Before today?s thunderstorms and flash floods, we had great weather as we talked with Iowa 1st District Congresswoman Ashley Hinson. Lots of things have happened since we last spoke with her- the biggest of which is likely the recent signing of the Inflation Reduction Act. However, some parts of the act feel like they were picking favorites. Hinson said she feels like this is the wrong legislation at the wrong time.
The most frustrating part of this act is the fact that it still glosses over ethanol, which could provide an immediate and effective solution for the fuel issues we?ve been facing. Unfortunately, it?s still difficult to get some people to understand the benefits of biofuels. Hinson said we can?t just flip a switch and immediately transition to electric vehicles.
The issue isn?t that electric vehicles are bad, per se- we just don?t have the infrastructure to support an all-electric fleet yet. That?s why biofuels, which are available and affordable, offer a more immediate solution. Hinson said this legislation just needs to be more thought out.
While inflation is certainly the biggest issue right now, there are plenty of other things weighing on the minds of rural Americans. Hinson talked about some of the problems she?s heard about in her area.
Hinson added that she feels it?s important to constantly spotlight these issues.
With more and more people becoming further removed from the farm, it?s important to take every opportunity to educate them. That way, we can work to avoid having misunderstandings, especially when those misunderstandings show up in policy and legislation. Hinson said the Iowa State Fair is one of the best places to try to achieve that goal of ag literacy.
For more information on what Congresswoman Hinson is up to, visit https://hinson.house.gov/.
