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Monday, March 26
Urgent Action Needed - Call on VOICE Monday, March 26th!
by
Caroline Vernon
on Mon 26 Mar 2007 12:33 AM CDT
Urgent Action Needed - Call on VOICE - Monday, March 26th!
From Progressive Action for the Common Good
As many of you may know, PACG has put out many calls to action on VOICE - Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections. The passage of VOICE - SF 553 , in the state of Iowa would have a HUGE impact
on every issue across the spectrum - the passage of this bill
would give the people of Iowa an unprecedented opportunity to take back
control of our legislature from the special interest groups that have
too often dominated the outcome of policy. There are MANY reasons to
pass VOICE - passage of this bill would free-up our legislators
from the all consuming cycle of fundraising so they can spend more
time working on the actual issues that affect their
constituents, and citizens would have more faith in the system and
the legislators that represent them. Legislators would no longer be
beholden to the special interests that help get them elected. In other
states where similar bills were passed, they are seeing a big increase
in people running for office than ever before and in Arizona
voter turnout has increased by as much as 20%. The passage of
VOICE is a win-win for everyone involved... that's why WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW.
The VOICE
bill, SF 553, is in an Appropriations sub-committee comprised of
Rep. Dave Jacoby (D-chair), Rep. Jo Oldson (D) and Rep. Dwayne Alons
(R). It will come up for a vote in that committee
either Tuesday (3/27) or Wednesday (3/28). If passed, it
then goes to the full committee and becomes "funnel-proof." That
means the likelihood for debate on the floor of the House
increases. However, we learned on Friday that the Appropriations
sub-committee plans to "kill" the bill, at the request of
leadership.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
PLEASE make a push to call the committee members and the leadership on MONDAY,
urging them to support SF 553. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is a firm
supporter of the bill so please call him, thank him for his
support and urge him to continue pushing for passage of the bill.
MOST IMPORTANTLY - contact Senator Mike Gronstal in the Senate and Speaker Pat Murphy in the House - urging them to support passage of the bill. We need to make a VERY BIG PUSH in order to make a difference.
VOICE has overwhelming support from citizens and community leaders - we need to remind leadership that people matter more, money matters less.
PLEASE call the Appropriations Sub-Committee members and House & Senate Leaders on MONDAY! - These
are only 6 telephone calls that will take up very little of your time
-- the small effort required on our part can make a BIG difference for
the future of our state! Please refer to the Word document (see
attachment) that outlines the general information and primary
benefits of the bill, SF 553.
House Switchboard: (515) 281-3221
Rep. Jo Oldson (D)
House District 61 -- Polk County
House Switchboard: (515) 281-3221
Rod Roberts (R)
Rod.Roberts@legis.state.ia.us
House Switchboard: (515) 281-3221.
Speaker of the HouseRep. Pat Murphy (D)
House District 28 – Dubuque County
Pat.Murphy@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: (563) 582-5922
House Telephone: (515) 281-5566
House Majority Leader
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D)
House District 67 – Polk County
Kevin.McCarthy@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: (515) 953-5221
House Telephone: (515) 281-7497
(PLEASE THANK HIM FOR HIS SUPPORT!)
Senate Majority Leader
Senator Mike Gronstal (D)
Senate District 50 -- Pottawattamie
michael.gronstal@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: (712) 328-2808
Business Telephone: (515) 281-3901
Take action! Call,
your local legislator today! Find out where they stand on the
bill, urge them to support it and ask them to urge leadership and
committee members to do the same! It's not
enough to simply ask them if they support the bill --- if they do,
ask them what they are doing to ensure passage of this bill.
House Switchboard to reach all
State Representatives: (515) 281-3221
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!
PACG Staff
James Lee 563-650-3922
Caroline Vernon 563-676-7580
 1 Attachments
CAFO Bill HF873 on Life Support at Iowa Statehouse - Call TODAY!
by
Caroline Vernon
on Mon 26 Mar 2007 12:11 AM CDT
CAFO Bill HF873 on Life Support at Iowa Statehouse - Call TODAY!
From Molly Regan
(excerpts from Lynn Heuss - I'm for Iowa)
Despite overwhelming support from citizens and community leaders, HF 873, a bill regulating CAFOs, has seen steady progress but now faces strong opposition.
It seems this bill too, has been sent to a sub-committee with instructions from leadership to "kill" it. Members of that committee are Mike Reasoner (D-chair), Delores Mertz (D), Helen Miller (D), Jack Drake (R) and Steve Olson (R).
Three Democratic House members – Pam Jochum, Mark Kuhn and Marcie Frevert – have been working tirelessly to advocate for VOICE SF 553 and the CAFO HF 873 bills.
