While much of the attention this week at the Iowa Legislature has been focused on the fetal heartbeat bill, another bill was also passed through the House and Senate that is just as contentious and possibly more important.

Senate File 2311, commonly referred to as the “Utility Bill,” deals with many issues involving energy efficiency and costs. It was passed earlier this week through the Senate by a 28-20 vote along party lines, after narrowly being approved in the House. State Senator Jake Chapman (R – District 10) sponsored the bill in the Senate, and he’s pleased they managed to get it sent on to the governor’s desk. Chapman says his focus was on revealing charges on people’s bills they may not have been aware of, which have been going toward energy efficiency programs. “The reality is, since 1990, we have had a hidden tax on our utility bills. Almost $3 billion has been collected through this secret tax. So this bill is going to expose that. It’s going to start showing up on your bill.”

Opponents to the bill say it will not only cost ratepayers more money in the long run, but will also jeopardize thousands of jobs in Iowa for people who work in energy efficiency installation. Additionally, there is a 2% cap on the utility tax, which is considerably lower than the current cap, and customers can opt out if they don’t believe it’s worth paying. The “Utility Bill” was officially signed into law by Governor Kim Reynolds Friday afternoon.

To learn more about the current legislative session, listen to this past Wednesday’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.