Sick Puppies Abusing Dogs in Iowa with No End in Sight

Iowa is a state that is known to be very lax where animal rights and protections are concerned. As the Quad-City Times reported recently, "Iowa has the third-most puppy mills in the country with 10. In total, Iowa has 260 licensed dog breeding facilities" and with it, groups trying to effect change in Iowa run up against pro-agriculture legislators who are unsympathetic and worse.

Again according to the Q-C Times:

"When the Animal Rescue League of Iowa proposed amendments to the state law that seeks to protect dogs and cats, Illinois law was their guide.

The amendments approved this year by the Iowa Senate would have increased penalties for crimes that sicken most Iowans. For those convicted more than once of abuse or neglect of a dog or cat, causing serious injury or death, the penalty would increase from an aggravated misdemeanor to the more serious class D felony.

For torturing a companion animal, a felony charge automatically would result. A second offense of torture would lead to a more serious felony.

But the bill didn't make it to the Iowa House. It was hijacked by House leadership and the powerful agriculture lobby."

In yesterday's The Daily Nonpareil, it was reported that a Council Bluff's area man was arrested and change with "36 counts of animal neglect — a simple misdemeanor — and four counts of animal neglect as a serious misdemeanor" when his breeding and training business was  reported to the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office. When officers arrived on the scene, their investigation revealed that at least 4 dogs were dead, the facilities were covered in feces and urine, and many of the dogs were malnourished. A total of 25 dogs and 13 puppies were removed and sheltered.

The owner of the kennel was released on a $20,000 bond. Each simple misdemeanor carries the possible sentence of up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $625. Each serious misdemeanor charge carries the possible sentence of up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,875.

This is the latest case in Iowa, it won't be the last. It is time for Iowa legislators to improve the inspection process and levy more severe charges against poor operators such as this one.

Iowa Women Do Well

After taking a break to visit Des Moines, I caught up with the results of Iowa state contests which were very good for the women candidates of Iowa. With the exception of the Governor's race and the 4th Congressional district, Democratic women candidates were the choice in the Iowa 1st and 3rd Congressional district, the Secretary of States's race, and also many House and Senate seats.

In the Senate 16 women from Democratic, Republican, and Libertarian parties out of 18 who ran were victorious in their primaries and in the House races, 58 out of 62. The positive is that the Iowa House and Senate may be more equally represented by gender in November than ever in the history of the state. If women won all the races that they are in, they would have 12 of 25 senate seats and 59 out of 100 House seats. However, though gender equality may be achieved, the politics would still be shaped down party lines as in the Senate 6 Republicans and 10 Democrats who are women are in contention for the seats and in the House, 16 and 46 respectively and also 2 Libertarians.

While top of the ticket women remain the domain for Republicans, the Democrats have fielded quite a few future party leaders. Anyway you look at the outcome of the primaries, change will come to the Iowa Legislature, the question is will that change be decidedly more progressive or conservative?

Bill to Have County Public Hearings for CAFOs Alive!

According to Iowa Citizens for Community Action:

Victory - HSB 186 passes out of committee!

Because of your efforts to contact key state legislators, we are getting things done and moving critical legislation forward. Yesterday afternoon, we helped pass HSB 168 out of the House Environmental Protection committee. It's an important bill that would require all counties to hold public hearings on all proposed factory farms that are large enough to require a construction permit (for hogs, that's 2,500 head in total confinement at any one time). It passed out of committee by a vote of 11-10.

Thanks for taking action! This victory happened because of your efforts to swing Representative Elesha Gayman to vote for the bill. She has been supportive, but was getting pressure to vote against it. Your calls and emails leading up to the vote helped convince her to vote in favor of it. Now HSB 168 is eligible for debate by the full House.