We must join the fight. Lack of oversight and regulation of CAFOs will affect the state of Iowa for generations to come! For a detailed explanation on CAFOs, please refer to my statement below, following the contact information for our legislators.
We need to inundate the Statehouse with calls and e-mail the legislative leaders who control the fate of this bill. Please call or write. If your representative isn't on one of the sub-committees, you can still call or write Rep. Pat Murphy (House Speaker), Rep. Kevin McCarthy (House Majority Leader) or Senator Mike Gronstal (Senate Majority Leader). Everyone needs to contact those three leaders. In addition, contact your local reps and encourage them to urge the committee members to pass the CAFO bill (HF 873).
CAFO Regulation – HF 873
Agriculture Sub-Committee:
Rep. Mike Reasoner (D)
House District 95 – Union County
Statehouse Leaders:
Speaker of the House
Rep. Pat Murphy (D)
House District 28 – Dubuque CountyPat.Murphy@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: (563) 582-5922
House Telephone: (515) 281-5566
House Majority Leader
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D)
House District 67 – Polk CountyKevin.McCarthy@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: (515) 953-5221
House Telephone: (515) 281-7497
Senate Majority Leader
Senator Mike Gronstal (D)
Senate District 50 -- Pottawattamiemichael.gronstal@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: (712) 328-2808
Business Telephone: (515) 281-3901
House Switchboard to reach all State Representatives: (515) 281-3221 Call your local reps and ask them to urge committee members and House leaders to pass this bill!
Please call TODAY!!
According to the IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (IDNR), an AFO is an ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATION.
A CAFO is a CONFINED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATION . The difference is that in a CAFO, the animals are subjected to close, sometimes unhealthy quarters and their waste stays within the confinement until such time it is removed. In the case of hogs, that may only be several times a year.
The IDNR also states on its web site: www.iowadnr.com : "Confinement feeding operations that plan to build, modify or expand must meet state requirements for the new construction. It is important to determine as early as possible, at least 120 days before you plan to begin construction, what size the proposed operation will be and the type of manure storage that will be used. Once size and type of storage are known, you can determine which state requirements must be met...." Also per their website:
"Master Matrix"
The master matrix is a scoring system that can be used to evaluate the siting of permitted confinement feeding operations. Counties that have adopted a construction evaluation resolution can use the master matrix. Counties must re-adopt the construction evaluation resolution annually between January 1 and January 31, starting in 2004, to continue to use the master matrix.
Producers in counties that have adopted the matrix must meet higher standards than other permitted facilities. Before they can be approved for construction, they must earn points on the master matrix for choosing sites and using practices that reduce adverse impacts on the environment and the community. Producers must have 50% (440 points minimum) of the total score and at least 25% of the available points in each of the three subcategories of air, water and community impacts to pass the master matrix...."
Scott County happens to be one of the many counties that has chosen to partake in the permit process. ( Its Board of Supervisors has agreeded to this every year since 2004.) . Part of what that means is that if a farmer wants to build new or add to their existing operation, a permit may be needed depending on the total number pigs, cattle, etc said farmer is going to raise. There is a formula that says if you have over 1666 animal units (thats one bovine equals one unit, 2.5 hogs equals one unit....see IDNR site for other animals) they you need to fill out the Master Matrix. If your county does not partake in the permit process, it goes directly to the IDNR and bypasses any local public input time.
Saturday, March 24
Iowans Need To Support Local Control of Hog Lots
by
Sam Garchik
on Sat 24 Mar 2007 10:14 PM CDT
Iowans Need To Support Local Control of Hog Lots
Fellow Iowans,
IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT FACTORY FARMS IN IOWA,
YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED TODAY!
A newly proposed bill, House File 873, presents COMMONSENSE LEGISLATION that would require large-scale confinements in your county to follow environmentally friendly guidelines and be placed farther away from neighboring residences, schools, churches, lakes and tourist destinations.
Currently less than 1 percent of Iowans own CAFOs and yet have all the rights. THIS BILL GIVES BALANCE to the other 99 percent of us.
Please call or email the following Representatives to show your Support for House File 873 (Kuhn/Frevert Bill). Remember to be polite and respectful when leaving a message or speaking with a legislator. Courtesy counts.
This bill is being met with a lot of resistance from corporate lobbyists representing the confinement industry. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO SAVE IT! Help clean up Iowa's rivers, lakes, air and streams…call the following legislators and your OWN TODAY!
THE HOUSE SWITCHBOARD NUMBER IS (515) 281-3221. If you can't get through please leave a short message.
Feel free to contact Speaker of the House Pat Murphy at:
Pat.Murphy@legis.state.ia.us
http://www.legis.state.ia.us/FindLeg/
Also contact GOVERNOR CULVER'S OFFICE: (515) 281-5211.
