SARL Members and Alumni

Iowa’s largest investor-owned utility wants to make local owners of private solar power systems pay more for generating their own electricity, while opponents warn that could cause Iowa to lose its standing as a leader in promoting renewables. House Study Bill 185 would add a yearly “sunshine tax” on private solar generators, a move MidAmerican Energy says creates more fairness for all customers who use its electric grid. [node:read-more:link]

Senate Bill 1738 would create a first-degree misdemeanor for leaving pets restrained or unattended during a natural or manmade disaster. [node:read-more:link]

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, D, on Wednesday signed into law a bipartisan bill that would require Dominion Energy to excavate all the coal ash at their coal plants in the state, over 27 million cubic yards. The bill, first introduced in January, will also require that at least a quarter of the waste be recycled. The remaining ash would have to be moved into fully lined basins to prevent further groundwater contamination. [node:read-more:link]

A defunct Oregon dairy with an extensive history of wastewater problems loomed large over a legislative hearing March 21 about proposals to overhaul state dairy regulations. [node:read-more:link]

With ongoing flood recovery efforts in Nebraska, Iowa, and other affected states, there are a number of places farmers and ranchers can go for help or to donate. [node:read-more:link]

The measure sponsored by Democrat Rebecca Millett of Cape Elizabeth would allow police and family members to seek a court order to temporarily disarm someone in mental health crisis [node:read-more:link]

The state Senate has approved a bill raising the legal age to buy tobacco products in Delaware from 18 to 21. A bill was approved on a 14-6 vote Tuesday and now goes to the House.The legislation would apply to all tobacco products and tobacco substitutes, including e-cigarettes and vaping devices. [node:read-more:link]

The New Hampshire House on Tuesday passed two gun control bills, one requiring background checks for all firearms sales and another imposing a waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a gun.The Democratic majority in the House also defeated a Republican sponsored bill that would have expanded the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law to allow the use of deadly force in defending a third party or “other” against any felony offense.HB 109, requiring universal background checks, passed 203-148, along mostly partisan lines. [node:read-more:link]

Hawaii would be the first state in the U.S. to ban most plastics at restaurants under legislation that aims to cut down on waste that pollutes the ocean. Dozens of cities nationwide have banned plastic foam containers, but Hawaii’s measure targeting fast-food and full-service restaurants would make it the first state to do so. The liberal state has a history of prioritizing the environment — it’s mandated renewable energy use and prohibited sunscreen ingredients that harm coral. [node:read-more:link]

As more consumers shop at farmers markets and “eat local,” U.S. local food sales, including cottage-food sales, have soared from $5 billion annually in 2008 to a projected $20 billion this year. [node:read-more:link]