February 1, 2008

Culver changes bottle bill deposit after skepticism

DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) -- Iowa Governor Chet Culver is backing off his bottle bill plan.

His announcement came Thursday afternoon, one day after GOP and Democratic leaders said they doubted the bill would pass the Legislature.

Culver had proposed doubling the bottle deposit to a dime and returning only 8 cents to consumers. The plan also would have expanded the type of containers covered under the law to include bottled water, flavored teas and sports drinks.

Culver wanted the extra money to fund a state environmental program and help redemption centers.

Currently consumers pay a 5-cent deposit and get a full refund when they return the container.

Culver says he still wants to expand the program to include more containers and help redemption centers. However, he says he'll have to find a plan that gives Iowans their full deposit back.