Articles Tagged: Pesticide

This week on the podcast: Cedar Rapids casino update, the pesticide tort reform bill is back and Iowa House Republicans’ higher education committee is in full swing

Under a bill being considered in the Iowa Senate, Bayer -- the maker of glyphosate-based Roundup -- would be shielded from lawsuits claiming the company failed to warn consumers of health risks if the product label complies with federal labeling requirements.

A bill prohibiting lawsuits over warning labels on products with federal labeling approval passed the Iowa Senate but was not considered in the Iowa House this year

The bill’s supporters say it is needed to close a legal loophole and help pesticide manufacturers manage the costs of weed killers, while critics say Iowans who get sick from pesticides should have legal recourse, including over labeling.

In a state where college sports arenas blaze with fertilizer logos, the phrase “corn grows Iowa” is common on TV and radio and nearly 15 percent of lawmakers are farmers, there’s reluctance to pinpoint agriculture as a possible reason for Iowa’s rising cancer rate without conclusive evidence.

Iowa Senate lawmakers advanced, for the second time, a bill that would protect chemical manufacturers from lawsuits over failure to warn consumers about potential adverse health effects. The bill is supported by Bayer, the manufacturer of Roundup.

Recap of news from across the state

Also, lawmakers advance a bill that would require district-level elections of supervisors in large counties