Since the weather prohibited some volunteers from attending the environmental lobby day today at the capitol, I wanted to pass on some information so you can still lobby your legislators, either by email, letter, phone, or in person at weekend functions in your district.

The handout pasted below was made available to volunteers today: Sierra Club legislative priorities and bills that support or oppose those priorities.  You can use this as you talk to your legislators about environmental issues.  And if you get a very positive or very negative response from anyone, can you pass that information my way, so I can let our lobbyist, Lyle Krewson, know what lawmakers are saying?  Thanks for your help.

Don't know who your legislator is?  Go to www.legis.state.ia.us/  and click on "Find Your Legislator."



Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club
Legislative Priorities

We have legislative priorities in six issue areas:

Non-game Funding
The IDNR needs state funding to leverage federal funding.

S.F. 125    A bill for an act relating to funding for nongame wildlife programs by increasing the fees for special natural resources motor vehicle registration plates.   
Introduced by Sen. Lundby, referred to SenateTransportation Committee, assigned to a subcommittee of Sens. Drake, Fraise, and Putney, and reassigned to a subcommittee of Sens. Houser, Fraise, and
Putney.   


Loess Hills
We would like to see a change in the composition of the Loess Hills Alliance, to broaden membership to groups outside of the region.
Funding should be restored to protect the Loess Hills.
Loess is currently exempted from soil mining restrictions.  This needs to be changed.

These bills do not directly relate to the Loess Hills, but since the Hills are part of the Lewis and Clark trail, these could be important bills for the Hills.

S.F. 1    A bill for an act allocating moneys to the Iowa Lewis and Clark bicentennial fund and providing an effective date.    
Introduced by Sen. Warnstadt, referred to Senate Appropriations Committee and assigned to a
subcommittee of Sens. McKinley, Behn, and Warnstadt.

H.F. 110    A bill for an act allocating moneys to the Iowa Lewis and Clark bicentennial fund and providing an effective date.    
Introduced by Reps. Wendt and Whitead, referred to House Appropriations Committee.


Water Quality and CAFOs
Funding is needed for IDNR to adequately address issues related to floodplains in SF2293.
The "credible data law" needs to be changed, so IDNR can completely and adequately assess water quality in Iowa.

H.F. 160    A bill for an act relating to the use of credible data for water quality purposes.    
Introduced by Rep. Jochum, referred to House Environmental Protection Committee and assigned to a subcommittee of Reps. Hahn, Drake and Greimann.

H.F. 186    A bill for an act establishing a moratorium upon the construction of confinement feeding operation structures, providing penalties, and providing an effective date.  
Introduced by Reps. Shoultz, Jochum, Osterhaus, Hogg and Wendt, referred to House Agriculture Committee.

Energy
Iowa needs a Renewable Energy Standard of 10% by 2010 and 20% by 2020.
Efforts should be made to address further efficiency and conservation measures that can be made by state, residential, business, and industrial customers.

S.F. 117    A bill for an act providing annual purchase or generation requirements for certain electric utilities from alternate energy production facilities, requiring establishment of a system of alternate energy credit trading, making related changes, and providing an effective date.
Introduced by Sen. Lundby, referred to Senate Commerce Committee and assigned to a subcommittee of Sens. Angelo, Beall, Bolkcom, Brunkhorst, and Larson.   

HSB 119    This bill provides for a schedule in Code chapter 476 for purchase or generation requirements by certain electric utilities of energy from alternate energy production facilities, more commonly known as a renewable portfolio standard, and related requirements, including a system of energy credit trading.

S.F. 136    A bill for an act establishing an energy conservation program for school districts.    
Introduced by Sen. Connolly, referred to Senate Education Committee and assigned to a subcommittee of Sens. Brunkhorst, Dvorsky, and Redfern.


Funding for Environmental and Conservation Programs
Spending 2% of the state's budget on conservation efforts is essential if people are going to choose to live, work, and play in Iowa.


Land Use
Iowa needs comprehensive land use planning legislation.
Environmental/conservation interests, as well as agricultural interests, should be included on state and local decision-making boards.

H.F. 258    A bill for an act relating to state land management and planning and local land management and planning for certain counties and cities and providing effective dates.    
Introduced by Reps. Fallon and Carroll, referred to House Local Government Committee and assigned to a subcommittee of Reps. Fallon, Arnold and Hansen.






Erin E. Jordahl
Director, Iowa Chapter Sierra Club
3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280
Des Moines, IA 50310
515-277-8868
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www.iowa.sierraclub.org
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