Legislative Roll Call
For the media in Iowa, the most exciting part of the state legislative season is the beginning. In January, lawmakers of every political stripe float bills for consideration, many of which don't have a mourning dove's chance in Missouri of ever becoming law. By scheduling press conferences and faxing press releases, the legislators are, in effect, throwing their ideas against the wall and seeing what sticks.Three major issues have caught my attention in the opening week of the session:
Issue 1: The push to get tougher on the production of methamphetamine.
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As far back as 1999, I advocated that the Iowa state motto be changed to "Don't Meth With Us." I felt it was a catchy and timely derivation of Texas' popular "Don't Mess With Texas" anti-litter campaign, and much more honest than Governor Vilsack's suggestion, "Fields of Opportunities." After years on the sidelines, the rise in rural meth production has given Iowans a bird's eye view of our nation's out-of-control drug problem and the asinine government policies that have led to its growth. (Disclaimer: I believe drugs should be legal and heavily taxed.) Iowa and the other 49 nifty states continue to tackle the problem from the standpoint of law enforcement and punishment, rather than prevention. In Iowa-speak, this is closing the barn door after the cows are already out.
Rural Iowa has been ravaged by the loss of industry and community due to the unregulated expansion of corporate hog lots and national chain discount stores. Main Street Iowa is dying, if not already dead. The bright idea of our governor and lawmakers in this session is to make pseudoephedrine a controlled substance. Pseudoephedrine is a common ingredient in cold and flu medicines, but also used commonly in the "cooking" of meth. If this doesn't tell us everything we need to know about "the war on drugs," I don't know what does. We're now so powerless to the mushrooming consumption of narcotics that law-abiding citizens will have to go to a pharmacist and sign out for their parceled allotment of NyQuil. Before long, I'll have to endure a five day waiting period and background check to utilize my nighttime sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever, so I can rest and have a good morning medicine. Can't we just throw in the towel at this point and admit we've lost the war?
Issue 2: The increased cigarette tax.
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It hit me today as I watched a co-worker brave a below-zero wind chill to get his hourly nicotine fix just how strong an addict's urge can be. Governor Vilsack supports the raising of the cigarette tax to close the $100 million gap in the state Medicaid program. The Senate's co-leader, Stewart Iverson, opposes all new taxes, and presumably prefers cutting Medicaid services and/or eligibility to bridge the gap. I say score one for the governor on this issue. The American Cancer Society, which recommends raising the 36-cent tax by $1 per pack, estimates that an increase would generate $160 million and reduce smoking overall and by 20 percent among teenagers. (Have at it, Semelroth.)
I enjoyed the legislator I heard on the radio yesterday who said she refuses to call it a 'tax,' but rather a 'user fee.' This is bold thinking. If the Republicans can change the phrase "luxury tax" to "inheritance tax," and later to "death tax," liberals can play the semantics game, too. I've said on this blog before that we have to start framing the debate if we want to win it.
Issue 3: The beverage container redemption bill.
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Writing today's blog, I realize how important it will be for the grocers in Iowa to have a powerful lobbyist at this year's session. All three of these issues affect their business, and none more so than this one, judging by their behavior. Fareway Stores in Iowa made headlines in November when they began rejecting empty cans and bottles. Last week, Attorney General Tom Miller threatened legal action, and the grocery chain caved. This session, the grocery lobby will be raining millions in contributions down upon the legislature to overturn the overwhelmingly successful 1978 bottle-deposit law that requires grocers to take back empty containers and refund the five cent deposit.
In addition to being a huge success, the redemption law is also overwhelmingly popular. A recent poll found that 90 percent of Iowans support it, and 76 percent even support expanding it to include other containers. The grocery stores make a bundle off the sale of liquor and soda, and provide the most convenient return location for most Iowans. If I were Tom Miller, I wouldn't stop there. Fareway dropped its protest, but for two months, they continued to charge the five cent deposit on sales without refunding it on the back end. I say he should still sue their ass. It would send a message to the other chains- and all corporations in Iowa- that the public expects them to be good citizens and responsible neighbors.
posted by CM @ 10:40 PM
1 Comments:
The state legislature opening a new session is such a sexy topic, how can I not comment on it?
What gets me about the bottle return issue is the way the grocery stores make it an issue of being clean and sanitary. They make it sound as though their main concern is that it's unsanitary to return all these cans and bottles and having them exposed to their food. I can see where this would be an issue for the smaller mom and pop stores (as though there still are any of those- I remember Chris, as kids, the way we would drag our own returns through the Newhall grocery store in garbage bags, right past the produce), but if you can't return your cans and bottles to Walmart, something is seriously wrong. They have a monopoly on everything else in the food and retail industry, why should they not have to deal with every aspect of the items they stock. If you sell the stuff and charge the deposit, you have to give it back. That part's a no-brainer.
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