Legislators start "blame game"

Republicans and democrats are now playing the “blame game” — each blaming the other for the death of the electric deregulation bill. House Republican Leader Christopher Rants declared the bill dead yesterday. Senate Republican Leader Stewart Iverson says opponents used fear tactics, such as the A-A-R-P’s claim that “grandma’s lights” would go out if the bill passed.Senate President Mary Kramer, a republican from West Des Moines, says Iowa’s electric industry will be deregulated — sometime.Senate Democrat Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs says Republican leaders mis-handled the bill by trying to muscle it through in a partisan way.Gronstal says the bill was quote “poorly written and bad for consumers.”