Zach Lahn (like “LANE”), the Republican candidate for governor, says the state’s high cancer rate is tied into agriculture and that assessment is not popular with many of his Republicans.
Lahn says there’s a correlation between high nitrate load in water and colon cancer and ovarian cancer.
Lahn says the state must have a bigger network of monitors to test water quality, partly to hold policymakers accountable.
Lahn is the latest Iowa candidate to participate in a forum organized by the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network. Robin Anderson was among the 15 cancer patients, cancer survivors and advocates for patients who shared their stories with Lahn this (Tuesday) morning.
Lahn was equally emotional as he spoke about his own father’s diagnosis seven years ago with non-hodgkin lymphoma.
The American Cancer Society supports an increase in the state tobacco tax. Lahn told the group he would only be interested in raising that tax if there also was more spending to help those addicted to nicotine quit smoking. Lahn says without that, a cigarette tax hike would be what he called a “poverty tax” since the smoking rate in households below the poverty rate is nearly double the national average.
