“Cancer gag act” to give pesticide companies immunity from lawsuits stopped in Iowa

For the second year in a row, legislation that would protect pesticide companies like Bayer from lawsuits over their products’ link to cancer did not pass Iowa’s House of Representatives.

The Iowa Senate passed the so-called “Cancer Gag Act” in late March by a slim margin—26 in favor versus 21 opposed—but the bill lacked enough support in the state’s house.

Speaker of the Iowa House Pat Grassley told members of the media that it will not be moving forward with the bill.

“I think at this point in time, there’s not support within the caucus for that bill,” Grassley said.

Thirty-one groups representing tens of thousands of Iowa residents sent a letter to the Iowa House calling on the chamber to stop the dangerous legislation. Recent polling from the Iowa Association for Justice found that 89% of Iowa voters oppose pesticide immunity legislation, including 87% of Republican respondents.

Food & Water Watch Iowa Organizer Jennifer Breon said: “Bayer’s Cancer Gag Act has no place in Iowa. This cruel ploy to protect private profits at the public’s expense is no response to the public health reckoning we face. News that this dangerous bill does not have the votes to pass will be music to the ears of the overwhelming majority of Iowans who fought tirelessly to stop Bayer’s power grab.”

Iowa House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, also praised stoppage of the bill, especially since Iowa has the second-highest rate of new cancers in the country.

“I think it’s pretty telling that even Republicans in the House agree that giving immunity to pesticide companies in a state that has skyrocketing cancer rates is not a good idea, and I am thrilled to see that hopefully we won’t be debating that this year,” Konfrst said.

Charles Benbrook, an agricultural economist and pesticide litigation consultant, spoke at several events in Iowa during March and helped raise awareness of the pesticide immunity bill and the risks of Roundup herbicide. He also praised stoppage of the bill. “Hats off to the inspired folks in Iowa that worked so hard to educate their neighbors,” he said.

Bayer is facing thousands of lawsuits over the company’s Roundup weedkiller’s link to cancer.

Source: Our Quad Cities News

To view source article, visit: https://www.ourquadcities.com/news/local-news/iowa-bill-to-protect-pesticide-companies-from-lawsuits-stopped/

Organic & Non-GMO Insights April 2025