Iowa GOP pushes for quick action on water quality bill that environmentalists call flawed

Republican leaders are pushing Iowa House members to get behind a $27 million water quality bill the state Senate passed last session, calling it the Legislature's most viable option for long-term, sustainable funding. "I feel pretty strongly that it’s a good bill. Nothing is perfect, but it's a good bill," said Sen. Ken Rozenboom, R-Oskaloosa, the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee chairman."I'd be delighted if we could pass what we have in the House and move on," he said.Gov. Kim Reynolds says she wants water quality to be the first bill she signs into law next year.And getting legislation passed to clean Iowa's water could be critical to Reynolds' and other lawmakers' re-election efforts, with pressure mounting for state action, political watchers say.The House also approved a water quality bill last session, and even though it doesn't carry over to the new session, Republican members want some of its features built into the Senate legislation.