Latest news with #SenateStudyBill1051
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rozenboom has strong feelings on proposed pesticide tort reform bill
Feb. 18—Editor's note: This is the first in a series of articles covering the topics discussed at legislative gatherings hosted by the League of Women Voters of Jasper County. Iowa Sen. Ken Rozenboom admitted he has strong feelings about the proposed bill in the legislature that limits lawsuits against agricultural chemical companies. Well, to be exact, he said he had "really, really strong feelings" about this topic. He told guests at a legislative gathering — hosted by the League of Women Voters of Jasper County — the different viewpoints he is considering. As a lawmaker, he has issues with vague terminologies being used to stoke fear in the populace. As a farmer, he sees the benefits some pesticides can provide to crops. Opponents of Senate Study Bill 1051 argue against pesticides and claim they could be a factor for why Iowa has the second highest cancer rate in the United States. Rozenboom is taking these issues into consideration, too, and he told constituents he is sensitive to the disease, which has killed two of his brothers. However, Rozenboom pushed back against what some call the "Cancer Gag Act," saying it is not a bill that prohibits any Iowans from suing companies like Bayer. He also disputed the link to glyphosate — the active ingredient in the weed killer Roundup — causing cancers like non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. "They've been trying for decades to find a link because if they can find a link that will open up Bayer and other companies to bankruptcy-type lawsuits," he said. "That link does not exist. So on the other side of the equation we have a product that has done more to feed people around the world than any other product." Rozenboom argued glyphosate has enabled farmers from all across the world to produce more food and given them a tool to implement more conservation practices. There is so much benefit from that technology, he said, but people want to throw it all away so lawyers have a "new bucket of cash to dig into." The Republican lawmaker also disputed the decade-old classification from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organization, saying glyphosate is "probably carcinogenic to humans." Rozenboom said, to him, that means no real proof. "Let me give you some other things they found probable cause on: Working at night probably causes cancer. Aloe vera probably causes cancer. Washing dishes is a probable cause of cancer," Rozenboom said. " ...Glyphosate is in that same class. There are many more from this group, which I consider rogue." Rozenboom also considers the group to be non-scientific. He said the agency gets a lot of publicity from the press and has polluted the argument "while showing absolutely no proof." Rep. Jon Dunwell said the bill has not been presented to the House yet, but he does have some questions. "What does the bill actually do? There has been some disagreement as to what the bill does," Dunwell said. "There are those who say the bill totally shields these companies, specifically Bayer... The Bayer folks and the other people in agriculture have clearly communicated to me that is not what the bill does." Dunwell said the bill does not shield pesticide manufacturers from lawsuits that could one day find a link to cancer. He echoed Rozenboom's sentiments in that there are no reliable studies clearly linking glyphosate to cancer. Of note, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not consider glyphosate a carcinogen. "That's why it's not on the label at this point, required by the EPA," Dunwell said. "...I have been in support of protecting them (Bayer) from being sued from mislabeling when the reality is they're doing exactly what we as a government have asked them to do." Dunwell also argued that lawsuits contribute to a declination to the GDP, so it impacts the economy. Two years ago, Iowa signed into law medical malpractice tort reform. Prior to that law passing, Dunwell said officials from the local clinic told him they were one lawsuit away from going under. Still, Dunwell acknowledged the state's high cancer rates and how that is of great concern for the governor and Iowa lawmakers. Linda Wormley, of Newton, said constituents want to see action, but instead it feels like lawmakers are worried more about corporations. "No," Rozenboom said. "We're worried about Iowa farmers." Wormley replied, "I am an Iowa farmer." To Rozenboom, Illinois uses a fair amount of Roundup, too, but that state's cancer rate is well below Iowa. He argued if glyphosate was the problem then Illinois would be just as high. Dunwell said the bottom line is the governor has started the process of studying why the state's cancer rate is so high. Rozenboom said opponents of Bayer declared the company had a duty to warn users that their product may cause cancer. He decried the phrase "duty to warn" as vague and confusing legal standard. Rozenboom said the EPA is not a friend of farmers and has had 50 years to study this chemical. "To that point, there are 1,500 long-term, very exhaustive, with thousands and thousands and thousands of factory workers and farmers and users that have found no link," Rozenboom said. "So there's scientific evidence on this. It's just contrary to the ones that want to bankrupt the makers." The state senator said reports from media and the classification on glyphosate from IARC have only fueled the fire and scared a lot of people. "But that's my feelings on this," he said. "I've been dealing with this for years." Rozenboom wanted to emphasize that he is sensitive to cancer. One of his brothers is fighting prostate cancer right now. His oldest brother died of cancer in 1962, which was before Roundup was on the market. Another brother of his died last September. He farmed his whole life and used Roundup like any farmer. "There's no causation there," he said. "My wife is currently fighting lymphoma for the second time in 16 years. Cancer is really dominant in my family. So I'm sensitive to things that cause cancer. It's as sensitive to anybody in this room, I suspect. So please don't misinterpret my position on this as not caring. "Because I care."
