BILL ON PIPELINES, LANDOWNER RIGHTS HEADED TO GOVERNOR
The Iowa Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would make it more difficult for companies to seize property for carbon pipelines and other energy-related infrastructure. Senator Jeff Taylor of Sioux Center is among 12 Republicans who boycotted votes on the state budget in order to force a vote on the bill, which also requires more insurance for carbon pipelines.
Some of the Republicans who voted against the bill said they support private property rights, but they accused Republicans who voted for it of being stubborn, naive and inexperienced.
Republican Senator Tim Kraayenbrink of Fort Dodge says the G-O-P group that pushed for the bill refused to compromise and ignored the rights of landowners who want the pipeline.
Senator Tony Bisignano of Des Moines defended the dozen Republicans AND fellow Democrats who struck a bipartisan deal to get the bill passed.
Republican Senator Mike Klemish of Spillville predicts that if the bill becomes law, the State of Iowa will be sued by Summit and landowners who signed contracts to allow the pipeline on their properties.
Senator Dan Zumbach, a Republican from Ryan, says the bill will kill the Summit pipeline project.
The bill now goes to the governor, who has the power to sign or veto it.
HOUSE SENDS PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGER REFORM BILL TO GOVERNOR
The Iowa House has sent the governor a bill that supporters say offers rural pharmacies financial relief by reigning in pharmacy benefit managers. P-B-Ms negotiate drug prices.
The bill requires that small pharmacies be paid a dispensing fee and sets up restrictions on P-B-M strategies that steer patients to fill prescriptions at certain pharmacies. A group of pharmacists were in the House balcony, watching as the bill passed on a 75 to 15 vote. Michael Schweitzer, a pharmacist in Bedford, says the bill will be a lifeline for Bedford Drug, the business his dad launched 60 years ago.
As Schweitzer’s voice broke, other pharmacists standing nearby wiped away their own tears. During House debate, Republican Representative Brett Barker, a pharmacist from Nevada, said over 200 Iowa pharmacies have closed in the last decade.
Representative Helena Hayes, a Republican from New Sharon, says Iowans have waited too long for these reforms.
The bill prohibits P-B-Ms from forcing patients to use mail-order pharmacies.
Orange City Tulip Fest Begins Thursday
Orange City’s annual Tulip Festival begins Thursday, May 15, and will run through Saturday, May 17th. Every year, the Tulip Festival stages a musical for its opening act. This year’s offering is a musical adaptation of the film The Wizard of Oz. Jennie Droog is the promotion chair of this year’s tulip festival. Droog says the musical offers visitors to festival an extra activity, and this year, the show is very popular.
[CLIP] .” .. . Selling out.”
Droog says the Tulip Festival’s first parade each day gives visitors an opportunity to see the Tulip queen and her court in full costume, beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Droog adds that after the costume presentation, dancers of all ages perform and then the parade will begin. You can hear more about the Tulip Festival all this week on the KLEM Newscasts.
