Have you noticed how Republicans are totally into bans, permanent rules, blocking individual freedoms, and nothing is too extreme for them? They must have EVERYTHING they want, not just some things, will stop at nothing, and compromise is a dirty word. They don’t just want lighter regulations- they want NO regulations and they want NO REGULATIONS set in stone so that it can NEVER change.
You’ve seen action alert after action alert here during this legislative session because public pressure – as well as voting – is the only thing that can stop Republicans from their continued ravaging of our once fair state that was among the best in the country for public education and that used to have clean water before the thousands of CAFOs and big ag practices were allowed to ruin our water and land.
The following is an action alert from The Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture (IARA). What the Rs are trying to do on this bill is nothing short of outrageous.
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TAKE ACTION! Tell Your Legislators – Don’t Permanently Weaken CAFO Rules!
A bill before the Iowa Senate would permanently prevent the DNR from strengthening factory farm rules and regulations.
Senate File 2370 would codify Executive Order Number 10 (EO10), Governor Reynolds’ directive to reduce the overall regulatory burden of Iowa’s rules and regulations across all state agencies.
If passed, SF 2370 would have a direct influence on how factory farms are regulated by permanently:
– Prohibiting the DNR from strengthening current CAFO rules and regulations in Chapter 65 of the Iowa code.
– Requiring a rigorous retrospective analysis for proposed rules to determine if the costs imposed by the rules justify their benefits. This serves the CAFO industry, not Iowans.
– Removing restrictive language and determining less restrictive alternatives to a proposed rule.
– Requiring the DNR to go through a new rulemaking process from scratch every five years, further weakening CAFO regulations.
– Enabling the DNR to forgo public comments for a rule or retrospective analysis if it finds good cause that the input would be “unnecessary, impracticable or contrary to the public interest.”
We already see how EO10 directly impacted the recent Chapter 65 revision, which included a few new protections for CAFOs built in risky karst terrain. The governor’s office refused to approve the much needed improvements because they don’t comply with EO10. As a result, rural residents with private wells remain at risk for high nitrate consumption, which studies link to several cancers and birth defects.
Iowa needs stronger factory farm regulations, not weaker ones. SF 2370 benefits no one but the factory farm industry.
Contact your legislators today and tell them to VOTE NO on SF 2370. Find your legislator here.
The health and well-being of Iowans should come before the financial interests of the multinational, multibillion dollar livestock industry!
The Iowa Alliance For Responsible Agriculture (IARA) is a coalition of community, state, and national organizations calling for a factory farm moratorium until there are less than 100 water impairments. Learn more at IowaResponsibleAgriculture.org.
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