Local Women in the House and Senate: State Races

House Representatives Mary Mascher, Vicki Lensing, and Dave Jacoby retained their seats while first timers State Senator Sharon Savage and House Representative Rebecca Spears (Who scored an upset of Jeff Kaufmann) earned their first terms, as did newcomers Nate Willems (replacing the retiring Ro Foege) and Larry Marek. This election showcased possible stars of tomorrow in a state that has never elected a female Governor or sent a woman to Congress.

State Senate (40th Dist)
Sharon Savage (D) 743 (59%)
James F. Hahn (R) 513 (41%)
Write In 1

State Rep (29th Dist)
Nate Willems (D) 4,753 (57%)
Emma Nemecek (R) 3,504 (42%)
Write In 16

State Rep (30th Dist)
Dave Jacoby (D) 15,751 (98%)
Write In 278

State Rep (77th Dist)
Mary Mascher (D) 11,229 (82%)
Chris L. Brewer (NP) 2,412 (18%)
Write In 88

State Rep (78th Dist)
Vicki Lensing (D) 15,621 (98%)
Write In 242

State Rep (79th Dist)
Rebecca Spears (D) 683 (55%)
Jeff Kaufmann (R) 557 (45%)
Write In 1

State Rep (89th Dist)
Larry K Marek (D) 1,986 (59%)
Jarad Klein (R) 1,396 (41%)
Write In 3

Iowa House and Senate Pass E-Bill

Despite being voted against by our two area Representatives (Mary Mascher and Vicki Lensing), the Iowa House has followed the lead of the Senate and approved a proposed constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of future sales tax increases to the environment.

If the constitutional amendment is approved, the Legislature could create a 3/8-cent sales tax to fund those efforts. The tax would go to such efforts as protecting natural areas of the state, cleaning up Iowa waterways and funding parks, trails, fish and wildlife habitats and soil conservation.

A special commission studying ways to secure reliable funding for natural resources came up with the plan, which would generate an estimated $150 million each year.

Smoking Ban Going To Conference For Compromise

Yesterday, the Iowa House rejected the Senate's version of the smoking ban bill and offered a version that lifted the ban from bars and restaurants that serve alcohol. Today the Senate stuck by their bill by rejecting the House's weakened version.

The Des Moines Register continues:

“Folks, this amendment goes against the intent of the bill as it does nothing to protect the health of those who patronize or have to work in these establishments,” said Sen. Staci Appel, an Ackworth Democrat. “Secondhand smoke knows no age limits. It doesn’t discriminate at all by age. Age really has nothing to do with it.”

The Senate’s 27 to 23 decision to reject the House’s version means that leaders from both the House and the Senate will likely form a special committee in an attempt to reach compromise. The decision to create the committee will be made next week.

Once a compromise through the committee is reached, the full Senate and House can only give a thumb up or a thumb down to the proposal, which means that the month-long amendment process and shuffling of the proposal between the House and the Senate is done.

Will Iowa Ban Go Up in Smoke?

Tonight the members of the Iowa House are expected to debate a possible smoking ban in most indoor public places. The bill had been moving quickly until last week when it suddenly met a snag when debate was postponed.

House Leader Kevin McCarthysaid backers of the proposed smoking ban had not filed a proposed amendment in time to allow for debate.

"We do have house rules," said McCarthy. "When we have a controversial bill, it is the duty of the floor manager to make sure their amendments get filed in a timely manner."

At odds for a total smoking ban is an exemption for casinos from the smoking ban. Legislators say that exemption could give casinos an unfair advantage over bars that still would have to eliminate smoking. Smokers might end up going to bars inside the casino if they can't light up at the neighborhood tap, they say.

Additionally, restaurant owners have joined together to fight the ban. Smoking policies in their private establishments should be theirs to decide, they say.

Given the experience in Iowa City when a smoking ban was put in place and later rejected by the Iowa Supreme Court because of jurisdictional rights. it would make sense for the state to not exempt casinos, restaurants or bars. That way, everyone is on an even field and no one can say that they are being treated unfairly.

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