STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES 2011

Prevent Future Flooding by Better Land Management
Promote and enforce conservation policies that control erosion, improve water quality
and help prevent flooding.

Protection from Predatory Lending and Consumer Fraud
LWVIA encourages the Iowa Legislature to pass legislation to reduce payday loan fees
and to allow Iowa consumers to sue when they think they have been defrauded. Iowa is
the only state in the country where an individual cannot sue under the state’s Consumer
Fraud Act.

Immigration
LWVIA urges the Iowa Legislature to support legislation that provides:
· penalties for employers who hire unauthorized workers
· due process for all persons including the right to a fair hearing, right to counsel, right of
appeal, and right to humane treatment
· increased funding for English language classes

Sentencing and Corrections
LWVIA urges the Iowa Legislative to:
· consider recommendations from the Criminal Code Reorganization Committee report
· fund more community based correction programs and programs that facilitate prisoner
reentry into the community,
· increase funding for programs that treat the special needs offender.

Other Areas of Interest:
--Returnable Beverage Container Legislation (Bottle Bill)
--Campaign Finance Reform
--Strengthen Iowa’s Open Meetings law

New: Moratorium on New Coal-Fired Electric Power Plants                                                                  Support for a ten-year moratorium on new construction of coal-fired electric power
plants. This action is based on LWVUS environmental and energy positions and will
reinforce the work the League is doing around the country to combat global climate
change.