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Stop Senate Study Bill 3103 - Sample Letter to Legislators

Here is a sample letter that you can cut and paste to email to your legislator, editing as you wish. You can find your senator here. (For Jefferson County residents, Senator Adrian Dickey can be reached at adrian.dickey@legis.iowa.gov or call 641-919-3406.)
 
We also encourage you to send your email to members of the Natural Resources and Environment Committee who are next in line to consider Senate Study Bill 3103. Their addresses follow the sample letter. This bill must be stopped! 
 
Note: If you have been reluctant to call in complaints to the DNR, we encourage you to share your story with legislators. Thank you for taking action. Read more about Senate Study Bill 3103 here.

 

SUBJECT LINE: Say NO to SSB 3103

 

Dear Senator [NAME],

 

Senate Study Bill 3103, introduced by Senator Tom Shipley, would require anyone reporting a possible violation to the Iowa DNR to provide their name, eliminating the option to file a complaint anonymously. If the DNR investigates, the bill would require the agency to provide the complainant’s name to the potential violator.

 

Many Iowans are already reluctant to report valid complaints to the DNR for fear of retribution. Often, this is not an unfounded fear.

 

Since the DNR doesn’t have sufficient resources to proactively enforce regulations, it’s frequently up to community members to report problems they notice. This can lead the DNR to correct situations they wouldn’t otherwise know about that threaten our water quality.

 

The DNR reports that of its 1300-1500 annual complaints, about half are filed anonymously. They conclude the vast majority of those complaints are valid and result in corrective actions or fines.

 

Sen. Shipley introduced the bill to eliminate frivolous complaints, but it’s clear from the DNR that frivolous complaints are few. What this bill will do, though, is eliminate investigations of real threats to our environment.

 

With fines for violations already insufficient, CAFO owners would have even less incentive to properly follow regulations. Senate Study Bill 3103 benefits no one but an offending violator.

 

The bill has passed out of subcommittee and will be next be considered by the Natural Resources and Environment Committee.  I urge you to oppose Senate Study Bill 3103 to ensure regulations for the livestock industry are properly followed and our already poor water quality is not further jeopardized.

 

Sincerely yours,

YOUR NAME

YOUR ADDRESS

 

Send to your senator (Senator Adrian Dickey in Jefferson County at adrian.dickey@legis.iowa.gov) or find your legislator here.
 
Please consider sending a group email to the following members of the Natural Resources and Environment committee as well:

 

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