The Iowa House has sent the governor a bill that will provide an estimated 286 million dollars over the next 12 years for projects designed to improve water quality. The bill got the support of nearly all Republicans and four Democrats in the House. The vote is the partial resolution of a three-year-long debate among state policymakers seeking a consistent source of money to clean up Iowa lakes and waterways and improve city water treatment facilities. Republican Representative John Wills of Spirit Lake has worked as a water quality coordinator in the Great Lakes region for two decades.
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Next year, because of this bill, the state will spend about four million more on water quality projects. Critics say that’s not enough and there’s not enough ACCOUNTABILITY in the legislation to ensure the projects financed are leading to improved water quality. Representative Chip Baltimore of Boone was among the four Republicans who voted no.
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The water quality plan approved by the House immediately uses metered water fees and eventually will use gambling taxes currently now being used to pay off state bonds.