Corn growers hail House passage of lock bill

The Iowa Corn Growers Association is celebrating the passage in the U.S. House of a bill that provides funding to improve seven locks on the upper Mississippi an Illinois river systems. Mindy Larsen Poldberg, the Government Relations Director for the Corn Growers, says the bill passed the House on a 406 to 14 margin. She says it provides three-point-four billion dollars for the lock expansion. She says it will allow newer, larger and more efficient barges to use the locks. Poldberg says she hopes the bill also makes it through the Senate.She says she thinks there’s a better than half chance they’ll be able to get it passed.Poldberg says the lock improvements will also help corn growers who transport by rail and truck, as the competition will keep prices down.