Health groups back Iowa sales tax for natural resources

BY ERIN MURPHY

Lee Des Moines Bureau

DES MOINES ? A coalition of organizations supporting a state sales tax increase for water quality and natural resources programs has added health advocates to its growing list of supporters.

The coalition, Iowa?s Water and Land Legacy, announced its new supporters Thursday at a news conference at a downtown Des Moines YMCA.

The new groups supporting the sales tax increase include the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the Iowa Public Health Association.

?We are proud to join the (Iowa?s Water and Land Legacy) coalition, standing up for Iowa?s water quality and giving all Iowans the opportunity to get out and get moving,? said Seth Johnson, campaign coordinator for the American Heart Association. ?(The coalition?s) plan to provide new outdoor recreation opportunities will increase physical activity and reduce Iowans? risk for a number of health conditions, including our No. 1 killer, heart disease and stroke.?

The coalition supports funding the state?s Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation fund, which was established by voters in 2010 but has not been funded by state lawmakers.

The fund would be filled by an increase to the state sales tax of three-eighths of 1 cent. Revenue from the sales tax would go to many natural resource and recreation projects.

Health groups new to the coalition said funding outdoor and recreation projects would lead to healthier Iowans.

?Our organization has seen first-hand the health benefits of vibrant outdoor recreation and the importance of a safe, healthy environment for the body?s overall well-being,? said Dr. Richard Deming, founder of new coalition member Above + Beyond Cancer.

Iowa has been instructed by the federal government to remove from its waterways harmful pollutants that are flowing into the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico, killing marine life there.

The state has developed a nutrient reduction strategy, but it calls for funding of $4 billion.

?The sales tax is a stable, protected way to fund the trust, address water quality and improve the health and well-being of Iowans,? said Craig Hanken, with the Iowa State Alliance of YMCAs, another new coalition member.