Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Play

Banking woes send consumers looking for safer alternatives, some Indiana communities resist a dollar chain store "invasion," and a permit to build an oil pipeline tunnel under the Great Lakes is postponed.

Play

Republicans say it is premature to consider gun legislation after the Nashville shooting, federal officials are unsure it was a hate crime, and regulators say Silicon Valley Bank was aware of its financial risks.

Play

Finding childcare is a struggle everywhere, prompting North Carolina's Transylvania County to try a new approach. Maine is slowly building-out broadband access, but disagreements remain over whether local versus national companies should get the contracts, and specialty apps like "Farmers Dating" help those in small communities connect online.

Opponents of Factory Farms to Rally at Iowa Capitol

Play

Wednesday, February 20, 2019   

DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowans who want to see a moratorium on factory farms in the state rally at the State Capitol tomorrow, even though they aren't convinced the bill they're backing will pass this year.

Iowa is home to 10,000 factory farms, estimated to produce 22 million gallons of animal waste each year. Some 70 organizations will call on legislators to back House File 203, to stop factory-farm expansion until stricter regulations are adopted.

Emma Schmit, an organizer for the group Food and Water Watch, believes the pollution generated by industrial animal operations is diminishing the state's quality of life.

"We have over 750 polluted waterways in Iowa,” says Schmit. “And a lot of that is because of the nitrates that come from hog manure that's being spread in our fields, and then slipping into our waterways."

Opponents of new regulations on factory farms say large animal-confinement operations allow individual farms to better participate in the global economy. The Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers argues they already navigate a "maze of state and federal regulations" before building a new hog confinement.

Nonetheless, a recent University of Iowa study found that nitrogen pollution flowing out of Iowa to the Gulf of Mexico has grown by nearly 50 percent in the past two decades.

Schmit says most Iowa lawmakers haven't shown much interest in changing the state's permitting system for factory farms, meaning moratorium advocates know what they're up against.

"We don't anticipate the bill passing, but this is more of a sending a message for a bill, it's about representatives listening to the people and realizing this is something that needs to be done,” says Schmit.

Four hundred new confinement facilities were built in Iowa last year. Schmit says House File 203 has 13 co-sponsors, double the number a similar bill had last session, and at least 20 representatives committed to supporting it.


get more stories like this via email

California is home to banks of all sizes, including 36 Minority Depository Institutions and 111 Community Development Financial Institutions. (Syda Productions/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

The recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank has put a spotlight on the safety and stability of the U.S. financial system. Now…


Environment

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced an 18-month delay in permitting a controversial oil-tunnel construction project under the Great Lakes…

Social Issues

Advocacy groups said they are concerned about the lack of accountability surrounding Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's $388 million proposal to staff schools …


There are more than 7,004 certified nurse midwives currently employed in the United States, according to Zippia. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

The Iowa House has passed a measure to establish a licensing board for midwives. Iowa is one of 15 states currently without such a program, often …

Social Issues

By Jazmin Murphy for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Brett Peveto for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-…

Black Americans are the most likely to suffer from insufficient sleep. (ChadBridwell/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

March is Sleep Awareness Month and health experts say Americans are not getting enough of it. United Health Foundation data found more than 32% of …

Environment

Environmental groups are seeking greater input as California puts the finishing touches on its application to become a hub for hydrogen fuel productio…

Social Issues

This month marks 160 years since the first Medal of Honor was awarded by President Abraham Lincoln. More than a dozen of the 65 recipients alive …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021