Senator Charles Grassley says Iowa consumers are “patriotic” and wouldsupport a move to make corn-based ethanol the only fuel dispensed from Iowagas pumps. Grassley is among those who’ve signed a petition urging Iowa’s AgSecretary to make the ethanol mandate.Republican legislative leaders oppose the ethanol mandate, and say they’redisappointed Grassley is leading the charge. Grassley says the petition wasa bi-partisan effort.Grassley says there are already two-hundred-17 additives required ingasoline sold in Iowa, and adding ethanol to the list isn’t that big astretch.Grassley says consumers in smoggy cities have been forced to buy oxygenatedfuel like ethanol for the past nine years.Senator Tom Harkin is urging Iowa Ag Secretary Patty Judge to swiftly mandateethanol at Iowa gas pumps if she is told by the Attorney General she has theauthority to do so. Harkin says the ethanol mandate would be a “desperatelyneeded, long-lasting shot in the arm” for Iowa farmers.
