Under the Golden Dome, Too

Ensuring safe and clean water for Iowans
     This past weekend we celebrated Memorial Day, where we remembered those that have lost their lives fighting for and protecting the freedoms that we hold dear. I hope that you took a moment to remember the service and sacrifices that our men and women in uniform make in order to keep us safe.
     Something that all Iowans can agree on is that we should protect our natural resources and ensure that Iowans have access to safe drinking water.
     When this past session kicked off, Gov. Terry Branstad brought forward a bold, innovative plan to fund water quality improvements in our cities in towns. While that plan never got the legs to advance, it served as a framework for future proposals over the course of session.
     House Republicans are committed to protecting our waterways so Iowans can enjoy a safe water supply and a clean natural resource for recreation long into the future. We demonstrated this by crafting a wide-ranging piece of legislation to address Iowa’s water quality.
     Currently, the state invests more than $20 million per year to aid in water quality improvements, and the Nutrient Reduction Strategy was created a few years ago to help farmers reduce the amount of farm runoff that ends up in our waterways and the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to these efforts, the federal government also makes a significant investment in keeping Iowa’s waterways safe and clean.
     This session, the House passed a water quality plan that would have invested an additional half billion dollars to aid in efforts to improve Iowa’s water. The bill, referred to as the Iowa Water Quality Improvement Plan, would have addressed both urban and rural water quality projects ensuring that we would attack this problem from multiple angles. This legislation was a significant step in the right direction, which is why it received wide support from both sides of the aisle.
     The Iowa Water Quality Improvement Plan focused on long-term infrastructure improvements to reduce the runoff of nitrates and phosphorus into Iowa waterways and reduce soil erosion. These projects would have been a public-private partnership, funded by Iowa farmers, local communities, the state and other private sources.
     Most importantly, this plan found a long-term, dedicated source of funding that used existing resources and didn’t raise taxes.
     Unfortunately, the Senate chose not to take up our bill. In fact, they never even debated legislation to improve our water and natural resources. This was truly a missed opportunity for Iowans.
     While the House plan wasn’t signed in to law, it has created a robust discussion on water quality in Iowa. During the interim, House Republicans will look for opportunities to focus efforts and resources on best practices and effective strategies to curb runoff.
     I’m hopeful that we can come back next session, use the House bill as a framework and work towards a solution that preserves Iowa’s precious resources for generations to come.
     Speaker of the Iowa House Linda Upmeyer represents Franklin, Butler and Cerro Gordo counties in District 54. She can be reached at linda.upmeyer@legis.iowa.gov or (515) 281-3521.