For More Information and easier legislative access, please go to: www.LegislativeAlert-IA.net
BILL SUMMMARY
Passing this bill will provide a balance between the interests of the confinement industry and their neighbors in Iowa.
This bill is in great trouble, having been moved by Speaker Murphy to the House Agricultural committee and they will not vote it out without a large number of calls or emails from ordinary citizens supporting the bill.
If we want someone other than Farm Bureau to influence the outcome of this bill WE NEED YOU to contact your Representative regarding the commonsense legislation presented in HF 873.
TAKE ACTION TODAY! Contact the following members plus your own
Representative:
Agriculture Committee:
1. Dolores.Mertz@legis.state.ia.us Chair
H (515) 887-2952
2. Mike.Reasoner@legis.state.ia.us Vice Chair
H (641) 782-2693
W (515) 281-3221
3. Jack.Drake@legis.state.ia.us Ranking Member
H (712) 784-3538
4. Steven.Olson@legis.state.ia.us
H (563) 659-9096
W (515) 231-6469
5. Helen.Miller@legis.state.ia.us
H (515) 576-1352
6. Dawn.Pettengill@legis.state.ia.us
H (319) 475-2276
7. Mark.Kuhn@legis.state.ia.us
H (641) 228-2566
8. John.Whitaker@legis.state.ia.us
H (319) 796-4618
9. Henry.Rayhons@legis.state.ia.us
H (641) 923-2979
10. Mark.Davitt@legis.state.ia.us
H (515) 962-9345
11. Betty.DeBoef@legis.state.ia.us
H (641) 634-2227
12. Nathan.Reichert@legis.state.ia.us
H (563) 263-3057
13. Cecil.Dolecheck@legis.state.ia.us
H (641) 464-2913
14. Doug.Struyk@legis.state.ia.us
H (712) 329-3542
W (712) 322-0102
15. Marcella.Frevert@legis.state.ia.us
H (712) 852-4950
16. Kurt.Swaim@legis.state.ia.us
H (641) 664-2455
17. Elesha.Gayman@legis.state.ia.us
H (563) 650-6140
18. Andrew.Wenthe@legis.state.ia.us
H (563) 379-7182
W (563) 425-5260
19. Sandra.Greiner@legis.state.ia.us
H (641) 636-2293
20. Gary.Worthan@legis.state.ia.us
H (712) 732-6340
W (712) 299-3039
21. Dan.Huseman@legis.state.ia.us
H (712) 434-5880
Wednesday, March 14
FARM BILL LISTENING SESSIONS
by
Sam Garchik
on Wed 14 Mar 2007 09:35 AM CDT
FARM BILL LISTENING SESSIONS
By Tom Harkin
Sponsored By
U.S. SENATOR TOM HARKIN
Chairman, Senate Agriculture Committee
Saturday, March 24, 2007
9:30 a.m. – North Scott High School Cafeteria
200 South First Street
Eldridge, Iowa
12:45 p.m. – Northeast Iowa Community College
Peosta Campus, Conference Center
10250 Sundown Road
Peosta, Iowa
4:00 p.m. – Cedar Rapids Prairie High School Auditorium
401 76th Avenue, SW
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
“As we
begin drafting the 2007 farm bill, it is important to hear your
comments and suggestions. The best ideas come from my
constituents who are directly affected by farm and rural
policies. I look forward to hearing from you at these upcoming
meetings.” – Senator Tom Harkin
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 515-284-4574
If you have any special needs, please call the above number.
Saturday, March 3
Action Needed on Confinements and Local Control
by
Sam Garchik
on Sat 03 Mar 2007 04:55 PM CST
Action Needed on Confinements and Local Control
By Dave Murphy
Fellow Iowans,
Your help is needed to support several very important bills coming out of the Senate Ag Committee that address the issue of large-scale animal confinements and attempt to find a balance between the needs of rural residents, the environment and those of the livestock industry.
The majority of these bill have been written, sponsored or supported by Senator Jack Kibbie and Gene Fraise, who are both farmers themselves and have been actively engaged in the debate of protecting the democratic rights of rural citizens, the environment, and family farmers for more than a decade.
Please call your Senator this weekend to let them know that you support the following bills. Remember to be courteous and polite in leaving a message.
If you cannot reach your Senator (their numbers are listed below) over the weekend, please call them on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday at the Capitol.
THE SENATE SWITCHBOARD NUMBER IS (515) 281-3371. If you can't get through, please leave a short message.
Also contact GOVERNOR CULVER'S OFFICE: (515) 281-5211.
Senate Agriculture Bills:
1.) SF 10 (Bio-Security Bill): If passed, this bill will: a) allow the county board of supervisors to establish separation distances between farrowing units and finishing animal confinements b) help return an important industry to Iowa c) due to the increased number of confinements being built across the state and thus the increased concentration, Iowa has become an epicenter of disease in the livestock (especially hog) industry.
