The fate of Iowa’s bottle and can redemption program is uncertain as legislators continue their stalemate over the budget, school vouchers, and other bills.

The House filed on April 12th to withdraw their bottle proposal from further consideration, after the Senate passed a bill that would allow grocery and other stores to refuse to redeem nickel deposits on cans and bottles while increasing the handling fee that distributors pay to redemption centers from one cent to three cents. District 39 State Senator Kevin Kinney (D) voted against the bill as he disagrees with letting stores off the hook, as Iowans in some communities currently have to travel several miles to find the nearest redemption center. Though he doesn’t anticipate the program being repealed as some lawmakers have threatened, “I prefer that those stores if they’re making a profit, I think we need to go in and look at seeing where some of that money is going. There needs to be more transparency on that nickel that we are paying for that is not being redeemed, and some of the bottling companies and so forth need to show the state more oversight, more transparency in what they’re doing with that money.”

The House’s bill was less lenient towards grocery stores, only allowing those who sell prepared foods or fresh produce to refuse can and bottle returns. It would have also required businesses who reject returns to post on their front door the location of the nearest redemption center. The legislature passed the 100th calendar day of the session on April 19th, when per diem pay ends for legislators.