Legalized fireworks in Iowa inch closer to reality

DES MOINES - Legalized fireworks in Iowa inched closer to reality Wednesday.

Members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee voted 9-6 to approve a measure that would add more than a dozen consumer fireworks to the list of legal products, which currently includes only sparklers and other small novelties. Six Republicans and three Democrats voted for Senate File 226, while six Democratic committee members opposed it.

'I think the bill is a significant safety mistake,” said Sen. Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, arguing the bill would increase safety risks, violate citizens' right to peace and enjoyment and cause problems for people dealing with traumatic stress events in their lives. 'This has real world impact on real people.”

However, Sen. Randy Feenstra, R-Hull, said Iowans living near the South Dakota border are buying fireworks and bringing them back to Iowa to set them off illegally.

'Since it's happening already, maybe we should put some parameters in place, which this bill does, to legalize it,” Feenstra said.

The bill, which now is eligible for debate by the full Iowa Senate, establishes a state licensing system with a fee structure for wholesale and retail sales of consumer fireworks and novelties in Iowa. The proposal directs the State Fire Marshal's Office to set up the fee and licensing structure, establish a local fire protection and emergency medical service providers grant program for fireworks safety education programming and to enforce all laws and rules relating to S.F. 226.

The bill allows consumer fireworks to be exploded daily between the hours of 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. with extended evening hours to 12:30 a.m. on Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and New Year's holiday periods. Violation of the new law would be a simple misdemeanor with a fine of at least $250 but no more than $625.

'I think it's been greatly exaggerated about the effects of this bill because it is not only happening in border communities,” said Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, who managed the bill in committee.

Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, the committee's chairman, said he opposes the measure that legalizes possession, sale, transfer, purchase and use of consumer-grade fireworks in Iowa but agreed to bring it before the panel for a vote because there was support within the majority-party caucus.

'I think we're going to see an increase in injuries,” Bolkcom told committee members. 'We're going to see an increase in fires. We're going to see an increase in, potentially, people losing their lives.”

Sen. Jake Chapman, R-Adel, a lead proponent of the effort to legalize fireworks, said he viewed Wednesday's action as a positive sign that there will be at least 26 votes on the Senate floor to pass the measure and he was optimistic a fireworks measure on the House debate calendar who receive a similar positive reception yet this session.