Latest news with #DerekWulf
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House votes to broaden ban on drones flying over ag operations
Iowa lawmakers are considering a bill to further restrict the use of drones over farmland. (Photo by Ann Froschauer/USFWS) A bill that would further prohibit the ability of a remote-piloted aircraft, or drone, to fly over farmland needs final approval from the Senate before it can be sent to the governor. Senate File 491 was amended on the House floor Tuesday to remove language classifying a 'farmstead' as '40 or more contiguous acres.' The bill builds on a 2024-enacted law that prohibited drones from flying over animal feeding operations and homesteads and created misdemeanor fines up to $2,560 if the drone that flew over these areas was equipped with recording devices. The proposed legislation, which advanced from the Senate March 17, would prohibit the use of a drone, without the landowner's permission, within 400 feet of farm animals, equipment and structures, including animal feeding operations, farmer residences, barns and manure storage. Rep. Derek Wulf, R-Hudson, said the bill 'broadens the scope' of the existing law and 'strengthens' security. 'It protects our livestock and agriculture producers more strongly than the law we passed last year,' Wulf said. Proponents of the bill said livestock are afraid of the remote aircraft and that it invades a farmer's privacy. Opponents of the bill argue it, and the existing law, would be preempted by federal laws that regulate airspace. A fact sheet on the local regulation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems from the Federal Aviation Administration, explains that some privacy-related restrictions on drones, if it interferes with the administration's ability to 'safely and effectively integrate UAS into the national airspace' would be preempted. According to the document, at least 44 states have enacted laws pertaining to unmanned aircraft systems since 2013 and the FAA holds that states are 'generally free to regulate' as long as the laws do not interfere with federal regulations or 'relate to the prices, routes, or services of commercial air carriers.' No lawmakers spoke in opposition to the amended bill on the House floor and the measure advanced 89-7.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iowa House advances bill to change school nutrition standards
DES MOINES, Iowa (Iowa Capital Dispatch) — A bill passed the Iowa House Wednesday that would require schools to forgo federal nutrition standards to instead prioritize Iowa-specific guidelines, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports. House Democrats, who opposed the bill, said in floor debate it makes Iowa students 'guinea pigs' for unproven nutrition practices, while failing to address the number of students in the state who can't afford lunch. Iowa House advances governor's policy restricting cell phones in schools House File 851 would have the Iowa Department of Education apply for a waiver from federal nutrition guidelines to exempt Iowa school districts from grain and produce variation requirements and sodium limits in favor of nutritional standards that 'align with Iowa's dietary recommendations or cultural food practices.' Supporters of the bill said federal nutrition guidelines are 'out of date.' Rep. Derek Wulf, R-Hudson, critiqued the past administration's nutrition decisions and implementation of initiatives like 'meatless Mondays.' 'We're not making the kids of Iowa guinea pigs; D.C. has been making the kids of Iowa guinea pigs,' Wulf said. 'Nobody knows nutrition and food better than us here. We're the bread basket of America.' Wulf said the bill puts 'common sense nutrition knowledge' in place. 'Our kids are obviously not getting healthier in the past few years, so it's time to do something drastically different,' he said. Rep. Elinor Levin, D-Iowa City, said the bill tries to 'redefine' local food by prioritizing 'multinational corporations.' Iowa House Black Caucus responds to DEI legislation passed by House Republicans 'This bill is not about supporting Iowa's small and independent farmers,' Levin said. 'Instead, it serves the interests of powerful industry players, which are using this legislation to increase sales under the guise of promoting local agriculture, while actually perverting that definition.' The bill notes specifically that Iowa students would be 'better served' by regional nutrition guidelines, because federal guidelines do not 'adequately address' Iowa's 'unique regional food sources' like corn, pork and dairy. The bill would also prioritize animal-based proteins and dairy ahead of fruits and vegetables, which Rep. Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines, said is 'flipping this evidence-based food pyramid on its head.' 'I'm very proud Iowan, but I believe that we should benefit from the science, the medical expertise, that has been gained over the decades of national and international studies as to what is the healthiest diet for kids, and not just give that all up for the sake of helping out part of the food industry,' Baeth, a physician, said. Rep. Sami Scheetz, D-Cedar Rapids, said he worried the waiver would jeopardize federal funding for schools. Scheetz cited part of federal code that states the U.S. secretary of agriculture cannot grant a waiver if it relates to 'the nutritional content of meals served.' Rep. Jeff Shipley, R-Fairfield, said the bill would benefit school nutrition staff who he said are 'very frustrated' at having to 'conform every single thing on their school menu to the whims of the bureaucracy.' Shipley said the bill allows Iowans to step out from the 'federal bureaucrats' that hold tax money 'hostage.' 'The USDA is a big problem when it comes to school nutrition,' Shipley said. 'And yeah, we appreciate their money, but the rules just don't make sense, and they're out of date and they're obsolete … The people of Iowa deserve to set our own nutritional guidelines.' Scheetz said it was 'fundamentally wrong' to risk losing that funding for school lunches when many students cannot afford to eat lunch. Recall: Green beans sold at Target may be contaminated 'If we want to have the discussion about school lunches in our state, let's start by feeding our kids first,' Scheetz said. Scheetz introduced two amendments to the bill, which were defeated. One amendment would have conditioned the bill's implementation until Iowa had universal free lunch for its students. 