Our monthly chapter meeting had a special guest speaker, Bob Riley, Des Moines business, community, and environmental leader. He is Chairman and CEO of Feed Energy Company, and is involved in many organizations, including Director of Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, and Trustee for The Nature Conservancy in Iowa.
Bob was talking to our group about the Iowa constitutional amendment known as Iowa's Water and Land Legacy (IWiLL). Since Iowan's voted to approve the constituional amendment in 2010, there still has been no funding approved for this measure and it currently sits with no monies available to help Iowa's natural resources today or into the future.
Bob has been working diligently to get the statehouse to pass a measure that would see the IWiLL funded the way it was intended. He spoke to TU North Bear regarding his efforts to secure not only the legislature's support, but also about his work to garner the support of as many organizations across Iowa as possible. One of the hallmark's of a proposal Bob has put forth at the legislature is that while it raises state taxes to fund IWiLL, it also increases the lower threshold at which Iowan's begin paying state income tax. The result is a net tax decrease for nearly all Iowans! Here is an Editorial penned by Bob in the Des Moines Register online.
In closing, Bob asked if he could count the support of the North Bear Chapter of TU. After board members raised a motion to support his efforts to fund IWiLL, a vote was taken and passed. So, TU North Bear adds its name to the growing list of Iowa organizations supporting a measure to fund Iowa's Water Land and Legacy initiative.