Letter to the Editor:

Representative Dean Fisher, Iowa House District 72, is holding up House debate on a bipartisan bill. A bill ending the further construction of factory animal confinements until the state government fixes the current pollutant mess. Legislative support is from scores of House co-sponsors, 26 county board of supervisors, 6,000 Iowans signing a petition, and hundreds of phone calls by constituents.

Fisher leads the Environmental Protection Committee and blocks debate of the bill.

Inaction on this bill is crippling Iowa with pollutants. What problems result? People are suffering from resulting asthma, lake beaches are posted closed, lower property values, and dirty creek/river water and drinking water. The problems are getting worse, all of this because Fisher won’t even let a House sub-committee debate or vote on the bill addressing these problems.

Fisher is abusing his power and undermining our democratic process. Fisher is blocking representatives from representing their electorate when he won’t let Representatives debate and vote on this bill. Fisher should assign the bill to a sub-committee and let debate happen. If the bill fails, at least it will be the will of the people not the will of Dean Fisher.

John Clayton

Poweshiek County Soil and Water Commissioner

Grinnell