The 2018 Iowa Legislative session begins today.

District 24 State Representative Chip Baltimore is currently in his fourth term in the Iowa House. As the session begins, Baltimore is looking to continue his efforts on passing a water quality bill for the state. Last year, the bill that Baltimore co-sponsored passed the House by a 79 to 19 vote, while the Republican-controlled Senate passed its own version, along party lines, with a 39 to 19 vote. He talks about an area of concern for this year with the Senate’s version of the bill.

“There are some interest groups that are going to try and to get the House to shallow the Senate bill from last year, because it’s still alive. I’m resistant to that and I don’t like the message that the Senate bill sends, which is this is a farm problem. It’s not a farm problem, it’s an Iowa problem and we all need to participate and work together, rather than just pointing fingers and blaming one group of entities over another.”

In addition to serving on the agriculture, state government and ways and means committees, Baltimore is still the head of the House judiciary committee. A major topic Baltimore would like to see happen this year is a bill on alternative punishment options for non-violent criminals.

“We’re looking at options for drug treatment if they are drug crimes, or sometimes there are some mental health issues involved with some of the crimes as well. So we’re trying to figure out how to get treatment for folks if they’ve got mental health issues, as opposed to just locking them up (in prison).”

Baltimore adds if anyone has concerns or questions that he can address at the Statehouse, to contact him by email at chip.baltimore@legis.iowa.gov or call him at 515-709-0325. You can hear more from Baltimore on today’s Community State Bank in Paton Let’s Talk Greene County program.