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Branstad touts water quality proposal in address

In his annual Condition of the State address Tuesday, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad talked about his proposal to use a portion of a school building sales tax fund to help pay for water quality initiatives.

Branstad says his plan would generate about 4.7 billion dollars for water quality projects over the next 32 years.

“Over the years, positive steps have been taken to improve our state’s water quality, including our innovative nutrient reduction strategy,” Branstad says. “However, it’s clear we need a stable, long-term source of funding to more significantly improve water quality from both point and non-point sources of pollution.”

Branstad says the state’s water quality issues must be addressed.

“Unfortunately, the issue of protecting our state’s water quality risks tearing apart the fabric of Iowa, pitting Des Moines against rural Iowa. Simply put, we must significantly accelerate our water quality efforts in order to avoid eroding our path to prosperity.”

Branstad says his proposal can provide significant water quality funding without passing a new sales tax, which he says is unlikely to gain legislative approval.

Governor Branstad’s comments and photos courtesy of IPTV