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Demonstrators oppose Iowa bill to protect pesticide companies
Iowa's State House was the scene of demonstrations in opposition of a bill that would protect pesticide companies. Senate Study Bill 1051 would protect pesticide manufacturers from civil liability if their warning label is registered with the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and consistent with carcinogen classification from the federal agency. Opponents held a vigil in the State Capitol. Some point at Bayer's products for the increase in cancer cases across Iowa. Glyphosate is one of the primary chemicals used in the herbicide Roundup. The EPA currently classifies it as not likely to be carcinogenic. A senate subcommittee moved the bill forward last week to get a full vote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Do your job' Iowans urge lawmakers to protect them instead of corporations
Iowans told lawmakers to "do your job" at a rally organized by Food and Water Watch on Feb. 10, 2025 in the Iowa Capitol Rotunda. They were opposing a Senate bill relating to pesticide companies. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch). About 150 people gathered in the Rotunda of the Iowa Statehouse Monday and raised their voices in a collective plea, shouting to lawmakers on the floor above to oppose a bill that would protect pesticide companies from certain lawsuits. 'Your job is to represent us, our loved ones and future generations,' the crowd chanted, following Food and Water Watch organizer Michaelyn Mankel who led the chant, 'That means voting no on the cancer gag act.' 'Do your job,' the group chanted. The bill, Senate Study Bill 1051, advanced out of subcommittee last week following robust testimony on both sides. Opponents of the bill argue it would take away from Iowans' right to sue pesticide companies for causing certain illnesses, including cancers. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Iowa agricultural commodity groups, representatives from the pesticide company, Bayer, and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, as supporters of the bill, argue these pesticides are vital to farmer livelihood and they would lose access to affordable, locally produced pesticides if the bill does not pass. Under the bill, lawsuits against pesticide companies could still exist, though they would have to be different in nature—suing on grounds like product warranties or malfunctions. The opponents gathered on Monday argued the bill would strip them of their ability to seek recourse for the harms that pesticides have caused them and their families. 'It stops ordinary Iowans from getting justice in the court,' Jennifer Breon with Food and Water Watch said of the bill. According to Lawsuit Information Center, Bayer has settled over 100,000 cases related to cancer and RoundUp, totaling more than $11 billion. RoundUp is a widely used brand of pesticide with the chemical glyphosate. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency holds that glyphosate is safe when used as directed and is 'unlikely' to be a human carcinogen. A spokesperson for Bayer said the company 'stands behind the safety' of its glyphosate-based products 'which have been tested extensively.' 'These bills would help protect the integrity of the regulatory process and ensure that the EPA's thorough and scientifically based conclusion is adhered to,' the spokesperson said in a statement. 'They would simply help ensure that any pesticide registered with the EPA – and sold under a label consistent with the EPA's own determinations – is sufficient to satisfy requirements for health and safety warnings.' Opponents of the bill look to other studies, notably a decision from the International Agency for Research on Cancer that the chemical is 'probably carcinogenic.' Much of the rally on Monday centered on the impacts of cancer on attendees' lives. Nick Schutt, an Iowan from Alden and regular speaker at Food and Water Watch events, spoke to the group on his birthday, which he also shared with his late older sister, Tammy, whose photo sat prominently on a table at the center of the gathering. ' We need accountability here in Iowa,' Schutt said. Schutt has lost a number of his family members to cancer, including the recent passing of his sister, and said he is battling it himself. Many held up signs with 'stop the cancer gag act' or 'Bayer can't buy immunity.' Nicole Gomez of Des Moines came to the rally and said she was concerned by Iowa's climbing cancer rates and the levels of nitrates in the drinking water. Gomez, brought her children, ages 6 and 11, with her to the Capitol to join in the rally. 'Your job is to protect us, you're elected to care for your community and you're not doing your job when you push through bills like this,' Gomez said, asked what she wanted Iowa lawmakers to know. Gomez said she was also thinking of her aunt during the vigil, and like many other attendees, placed a flower in the vase on the table honoring Iowans who have suffered from cancer. A similar bill passed the Iowa Senate last year. Other states, including Missouri, have introduced similar bills this year. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iowa lawmakers try again to shield pesticide companies from lawsuits
