On February 10, I made it over to the state capitol in Des Moines to check out the “Defeat the Cancer Gag Act” day of action hosted by CCI Action, Food & Water Watch, and others. Bayer seems to be spearheading the effort behind Senate Study Bill 1051 that, if passed, would make it harder for Iowans to sue pesticide companies if we get sick from their products like Roundup. It was empowering to be there with over 150 other Iowans speaking out against a multinational corporation worth billions of dollars trying to silence our voices.

There was a younger woman from Marshall County, Maggie Valentine, who shared about being outside her house a few years back when a crop duster came flying over. As she rushed inside, she could taste chemicals in her mouth. A few weeks later she learned she was pregnant. These days her thoughts are filled with concerns about pesticide levels in our food, if her well will become contaminated, and how her son may never swim in Iowa’s lakes and rivers because of contamination from pesticides and factory farm pollution.

I also heard from fellow CCI member Nick Schutt up in Hardin County, who came to Des Moines on his birthday because this issue is so near and dear to him. Growing up on a farm, he talked about his family’s history with cancer, including his sister Tammy who was lost to cancer at 56. His youngest sister never got the chance to have children due to abnormal cervical cells that led to a hysterectomy.

Bayer shouldn’t be writing the rules for us here in Iowa. According to the Iowa legislative website, Bayer has four registered lobbyists at our statehouse. When the state of Iowa has the second highest cancer incidence rate and fastest growing rate of new cancer, we have no business handing agrichemical corporations a “get out of jail free” card for the dangerous products they put on the market!

An international research agency determined that Roundup’s main active ingredient was probably carcinogenic in 2015. Bayer knew that when they bought Monsanto in 2018. And Bayer has settled over 100,000 lawsuits relating to Roundup – making it a gross misrepresentation to call lawsuits brought by folks experiencing harm “frivolous” and needing to be reined in by state legislatures.

In a lighter, but telling, moment of the day, I learned that someone came to the Capitol on February 10 with a gallon of Roundup in tow. The statehouse security said he couldn’t bring the Roundup inside because it was a “toxic substance.” Well now, isn’t that something!

The stories shared that day were sobering and heart wrenching. And I bet they’re just the tip of the iceberg if you were to talk with folks across the state. Too many of us have a story about cancer impacting us, our loved ones, or our neighbors. These stories deserve to be heard, including in the court of law.

I hope Iowans continue to personally reach out to their state Senator and Representative on this important issue. And, you can add your name to Iowa CCI’s letter to Senate Leader Jack Whitver and House Speaker Pat Grassley at iowacci.org/bayer. The last thing we need is further limits on our already-meager legal rights to hold agribusiness corporations accountable for their pollution.

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Barb Kalbach is a 4th generation family farmer, retired registered nurse, and board member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. Barb can be reached at

barbnealkalbach@gmail.com.