All That Remains
This used to be my grandparents' rural country home. Five generations once laughed and loved and celebrated countless family milestones here. After Grandpa died and Grandma moved in with my folks, my parents purchased the house in order to keep it in the family, and were in the process of fixing it up for a renter when thieves broke in, stole copper piping, and let the home fill with gas for the inevitable explosion. Dad Earl (Thelander) lost his life over less than $20 worth of stolen copper.
I put this slideshow video together and sent it -- along with a detailed letter -- to the Iowa Legislature's Judiciary Subcommittee in support of House Study Bill 660, "An Act relating to scrap metal transactions, prohibiting certain sales, imposing criminal penalties, and providing an effective date." The bill would have made it more difficult for thieves to sell scrap metal in Iowa without proper identification. (Some states, including Florida, are moving legislation forward to make this crime a first degree felony.) Iowa's bill, however, failed to make the March 7 first funnel date and died.
Lobbyists for or against the bill (in addition to those still undecided before the bill died) are listed below. I'm keeping the list for reference. A similar bill will resurface in the next legislative session. And when it does, I hope they're ready for what I've affectionately come to refer to as "Earl's Bill." We are, after all, the only state who's lost an innocent victim to copper theft. If other states can take this crime as seriously as they do, so can Earl's. He deserves nothing less.
Thank you for taking the time to view the video. If you cannot view it in QuickTime (downloadable for free for both PCs and Macs at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/) you may also view the video on YouTube, though the quality is not near as good as the QuickTime version.
Jody
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Lobbyist Declarations for HSB 660
Listed as of March 14, 2008
82nd General Assembly
HSB 660
John Gilliland FEBRUARY 27, 2008
Against -- IA. Assn. of Business and Industry (ABI)
Nicole Molt FEBRUARY 27, 2008
Against -- IA. Assn. of Business and Industry (ABI)
Robert Ellis FEBRUARY 26, 2008
Against -- Alter Trading Corporation
Curtis Beason FEBRUARY 25, 2008
Against -- Alter Trading Corporation
Douglas Kingsbury FEBRUARY 25, 2008
For -- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Iowa State Conference
Terry Harrmann FEBRUARY 25, 2008
Undecided -- Alliant Energy Corporation
James Obradovich FEBRUARY 19, 2008
Undecided -- IA. Environmental Council
Undecided -- IA. Recycling Assn.
Undecided -- IA. Society of Solid Waste Operations (ISOSWO)
Mark Douglas FEBRUARY 19, 2008
For -- IA. Utility Assn.
Ross Loder FEBRUARY 19, 2008
For -- IA. Dept. of Public Safety
Susan Walter FEBRUARY 19, 2008
For -- Aquila, Inc.
Brad Epperly FEBRUARY 18, 2008
For -- IA. Assn. of Electric Cooperatives
Undecided -- IA. Automobile Dealers Assn.
Undecided -- IA. Chapter, American Institute of Architects
James West FEBRUARY 18, 2008
For -- IA. Assn. of Electric Cooperatives
Undecided -- IA. Automobile Dealers Assn.
Undecided -- IA. Chapter, American Institute of Architects
Judy Krewson FEBRUARY 18, 2008
For -- Rural IA. Independent Telephone Assn.
Keith Luchtel FEBRUARY 18, 2008
For -- IA. Assn. of Electric Cooperatives
Undecided -- IA. Automobile Dealers Assn.
Undecided -- IA. Chapter, American Institute of Architects
Paula Dierenfeld FEBRUARY 18, 2008
For -- IA. Assn. of Electric Cooperatives
Undecided -- IA. Automobile Dealers Assn.
Undecided -- IA. Chapter, American Institute of Architects
Scott Sundstrom FEBRUARY 18, 2008
For -- IA. Assn. of Electric Cooperatives
Undecided -- IA. Automobile Dealers Assn.
Undecided -- IA. Chapter, American Institute of Architects
Timothy Coonan FEBRUARY 18, 2008
For -- IA. Assn. of Electric Cooperatives
Tom Graves FEBRUARY 18, 2008
For -- IA. Cable and Telecommunications Assn.
John Pederson FEBRUARY 17, 2008
Against -- Alter Trading Corporation
Lorelei Heisinger FEBRUARY 17, 2008
Against -- Alter Trading Corporation
Lynzey Tharp FEBRUARY 17, 2008
Against -- Alter Trading Corporation
Matt Eide FEBRUARY 17, 2008
Against -- Alter Trading Corporation
Melissa Peterson FEBRUARY 17, 2008
Against -- Alter Trading Corporation
Joe Kelly FEBRUARY 16, 2008
For -- IA. County Attorneys Assn.
Susan Cameron FEBRUARY 16, 2008
For -- IA. County Attorneys Assn.
Craig Schoenfeld FEBRUARY 15, 2008
Undecided -- Home Builders Assn. of IA.
Undecided -- IA. Lumber Assn.
Undecided -- IA. Network Services, Inc.
Michael Heller FEBRUARY 15, 2008
For -- IA. Wholesale Beer Distributors Assn.
Undecided -- Waste Management, Inc.
Paula Feltner FEBRUARY 15, 2008
For -- IA. Wholesale Beer Distributors Assn.
Undecided -- Waste Management, Inc.
William Wimmer FEBRUARY 15, 2008
Undecided -- Home Builders Assn. of IA.
Undecided -- IA. Lumber Assn.
Undecided -- IA. Network Services, Inc.
Cal Hultman FEBRUARY 14, 2008
For -- Miller Brewing Company
George Appleby FEBRUARY 14, 2008
Undecided -- Anheuser Busch
Undecided -- IPSCO Steel, Inc.
Jennifer Tyler FEBRUARY 14, 2008
Undecided -- Anheuser Busch
Undecided -- IPSCO Steel, Inc.
Jim Carney FEBRUARY 14, 2008
Undecided -- Anheuser Busch
Undecided -- IPSCO Steel, Inc.
John Gilliland FEBRUARY 14, 2008
Undecided -- IA. Assn. of Business and Industry (ABI)
Michael Sadler FEBRUARY 14, 2008
For -- Qwest
Michael Triplett FEBRUARY 14, 2008
For -- Miller Brewing Company
Nicole Molt FEBRUARY 14, 2008
Undecided -- IA. Assn. of Business and Industry (ABI)