Capitol Comments by Rep. Curt Hanson

State Rep. Curt Hanson, represents Iowa House District 82, which includes most of Jefferson County and Davis and Van Buren counties, in the state Legislature.

Propane Update: Many who contracted for their propane are running out of the number of gallons they contracted for. Should another cold snap hit, a refill may be very costly. Propane is being exported and is priced on the world market, so the volatility of propane prices may become much like what we experience with the ups and downs of gas prices at the pump. I learned this information when visiting with directors of Access Energy and Southern Iowa Electric RECs, at the Capitol.

John Whitaker spoke to many rural members of the House and Senate regarding the recently passed farm bill. This bill allows four years of certain planning for not only our agriculture community but many rural agencies as well.

The bill also includes money for agricultural research at Iowa State University and loans for rural economic development. We are now moving to the second generation of biofuels that includes the use of corn stalks and other bio-mass. Varieties of grasses are now being developed which may benefit our cattle farmers and the manufacture of bio-fuels.

Any new crop that has the potential of improving our rural economy, improving our soil and water quality and reducing our dependence on foreign oil imports, warrants more research and consideration. At this time, these plantings are not commercially practical because the cost of planting is estimated to be $1,300 per acre and a saleable crop is not produced for three years.

I was pleased to see members of the Van Buren Extension Board at the Capitol on Wednesday. County Extension Offices are an important part of life in Iowa and a vital part of our 4-H programs. I still have fond memories of my days in 4-H and showing livestock at the county fair.

Also visiting the Capitol on Wednesday, were a group of students from the Van Buren school system. They were a part of a large group of students visiting the Capitol advocating for SAFE Coalitions in Iowa. Van Buren?s Youth Leadership Council has an exceptional program and Lydia Heald gave an outstanding speech about alcohol abuse among minors.

I received some disturbing news about the Chronic Wasting Disease that has contaminated the property near Drakesville.

In a court ruling this past week the quarantine order was overturned. The court ruling is now being appealed and the quarantine that keeps the gates of this property closed should remain in effect as this case moves forward. CWD is a fatal disease of the deer family that is currently found only among captive deer held in some private pens and hunting preserves in Iowa. If the disease spreads beyond the confines of these quarantined pens and preserves, it could devastate the public deer herd, causing an untold negative economic impact.

We sent a bill to the Senate on a 97-0 vote that initially started with Dave Buford of Bonaparte. The bill regulates the movement of equipment primarily used for construction of conservation structures on agricultural properties.

Congratulations Dave, the House passage is a major step and shows that local people, with important issues are heard in Des Moines.

Drones ? a useful tool or intruding menace? The challenge is finding the balance of protecting privacy, allowing for private use and catching the kidnapper.

This week, the House sent a bill to the Senate restricting the use of drones. This bill does not limit the sale of drones to private parties. The concern seems to center around the use of cameras aboard the drone. These regulations would not limit photos that may be taken from manned aircraft.

Iowa seniors deserve to live out their lives with dignity and respect. This is why we are working on legislation to prevent elder abuse. The legislation is based on recommendations from experts that ensure Iowa seniors have the protections they deserve.

Unfortunately, Iowa is one of the few states that does not have specific elder abuse laws. We have dependent adult abuse laws to protect seniors under the care of others. However, that leaves out every senior who is not dependent on others for care. We are working to create a new law that will combat elder abuse for all of our seniors. New criminal penalties are established for financial exploitation to deter others from taking advantage of vulnerable seniors.

The head of the Iowa prison system asked lawmakers to develop better options for severely mentally ill prisoners who are released from prison, with no place to go and sometimes end up at homeless shelters.

In another prison related issue, the Senate approved a bill that requires the Department of Corrections to establish new guidelines for restraining pregnant inmates.

At 9 a.m. March 8, I will hold a ?Coffee with Curt? public meeting at the Village Cup and Cakes Restaurant in Keosauqua. I will hold a similar meeting at noon at Rancho Centinela in Bloomfield.

If you are unable to attend either of these meetings and would like to talk or meet with me, please give me a call.

Hanson serves on the House Agriculture and Education, Natural Resources committees, as well as the Education Appropriations Subcommittee.

Contact Hanson anytime by email at curt.hanson@legis.iowa.gov or by phone at 641-919-2314