Capitol Comments

We just wrapped up the 2014 legislative session last week and I’m pleased with much of the progress we made this session.  We worked together in many areas to create new opportunities for Iowa families. We:

• Expanded key job training initiatives and apprenticeship opportunities to boost our skilled workforce.
• Froze tuition at our state universities for the second year in a row to keep tuition affordable.
• Encouraged more production of renewable energy like wind, solar, and biofuels.
• Broadened access to childcare assistance for parents who are both working and going to school.
• Provided REAP (Resource Enhancement And Protection) $25 million for conservation of our land and water and to expand outdoor recreational opportunities.
• Created uniform standards and enforcement mechanisms for Power of Attorney to protect elder Iowans, for the first time in Iowa history.

We left Iowa’s budget in excellent shape for the future.  The state Fiscal Year runs July 1 through June 30.  The Funding Year 2014 ending surplus on June 30 is estimated to be $801.3 million.  Additionally, our rainy day reserve funds are “full” at another $649.6 million.

While I’m proud of these and many other accomplishments, we also missed additional opportunities to help build a stronger middle class, grow our economy, and ensure that Iowans can get the training and education they need to land a family-sustaining job with good benefits. These are critical issues that we must continue to address in future sessions:

• Offer more tuition grants for students at Iowa community colleges to help students get the education needed to fill skilled job openings in key shortage areas.
• Expand voluntary early childhood education pre-school to assure that all children have the opportunity to enter kindergarten ready to learn.
• Set basic school funding (allowable growth) a year in advance to help schools plan budgets and make the long-term commitments needed to boost student achievement.
• Raise the minimum wage to a point that awards work and reduces the need for welfare.
• Expand access to broadband and internet access, especially in underserved areas.
• Protect Iowa kids from being bullied in school and on-line.
• Feed Iowa’s hungry by providing a funding-match for Iowa Food Banks.
• Repair and maintain the state’s highways and bridges.
• Create more beds and resources for people in mental health crises.
• Adequately fund the state’s mental health system and improve its services.
• Fully fund the state’s Medicaid program.

Thank you to everyone who emailed, called, or visited with Susan and I at the Capitol.

Although the session in Des Moines is over and I’ve returned to my full-time teaching position with Cedar Rapids Schools,  I am still available to answer your questions, listen to your ideas, and assist you with any issues related to state government.

My contact information is located to the right on this page.  Please feel free to contact me at any time.  I look forward to hearing from you and representing you again in the next session of the Iowa Legislature.

2014 Session Highlights

Education & job training

• Increasing the number of skilled workers with apprenticeships, job training and retraining and internships for students studying science, technology, engineering and math (SF 2347, HF 2460).

• Providing K-3 students falling behind with intensive literacy help (SF 2347).

• Recruiting the next generation of great Iowa teachers and encouraging our most effective educators to help others improve classroom results (SF 2347).

• Keeping tuition affordable with a funding increase to our community colleges (SF 2347).

• Freezing tuition at Iowa State, UNI and the University of Iowa for the second straight year (SF 2347).

• Providing more financial aid for private college students (SF 2347).

Job creation & economic growth

• Increasing funding for Iowa’s 16 Small Business Development Centers (HF 2460).

• Providing incentives for businesses that locate and expand in Iowa (HF 2460).

• Funding innovation economic development efforts between our state universities and communities and businesses (HF 2460).

• Investing in the arts, cultural endeavors and historic preservation, which draw visitors to our communities (HF 2460).

• Tripling the amount of solar energy tax credits available (SF 2340) and encouraging the production of home-grown fuels (SF 2344).

• Expanding help to fix up abandoned buildings and blighted areas (SF 2339).

Health & health care

• Protecting the health of Iowa kids by preventing them from using e-cigarettes (HF 2109).

• Maintaining local Emergency Management Services by increasing the amount the state pays through Medicaid for local ambulance and other emergency services (HF 2463).

• Helping kids with epilepsy by legalizing medical cannabis oil to treat seizures, upon doctor recommendation (SF 2360).

• Hiring an additional ombudsman to protect the rights of seniors in nursing facilities. (HF 2463).

• Protecting Iowa’s redesigned mental health services by fully funding state commitments (HF 2463).

• Making it easier for seniors to continue living in their own homes (SF 2193, SF 2320).

Safe communities

• Defining elder abuse and financial exploitation, and allowing victims to secure protective orders (SF 2239).

• Providing state funding for the first time for local elder abuse support services (HF 2463).

• Investing in Iowa’s successful Drug Courts and Family Treatment Courts (SF 2449, HF 2450).

• Funding for grants to help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault (HF 2450).

• Allowing criminal charges against coaches who sexually exploit students (HF 2474).

• Doubling the volunteer firefighter and EMS tax credit, and extending the credit to reserve police officers (HF 2459).

Quality of life

• Providing a record $25 million for REAP, Iowa’s popular Resource Enhancement and Protection program (HF 2458, SF 2349, SF 2363).

• Expanding childcare assistance for parents working part time while learning new skills (HF 2463).

• Boosting the state’s child and dependent care tax credit for working families (SF 2337).

• Making stable homes a reality for more children with a $2,500 tax credit for adoption-related expenses (HF 2468).

• Increasing funding for soil conservation and water quality (HF 2458).

• Increasing housing for working families with incentives to build and rehabilitate housing in the areas that need it the most (HF 2448).

Veterans & service members

• Exempting military retirement pay from Iowa income taxes for those who with 20+ years of military service (SF 303).

• Expanding the Disabled Veterans Homestead Tax Credit to veterans with a permanent and total disability from service-related injuries, and to surviving spouses or children of soldiers who died as a result of active duty (SF 2352).

• Eliminating the waiting list for the Military Home Ownership Assistance Program, which provides a $5,000 grant for a qualifying home purchase (HF 2463).

• Providing a pathway to jobs by matching military occupational training to Iowa’s professional and occupational licensure requirements (SF 303).