Senators discuss Senate Study Bill 1051 that would protect pesticide companies from failure to warn lawsuits. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch) In a cramped Senate meeting room, Iowa senators voted 2-1 Wednesday to advance a bill that would defend pesticide companies from lawsuits based on failure to warn claims. The same bill was put forward last year and is again supported by Bayer, which manufactures the pesticide RoundUp, and is opposed by environmental groups and the Iowa Farmers Union. Bayer has faced a series of lawsuits where plaintiffs allege the product caused their cancer, though the company maintains its product and the chemical glyphosate is not carcinogenic. Sen. Mike Bousselot, chair of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee, said Senate Study Bill 1051 means 'you shouldn't be able to sue a company for having a label that is appropriately following all the rules for labeling.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The legal protection from the bill would only apply to pesticides that are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, which RoundUp is. Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, who voted against the bill, said the Legislature should not stand up for a company, but should stand up for Iowans. ' I just want to leave the door open to all the farmers in this state,' Bisignano said. 'Anybody who crosses these chemicals, those of us who live in an urban area and drink it … Just leave the door open so we can have justice if it's necessary.' Bisignano referenced a series of U.S. maps distributed to the subcommittee showing the rates of exposure to glyphosate by state and the rates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer which some studies have linked to exposure to the chemical. ' There is something there with this, and all I think that Iowans want is their opportunity,' Bisignano said. 'They want their opportunity to seek redress when they've been harmed.' Andrew Mertens, executive director for the Iowa Association for Justice, which registered against the bill, said the manufacturers have a 'responsibility' for product safety. ' What this bill does is it flips that responsibility on its head and it says that the minimum standard of safety, which is federal regulation, now becomes the ceiling,' Mertens said. A lobbyist for Bayer, Brad Epperly, said the bill would not give the company 'immunity' from lawsuits and that Iowans would still be able to sue on other grounds, such as negligence, warranties, or malfunctions. The bill, he said, would make it so 'the label is the law.' 'We ask, simply support a very simple bill, which is merely addressing the labeling requirements,' Epperly said. Proponents of the bill say it supports farmers by ensuring they have access to the chemicals and tools they need. This is the basis of a Bayer-sponsored campaign, under the Modern Ag Alliance coalition, which has billboards and ads urging Iowans to 'control weeds, not farmers' by supporting the bill. Lobbyists from agricultural groups, including Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, declared and spoke in favor of the bill. Dave Tierney spoke on behalf of the Iowa Soybean Association and said glyphosate is one of the 'critical' tools farmers use, and it should be protected. 'Our state is a leading producer of many agricultural products here in the United States, with approximately 30 million acres of farm ground,' Tierney said. 'To raise crops on our ground, farmers need tools.' Tommy Hexter with Iowa Farmers Union read a statement from union member Seth Watkins, a farmer who described the experiences he has had and seen with farming families who have developed cancers and been burdened by its financial implications. 'This is the real impact of farm chemicals on farm income,' Hexter read from the letter. 'So when I see this bill, I want to remind all of you that you can't be both pro life and pro Senate Study Bill 1051.' Richard Deming, the medical director at Mercy One Cancer Center in Des Moines, spoke on the relationship between pesticides and cancer rates. He said it took decades to gather conclusive evidence that cigarettes, which are known carcinogens today, were causing cancer. ' What we're dealing with in ag chemicals are hundreds of different chemicals causing dozens of different cancers, so it's not unusual that we haven't got this specific cause and effect,' Deming said. 'But we do have considerable association.' Sen. Tom Shipley and Bousselot signed off on the bill, with the latter offering a closing statement that the bill has some misunderstandings. ' What it does say is it says, if you follow federal law, and you label it the right way, then you can't sue for using the wrong label,' Bousselot said. The bill introduced in 2024 passed the Senate in Iowa but did not become law. Similar bills were introduced last year in other states where Bayer has ties, Idaho and Missouri, but did not pass. A similar bill has been introduced this session in Missouri. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
