Some Iowa state lawmakers have decided they don’t want to tap education funding to address water quality concerns. They’re instead looking for other funding sources. Iowa Soybean Association Policy Director Carol Balvanz says they’ve been backing the Governor’s plan to use some of the state education funding for water quality. She says while water quality concerns need to be addressed finding new money to pay for these programs is difficult.

She says while the Governor’s water quality funding plan has some good aspects to it, some lawmakers see some problems with it.

Balvanz says while ISA wants a tax credit to help pay for some of the water quality needs, more funding is still needed long term.

Balvanz says addressing water quality takes a lot of practices on the ground to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus run off and that can be costly. She says that becomes everyone’s responsibility to help pay for it.