Yesterday the Iowa Legislature passed voluntary water quality legislation, spearheaded by Governor Kim Reynolds, that included no comprehensive statewide monitoring of water pollution or benchmark improvement goals. While Reynolds has praised the bill's passage, her GOP colleague, Representative Chip Baltimore, chastised the flawed and incomplete bill as "a recession in policy" pushed through solely to have campaign talking points in November, calling the bill's progression one that "lacked integrity." Today, Fred Hubbell issued the following statement:
"Kim Reynolds' voluntary water quality bill is not only a woefully inadequate attempt to address our serious water quality issues, it's a waste of taxpayer funds," said Fred Hubbell. "Without any meaningful monitoring and measurements to track water pollution there is zero accountability attached to ensure progress. This bill boils down solely to political posturing, and once again, it comes at the expense of Iowans. All it does is take more money away from education and health care, in light of already steep cuts from this Administration. Iowans deserve a long term, sustainable solution that includes local watershed input and ensures accountability and transparency towards actual progress to protect our water quality. As governor, I would veto this bill and urge Governor Reynolds to do the same and stand up for the wellbeing of Iowans."
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