'I think it's critically important that we first ensure that every kid in this state will be eating a lunch before we start messing with what's inside of it,' Scheetz said. The other amendment called for a $3 million appropriation to fund a purchasing program for schools and food banks to buy from Iowa producers via the Choose Iowa program. Choose Iowa, headed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, has a pilot program with this purpose underway, but the amendment would have significantly grown the local food purchasing program. Scheetz said it was especially important following an announcement in March that canceled the federal Local Food for Schools program, from which Iowa schools and food banks would have received an estimated $11.3 million over the next three years. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Wulf proposed an amendment to delay implementation of the nutrition guidelines until July 2026, which was adopted. The bill passed with the one amendment on a vote of 60-36. The Senate version of the bill has not yet been debated. Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@ Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter. This story was republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House bill would bar Iowa's 4 largest counties from receiving economic development funds
Iowa would be barred from awarding economic development grants to the state's four largest counties for three years under a bill advancing in the House. The legislation would ban Iowa Economic Development Authority funding, including tax credits and direct funding, from going to Polk, Linn, Scott or Johnson counties from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028. Rep. Derek Wulf, R-Hudson, who is a farmer, said "something has to happen" to revitalize rural Iowa. "I think it's important to realize that everything we've been talking about and everything we've been doing in this building to revitalize rural Iowa has not worked," he said. "It has not worked, folks. And what we need to do is have transformational change." A three-member House subcommittee voted 2-1 on Wednesday to advance the bill, House Study Bill 310, to the full House Ways and Means Committee for consideration. Wulf and Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, were in favor, and Rep. Elizabeth Wilson, D-Marion, was opposed. More: Iowa GOP unveils sprawling property tax 'reboot' with $426M cut, $25K homestead exemptions A range of business groups and local governments oppose the bill, including the Iowa Chamber Alliance, Iowa Travel Industry Partners, Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce, Professional Developers of Iowa and the Linn County Board of Supervisors and cities of Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. There are no groups registered in favor of the bill. Dustin Miller, executive director of the Iowa Chamber Alliance, told lawmakers at Wednesday's subcommittee that chambers of commerce are taking a regional approach to attracting economic development projects, which he said benefits rural areas. "I think it's important to understand that a lot of times those counties can be the drivers that ultimately benefits the surrounding counties," he said. He pointed to last year's announcement that Daisy Brand will locate a $700 million sour cream and cottage cheese plant in Boone that is projected to create 255 jobs. Miller cited data showing that the state's four largest counties contribute 42% of Iowa's GDP — $85 billion of $200 billion total. The four counties also make up $1.5 billion of Iowa's $4.3 billion of personal income tax and $1.2 billion of the state's total $2.8 billion in sales tax revenue, he said. Doug Struyk, a lobbyist for the city of Des Moines, which opposes the bill, called it "short-sighted" and not in the state's best economic interests. "We believe removing the largest four counties from the ability to receive these incentive funds removes the ability for many projects to even consider Iowa," he said. According to data provided by House Republicans, the four most populous counties received about $41 million from the Iowa Economic Development Authority in both direct funding and tax credits in fiscal year 2024, amounting to just under 22% of the total funds awarded that year. Polk County: $17.3 million; 9.1% Linn County: $17.9 million; 9.4% Scott County: $792,000; 0.4% Johnson County: $5.3 million; 2.8% Boone County, where the Daisy facility will be located, was the county that received the most IEDA funding in fiscal year 2024 — $20.9 million, or 11% that year's total. Wills said he believes the state's four most populous counties already have growth and economic development, which he said won't stop if the state takes away incentives. "They have everything that they need to continue to grow," he said. "What needs to happen for our rural areas to grow and advance is for economic incentives to be concentrated in those areas." Wilson said she was "baffled" by the intent of the bill and would not sign off on advancing it. Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, said he expects the bill to come up for a committee vote. "Rural Iowa, through farming and agriculture and manufacturing, provides a robust amount of tax dollars," he said. "Rural Iowa doesn't always feel like our small towns and our rural counties get their fair share. … This bill was our initial exploration on that." Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@ or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on X at @sgrubermiller. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Bill halts economic development grants to Iowa's four largest counties
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed bill would shut Scott County out of economic development money for 3 years