2.) SSB 1140 (Master Matrix Bill): This study bill requires confinement operators to: a) fill out all portions of the matrix, b) attain a passing score in each of the following three areas: air quality, water quality, and communities and c) allows for the deduction of points.
3.) SSB 1165 (Supervisor Committee Bill): This study bill calls for: a) all counties to adopt the matrix and b) for the county board of supervisors to appoint a five-person committee with staggered five-year terms that will review all new confinements applications.
4.) SSB 1184 (Increased Separation Distances Bill): This study bill would: a) increase the minimum separation distances between residences, businesses, schools and churches based on the animal unit capacity of the proposed confinement, b) 1â„2 mile from a confinement with 1,000 animal unites (400 hogs) c) 3â„4 of a mile from a confinement with 1,000 to 3,000 animal units (400 to 1,200 hogs) d) 1 mile from a confinement with more than 3,000 animal units (1,200 hogs).
5.) SSB 1185 (Distances for Liquid Manure Application and Water Sources Bill): This study bill would: a) increase the separation distances for the application of liquid manure to 750 feet between homes, businesses, schools, churches and public use areas b) require liquid manure be incorporated into the ground within 24 hours of application c) not allow a confinement not be built within a 1â„2 mile of the surface intake of an agricultural drainage well d) not allow a confinement to be built within 3â„4 of a mile from a wellhead, cistern of an agricultural drainage well, or known sinkhole e) not allow a confinement to be built within 1/4 mile of from a water source other than a major water source f) not allow a confinement not be built within 3/4 of a mile from a major water source.
6.) SSB 1001 (Competition / Spot Market 25% Bill): This study bill provides for the regulation of packers and the purchase of hogs from producers. Passing this bill will increase competition among the industry and also guarantee independent producers a place in the market to sell their livestock.
We believe these bills are a reasonable compromise between the livestock industry and the health, property, and environmental rights and concerns of rural residents and all Iowans.
Your support in this matter is very much appreciated.
Democrats
Senator Tom Rielly (Vice Chair of Agriculture Committee)
Counties: Iowa, Keokuk, Mahaska, Poweshiek, Tama
Home Telephone: (641) 673-2957
Home Fax: (641) 673-2957
E-mail: tom.rielly@legis.state.ia.us
Senator Staci Appel
Counties: Dallas, Madison, Warren
Home Telephone: (515) 961-6982
E-mail: staci.appel@legis.state.ia.us
Senator Dennis Black
Counties: Jasper, Polk
Home Telephone: (641) 527-3172
Business Telephone: (515) 975-8608
E-mail: dennis.black@legis.state.ia.us
Senator Thomas Courtney
Counties: Des Moines, Louisa, Muscatine
Home Telephone: (319) 753-2684
E-mail: thomas.courtney@legis.state.ia.us
Senator Tom Hancock
Counties: Delaware, Dubuque, Jones
Home Telephone: (563) 876-3219
E-mail: tom.hancock@legis.state.ia.us
Senator Rich Olive
Counties: Hamilton, Story, Webster, Wright
Home Telephone: (515) 733-2427
E-mail: rich.olive@legis.state.ia.us
Senator Dr. Joes Seng
Counties: Scott
Home Telephone: (563) 391-1627
E-mail: joe.seng@legis.state.ia.us
Republicans
Senator David Johnson (Ranking Member)
Counties: Clay, Dickinson, O'Brien, Osceola, Sioux
Home Telephone: (712) 758-3280
E-mail: david.johnson@legis.state.ia.us
Senator Nancy Boettger
Counties: Adair, Audubon, Cass, Guthrie, Pottawattamie, Shelby
Home Telephone: (712) 744-3290
Business Fax: (712) 744-4290
E-mail: nancy.boettger@legis.state.ia.us
Senator Thurman Gaskill
Counties: Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Hancock, Winnebago, Worth
Home Telephone: (515) 583-2449
Home Fax: (515) 583-2547
E-mail: thurman.gaskill@legis.state.ia.us
Senator Hubert Houser
Counties: Fremont, Mills, Paige, Pottawattamie
Home Telephone: (712) 486-2597
Home Fax: (712) 486-2597
E-mail: hubert.house@legis.state.ia.us
Senator Dave Mulder
Counties: Sioux, Lyon
Business Telephone: (712) 707-7011
Cell Phone: (712) 441-5669
E-mail: dave.mulder@legis.state.ia.us
Senator John Putney
Counties: Emmet, Humboldt, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Webster
Home Telephone: (641) 473-2129
Business Telephone: (515) 262-3111
Home Fax: (712) 852-3378
E-mail: john.putney@legis.state.ia.us
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