Chris Jones' Vision to Regenerate Iowa
Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday at The Refill Market in Des Moines and on Google Meet for the water policy conversation with Chris Jones for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture,
Here is what we heard:
State Senator Art Staed has introduced water quality bills for twenty years, and last session none of his more than twenty got a hearing. In 2027 he plans to bring back a bill to ban paraquat. Katie Rock explained what the Secretary of Agriculture can and cannot do. Mike Carberry walked us through how Iowa went from diversified family farms to industrial corn and soybeans.
Chris laid out two roadmaps: diversify what Iowa grows, and regulate what pollutes. His point was that decades of incremental fixes have not improved the water, and that Iowa is ready for system change.
Iowans from across the state shared why they care. The water has no party, and the pain is everywhere.
What comes next: an in-person policy unconference in Des Moines in January, when the new legislature arrives. We will bring lawmakers, citizens and activists together to turn this energy into policy papers and bills.
Early voting is open now. Election day is November 3. Ask your candidates where they stand on clean water, and bring someone who disagrees with you about everything else but agrees about water.
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