Dry dorm bill reworked

A bill which would have made all college dorms in Iowa “dry” has been re-worked and will be debated in a House committee next week. Representative Rosemary Thompson, a substance abuse counselor from Marion, is the driving force behind the legislation — which now would force colleges and universities to have alcohol use policies and “prevention” programs in place. Thompson says the new approach is broader and more effective. Thompson says that information about student drinking rates would be submitted to the legislature annually to show the effectiveness of efforts to reduce underage drinking. The bill makes another big change: parents could be notified if students break drinking rules.Thompson expects the bill to be debated in the House Judiciary Committee on Monday.