Scroll down for an information/action alert from Iowa CCI.  The list of 28 republicans would have been more honestly named “Republicans for Glyphosate”   There were no democratic legislators on this list. In any event, seems like there is a political fight in the making for the upcoming Iowa legislative session.

CCI:

So many of us are wondering what will come up, and it’s hard to know which issues will ultimately be prioritized at the Statehouse.

One thing we do know is Bayer is looking for immunity from pesticide lawsuits, and we’re going to have to hop in on the fight.

As CCI President Barb Kalbach pointed out in her Brass Tacks column last week, they’ve been getting sued by folks who’ve gotten sick with cancer – and Round-Up use being their main concern – and they want those lawsuits to stop.

Here is the text of Kalbach’s column in the Waterloo Courier.

 With election season behind us,I’m looking forward to the holidays and getting together with friends and family. It’s generally a peaceful time of year, filled with joy, good food and fond memories.

But this year, I’ll be thinking about a storm brewing at the Statehouse when the Iowa  Legislature returns in early January. We’re in for a big fight that will pit multinational chemical companies and their billion-dollar profits against the health and well-being of everyday Iowans.

And you can bet that Iowa CCI and other grassroots groups will be in the thick of it. Earlier this spring, Bayer was asking Iowa legislators for protection from pesticide lawsuits.  The giant chemical company, which manufactures the popular weed-killerRoundup, was asking for this protection in other states, too.

Bayer wants immunity because they’re getting sued by thousands of individuals who’ve gotten sick. Cancer is the main focus of these lawsuits, and Roundup is the main cause for concern.

As a nurse in rural Iowa,I’ve noticed an increase in cancer during my years working to help take care of people. In fact, some of my family members who’ve been involved in agriculture a long time have battled cancer.

Roundup is the most widely used weed-killer. According to USDA and Iowa State University, Iowa farmers spread nearly 54 million pounds of pesticides annually, which is more than many other states.  In 2023, the Iowa Cancer Registry reported that Iowa has the second highest cancer rate in the country. And the National Cancer Institute said we’re the only state where the rate of new cancers increased significantly from 2015 to 2019.

It seems like Iowa has become a ground zero for cancer –and maybe our heavy use of farm chemicals is a contributing factor.  It’s encouraging that our public health officials are taking note. According to journalist Keith Schneider, the Iowa Cancer Consortium is developing “a five-year plan for cutting public exposure to environmental carcinogens…including potentially cancer-causing chemicals used in agriculture.”

Given all of  this data and the lawsuits that have been filed, it’s no surprise chemical companies are running scared.  Last May, Bayer ran full-page ads in The Des Moines Register proclaiming “Health for all, Hungerfor none”in an obvious attempt to convince us they’re looking out for our best interests. And then inOctober – just weeks before the November 5 elections – Bayer and other corporate ag groups ran two more full-page ads in The Register thanking 28 GOP legislators (including Reps Pat Grassley and Matt Windschitl and Sens Amy Sinclair and Ken Rozenboom) for supporting SF2412, the bill that protects chemical companies and their profits from pesticide lawsuits.

Bayer is well-versed at using “corporate speak” and “feel good” messages to sway public opinion and win support for its cause. But isn’t its “cause” to sell more product and make more money? Isn’t that what it’s in business to do?  When the Iowa Legislature reconvenes in January, we’ll be demandingthat House Speaker Pat Grassley, Senate President Amy Sinclair and other GOP leaders do the right thing –that means protecting the health and well-being of everyday Iowans, and saying“No”to Bayer and its corporate cronies. It’s time to put people before profits.

Barb Kalbach is a fourth generation family farmer and board president of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. Kalbach can be reached at barbnealkalbach@gmail.com.

Back in October, a special interest group called Modern Ag ran this full-page ad in the Des Moines Register thanking 28 legislators for their support of this bill.

Do you see one of your legislators on the list? If you see them around, be sure to bring it up with them, and let us know what you hear!

And no matter what happens, we’ll be right there to fight back, on this bill, on education, on the things that matter to us. Because we deserve to live in a state that puts people ahead of corporate profits.

Onward!

Katie Biechler, she/her
Political Organizing Director