Des Moines, Iowa (RI) — About 100 people gathered at the statehouse Monday to rally against a bill that would grant some liability protection to pesticide and herbicide manufacturers.
The bill cleared the Iowa Senate last year and is getting a rehearing this year. It would forbid lawsuits based on the lack of a warning about potential health risks if the product’s label complies with current federal regulations. Nancy Huisinga worked as a hospice nurse in Wright County for 20 years.
Huisinga and others mentioned that Iowa is the only state where the cancer rate is rising. Rich Gradoville, a retired school teacher, taught at schools in New Sharon, Dyersville and the Des Moines area. He was diagnosed with bladder cancer two years ago.
Dan Valentine of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement says the bill will make it harder for Iowans who’ve been harmed to seek justice in court.
A top Republican in the Iowa Senate says individuals who’ve been harmed should be able to file lawsuits to recover damages, but Senate President Amy Sinclair says the bill would impede money-grabbing class action lawsuits targeting ag chemical companies that have followed the law.