The four most populous counties in Iowa – including Scot County – would not be able to access state economic development programs and their funds for three years under a bill advanced Wednesday and Iowa House subcommittee, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch. House Study Bill 310 would impose a three-year moratorium, from July 1-2025 – June 30, 2028, on all programs administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and funding available through these programs for four Iowa counties with the highest population: Johnson County, with a population of 157,00 Linn County, with a population of nearly 229,000 Polk County, population of more than 505,000 and Scott County, with population of 174,000. The population data is from the U. S. Census date from 2023. Read the bill in its entirety here. The measure is necessary because Iowa Legislature efforts to revitalize rural Iowa have not worked, said Rep. Derek Wulf, R-Hudson. At the subcommittee meeting, advocates for business groups and local governments were largely against the measure, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch. Dustin Miller, with the Iowa Chamber Alliance, said he understood the intent of the bill was to aid rural communities but the measure would harm areas of the state that are 'drivers' in the state's economy that will benefit surrounding counties. The four counties have a gross domestic product of $85 billion, representing 42% of the state's total real CDP of $200 billion. Those counties make up a large proportion of the state's collected taxes – 36% of the general fund revenue raised of personal income tax in 2022 and 43% of the sales tax. The bill next goes to the House Ways and Means Committee for consideration. Read the Iowa Capital Dispatch story here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill shuts Iowa's largest counties out of economic development funds for 3 years
Reps. John Wills, left, Derek Wulf and Elizabeth Wilson considered legislation March 19, 2025 that would impose a three-year moratorium on Iowa Economic Development Authority programs and funding for Iowa's four most populous counties. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Iowa's four most populous counties would not be able to access state economic development programs and their funds for three years under a bill advanced Wednesday by an Iowa House subcommittee. The legislation, House Study Bill 310, would impose a three-year moratorium, from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028, on all programs administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and funding available through these programs for the four counties in the state with the highest population. The four counties impacted would be Polk County with a population of more than 505,000, Linn County with a population of nearly 229,000, Scott County with 174,000 and Johnson County at 157,000, according to U.S. Census data from 2023. The IEDA oversees a number of programs throughout the state focused on economic and community development. Some programs work with businesses directly, while others work with local governments on community projects including infrastructure and disaster recovery efforts. Rep. Derek Wulf, R-Hudson, said the measure was necessary because efforts by the Iowa Legislature to revitalize rural Iowa have not worked. 'It has not worked, folks, and what we need to do is have transformational change,' Wulf said. 'Is this the perfect answer? I don't know. We'll continue to have that discussion, but something has to happen.' At the subcommittee meeting, advocates for business groups and local governments were largely against the measure. Dustin Miller with the Iowa Chamber Alliance said he understood the intent of the bill was to aid rural communities, but the measure would harm areas of the state that are often 'drivers' in the state's economy that will benefit surrounding counties. He said the four counties targeted by this legislation have a gross domestic product of $85 billion, representing 42% of the state's total real GDP of $200 billion. Those counties also make up large proportions of the state's collected taxes — 36% of the general fund revenue raised for personal income tax in 2022 and 43% of the sales tax. Miller also pointed to IEDA data showing a majority of awards were given to communities with populations between 5,000 and 30,000 — a total of 156 awards. 'Happy to talk about what is the best way to try and incentivize differing development, but at the same time, just want to be cognizant of the fact of, 'don't kill the golden goose,'' Miller said. IEDA data shared by Wulf showed that in fiscal year 2024, 21.7% of award funding went to Polk, Linn, Johnson and Scott counties. Polk received an award total of $17,323,827; Linn, $17,937,281; Scott, $792,193, and Johnson $5,312,133. Linn and Polk counties were among the top 10 counties receiving IEDA assistance in FY2024, with only Boone County at $20,930,981 above them. Wulf told reporters after the meeting that this funding could be better utilized in smaller communities. He said IEDA funding of up to $10 million going toward projects in Des Moines often only represents a portion of the total funding needed to complete the project. 'I'll tell you what, you send $5 million to Iowa rural communities, and it can mean the matter of whether the town survives or not,' he said. Doug Struyk, representing the City of Des Moines, said this moratorium could take Iowa out of the running for many projects and businesses to consider coming to Iowa. In cases of new construction or large businesses, he said, many projects in cities like Des Moines are pulling workers from the surrounding areas. 'We have one benefit, which is we have a population of workers — a lot of projects need bodies to be able to fill the slots,' Struyk said. 'We believe, removing the largest four counties from the ability to receive these incentive funds removes the ability for many projects to even consider Iowa. When they're considering Iowa — they're not just considering Des Moines, they'd be considering many other areas in the state. So we believe … the intent is short-sighted and not in the best economic interest for the state.' Rep. Elizabeth Wilson, D-Marion, said she supported advocates' points that economic development investments should be considered using a regional lens instead of being based on county populations. 'I think this idea of regionalism is actually … I think it's a really good idea, and I think it has a lot of merit,' Wilson said. 'And for that reason, the way that it stands, I would have to be a no.' Wulf said figures on the economic impact of these four counties 'make the exact case for this bill,' saying that more attention and investment needs to go to rural areas. 'More importantly, as we went around the room, you know who's missing from this room?' Wulf said. 'Our rural representatives, our people with dirty pants, boots on the ground that aren't here, stating their case for why the money needs to be going to those areas for revitalization and growing their particular main street businesses. … So for them today, I will be their voice, and we'll be moving this legislation forward.' The legislation next goes to the House Ways and Means Committee for consideration.
