����vlog

With thousands of properties across Central Iowa still under a mandatory lawn watering ban, Gov. Kim Reynolds addressed the ongoing water quality concerns and efforts being made to manage nitrate levels in the region’s drinking water sources in an interview with ����vlog Chief Political Reporter Amanda Rooker Friday.The watering restrictions, which have been in place for two weeks, were issued by Central Iowa Water Works in response to high nitrate concentrations in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers. The utility has urged residents to continue conserving water as treatment systems remain strained.Reynolds said she's talked with Central Iowa Water Works about ways to speed up the treatment process.“We're working on maybe an opportunity to help us remove some of the salt or the nitrate that comes out when they're filtering the system,” Reynolds said. “That's kind of slowing down the process just a little bit.”The governor said that recent weather in Iowa has contributed to the rising nitrate levels."We have extremely dry, dry weather, dry no rain, and then we get deluged with rain. And so, we're just seeing some of the outcomes from some of that," she said. A report commissioned by the Polk County Board of Supervisors recently found that nearly 80% of the nitrates in local waterways are directly tied to agriculture. When asked about the report's findings, Reynolds said that "a lot of it has to do with weather" and that the nitrate level "ebbs and flows."“We have a report that they did not that long ago that said that it actually was going down, so we were having some positive impact from that," she said.Reynolds also said farmers are mindful of the inputs they use.“There is a cost to those inputs, and so farmers are not being extravagant. They're not overusing. They're putting on the least amount that they can to be able to grow the crops and get the bushels that they're aiming for, but they're also doing it in a responsible manner," she said.The governor said she is continuing to monitor the situation and that the state will continue to look for "innovative ways that we can help make sure that we have water quality that Iowans deserve."WATCH: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds defends state's water quality amid lawn watering ban Gov. Reynolds defends veto of eminent domain bill, looks to "compromise" next sessionReynolds also defended her decision to veto House File 639, a bill that sought to impose new restrictions on how private companies can use eminent domain to build pipeline projects. “I spent the entire 30 days meeting with stakeholders from every side of the issue, really trying to dig in and understand if it accomplished what we were trying to do,” Reynolds said, referring to the period she had to consider the legislation. “It wasn't just about eminent domain. It went way beyond that, and it did have unintended consequences.”Reynolds said the conversation around property rights and eminent domain is likely to return next legislative session.“It's going to continue to be a conversation. It's going to continue to be a topic in the legislature,” she said. “And hopefully we can figure out a compromise and address some of the concerns that I saw when I reviewed the bill.”In a letter explaining her decision to veto the legislation, Reynolds raised concerns about insurance requirements, a 25-year permit limit and the impact on other energy industries like oil and gas.Reynolds did not say whether she plans to propose her own legislation next session, but said that she is "happy to be a part of that conversation.”She also acknowledged tensions with lawmakers, especially after pointed criticism from some members of her own party.“There doesn't seem to be a lot of willingness right now. We'll see what happens with a lot of statements and comments that have been made,” Reynolds said. After she vetoed the bill, a Radio Iowa reporter posted on X that Rep. Bobby Kaufmann (R-Wilton) said Reynolds had "failed the state...& her legacy now is spitting in the face of landowners and being Bruce Rastetter's errand girl."Reynolds called the criticism "sexist" and "childish."“I make, you know, tough decisions every day that people don't agree with,” Reynolds said. “But I think it's — well, first of all, was sexist. Bobby Kaufman's remarks that I was an errand girl was sexist, unprofessional and really childish, and I think it's reflective of the theater that he operates in. It was out of line. If you want to sit down and you want to have a conversation and you want to move forward and get to some consensus, I don't think you start with a rant — a childish rant on social media, calling the governor of the state of Iowa an errand girl.”Kaufmann told ����vlog he believes his "comments were not out of line" and that he stands "by them 100 percent." "The governor choosing to play the victim card shows me she knows how poor her veto decision was and wants to deflect from that," Kaufmann said in response to Reynolds' comments Friday. "She’s on the wrong side of this issue by a wide margin, and I think that’s reflective of the political fantasyland she operates in." Watch: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds explains her veto against eminent domain billReynolds also discussed rising cancer rates in Iowa and her top agenda items for her final legislative session.Watch the full interview below.