Many Iowa agricultural interest groups surrounded and applauded Governor Reynolds Wednesday morning as she signed her first piece of legislation.
Governor Kim Reynolds (R-IA) Wednesday signed Senate File 512. Reynolds says she is proud to have signed a water quality bill as her first piece of legislation.
?We now have a long-term, dedicated and growing source of funding,? Reynolds said. ?With the science-backed (Iowa) Nutrient Reduction Strategy as our roadmap…we?re going to continue to charge forward with our water quality efforts. Together we have the opportunity to modernize Iowa?s agricultural infrastructure, create jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities, and promote collaboration between urban and rural communities.?
Senate File 512 will provide over $280 million of dedicated, long-term funding to Iowa. Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says this capital source will help IDALS leverage funding, attract partner investments and measure progress.
?As we scale up, we are building the knowledge base and funding needed to move from those smaller scale demonstration projects to larger watershed implementation efforts,? Naig said. ?This additional funding will allow us to reach out and add new partners, strengthen existing partnerships, and gather and deploy the right resources at the right time, in the right place.?
Governor Reynolds says ?addressing water quality is a complicated issue? and ?will continue to evolve with technology and innovation.? Reynolds notes ?Senate File 512 is a monumental step forward? in addressing water quality across the state. However, she says the water quality discussion is not over.
?As innovation and technology continue to change, there will be opportunities for us to build on the great success we continue to see,? Reynolds said. ?They (legislators) have already started the draft of the bill. They?re reaching out to members and stakeholders and are saying, ?If you have an idea, bring it to us and we?ll take a look at it.? It?s about talking about what we can do, what?s feasible, what?s practical and then take the next step forward.?
