Pesticide

Roundup maker Bayer has been pushing bills in at least 11 states, including Iowa, to shield itself and other pesticide companies from cancer lawsuits. The Iowa House has declined to advance the bill ahead of a key legislative deadline.

Iowa is in the minority of states that offer no paid parental leave to state employees.

Republicans in the Iowa Senate advanced a bill Wednesday that would limit lawsuits by Iowans seeking compensation for pesticide-related illnesses. Bayer proposed it to cut down on lawsuits alleging that farmers got cancer from being exposed to Roundup.

Republicans in the Iowa Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would bar Iowans with severe illnesses from suing pesticide manufacturers for failing to warn them of potential health risks like cancer.

The EPA has completed less than 5% of its Endangered Species Act caseload in reviewing pesticides. Now the agency is proposing a new strategy for scrutinizing agricultural chemicals’ effects on listed species.