate confusion and further reduce litter. Most importantly, however, 77 percent of Iowans support such an expansion. We suggest you oppose House Study Bill 142 (Brunkhorst) and Senate File 194 (Bartz). Both Governors Ray and Branstad have criticized these proposals for creating a new bottle bill system based on a new bureaucracy, increased taxes, reduced private sector involvement, increased consumer costs, and reduced convenience. Such bills would gut the effectiveness of the Bottle Bill. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]