(Des Moines) U.S. Representative Zach Nunn, a Republican from Iowa, alongside Democrat U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes from Ohio, unveiled bipartisan legislation known as the Safe Drinking Water for Disadvantaged Communities Act. This act addresses the issue of lead-contaminated drinking water pipes and proposes increased funding to replace lead pipes nationwide. The legislation seeks to build upon existing programs to improve water quality in underserved communities by providing 100 percent forgivable loans, or grants, for lead pipeline replacements. Managed by the Environmental Protection Agency, these funds would be deposited into the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, benefiting communities like Des Moines, where an estimated 20,000 homes currently have lead pipes servicing homes in these communities.
Meanwhile, As the second procedural deadline of the Iowa Legislature’s 2024 session passed, many significant bills were left behind. Longtime state legislator Senator Pam Jochum described it as one of the strangest funnel weeks she’s experienced, with several essential bills failing to gain enough support. Among the stalled bills were ones regarding fertility treatments, immigration law enforcement, and access to birth control without a prescription. While these bills are technically “dead,” Republican leaders have options to revive some of these bills later. However, disagreements between House and Senate Republicans over some of these bills, including those related to public education, highlight divisions within the republican party.
