Group calls for tougher enforcement of littering fines

Leaders of the “Keep Iowa Beautiful” coalition say the state’s 35-dollar-fine for littering should be raised. But “Keep Iowa Beautiful” executive director Gerald Schnepf says it’s even more important to get law enforcement to start issuing the fines.Schnept says he recently met with a group of 20 county sheriffs, and not one knew what the fine for littering was. While Schnept believes the fine should be raised, he says if it goes too high, it won’t be levied because judges will determine it’s too tough a penalty for the crime.Schnept says the penalties for littering probably need to be set based on the severity of the crime, so tossing a pop can wouldn’t get you in as much trouble as tossing a frige in a ditch. Schnepf says while his group believes the fine for littering should go up, it isn’t advocating a new rate.Governor Tom Vilsack said a couple of years ago that Iowans should have “zero tolerance” for littering, and Schnept hopes the Governor takes up the beautification issue, which Schnept says relates to economic development because no company wants to locate in a trashy town.