2017 Session Begins, Eduation, Jobs & Working Families Top Priorities

The 2017 Legislative Session opened Monday with lawmakers pledging to work together and focus on policies that will help Iowa working families and grow our economy – while keeping the state budget balanced.

Priorities voiced by lawmakers include making K-12 schools the top priority in Iowa again; revitalizing rural Iowa; expanding job training opportunities; raising the minimum wage; improving water quality; expanding early childhood education; and encouraging additional production and use of renewable energy resources.

2017 Legislative Survey

In my efforts to connect and communicate, I ask that you please participate in a brief survey about the 2017 session. Please clickhttp://interspire.iowahdc.info/surveys.php?id=35 to complete the survey and share your views.

Branstad to Cut Millions from Community Colleges, State Universities

In his annual Condition of the State Address, Governor Terry Branstad said he will cut $35 million from Iowa’s 15 community colleges and three state universities.  The Governor also recommended reductions to services for Iowans with cuts in DHS, the Dept. of Corrections, Medicaid and the Judicial Branch.  But his approach, of cutting education and critical services, is extremely problematic and absolutely unnecessary – and is not a solution to our ongoing budget problems.  The governor and Republicans in the Legislature are ignoring the necessity to revisit and re-examine current tax exemptions and tax giveaways.  Branstad previously approved bills and significant tax changes that led to a downturn in Iowa’s economy and declining state revenues.  The GOP has insisted on giving so many dollars away in excessive tax cuts and credits that our state budget surplus went from a $900 million surplus in 2014 to a deficit of -$100 million in the current year.  The state cannot afford more tax cuts for out-of-state corporations.  That’s what got us into this mess:  Laurel & Hardy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0xR5CzMbmM)

The governor’s higher education cuts were included in his plans to slash $114 million from the state budget in the current fiscal year (FY 17).  Other budget cuts identified by the Governor include:  $20 million from the Department of Human Services, $15 million from the Department of Corrections, $14 million from Medicaid, and $7.7 million from the Judicial Branch.   But, instead of these cuts, the state could have given $114 less to just one fertilizer plant or recommend that the Legislature use funds from the Reserve Fund – a fund with a current balance of $738 million.

In addition to the targeted cuts to state agencies and education, the Governor is recommending using a total of $33.2 million in ending balances from other funds such as the Taxpayers Trust Fund, to keep the state budget balanced.

FY 2018 & 2019 Budget Proposal

The Governor also outlined budget recommendations for fiscal year 2018, which we must approve or change before adjourning this session.  He proposed a total appropriation of $7.457 billion from the general fund – an increase of $219 million compared to his revised FY 2017 budget.  That recommendation includes a 2% increase for state school aid and a $50 million increase for Medicaid.

With the Governor’s budget recommendations, legislators will begin crafting their priorities for inclusion into the state budget.

Voter Suppression Bill Proposed by Secretary of State

Iowa has a long history of making it as easy as possible for eligible voters in the state to have their voices heard and to cast their ballots. However, a new hurdle could be put in place for students, elderly, and low income Iowans who want to vote this year.

Despite recently stating that Iowa is one of the best states in the nation for voter integrity and participation, Iowa’s Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate has introduced a proposal that would require new regulations for eligible voters. The Secretary has also proposed reducing the number of days that voters have to request an absentee ballot.

The new proposal also includes requiring voters to show an ID before voting.  Accepted forms of identifications would include a driver’s license, passport, or military ID.  Students would not be allowed to use their college or student IDs.

Approximately 145,000 Iowans do not have the required form of identification to have their vote counted.  The Secretary of State says his plan would provide a free signature verification card for those who do not have the required identification.

Many lawmakers are expressing concerns that the proposals are unnecessary, will cost the state about $1 million, would make it more difficult for Iowans to vote, and would reduce voter turnout.

Chief Justice Calls for Investments to Prevent Cuts

Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady delivered the annual State of Judiciary speech to a welcoming Legislature this week.  The Chief Justice called for investment in the judicial branch to maintain the excellent work the court is doing and to prevent cuts to services and delays in justice.

The Chief Justice focused on successes the courts have recently implemented, including reducing litigation costs, pursuing efficiencies, and using the latest technology.  In particular, new models and programs for juveniles in the court system were highlighted – programs that have significantly reduced the number of juveniles entering the adult prison system and that have kept more families together.

With all of the recent successes and benefits produced by our Iowa courts, I am dismayed that the governor is recommending cutting $7.7 million from the Judicial branch budget.

Help for Iowa’s Working Families

The 2017 session opened this week and it was great to talk about new goals and renewed priorities with my colleagues from all over Iowa and to meet new lawmakers who are serving for the first time.
Instead of divisive, partisan agendas like some announced in the media, my hope is that
Legislative leaders will stay focused on policies designed to improve the lives of Iowa’s working families.  “The deck has been stacked” for far too long, against families who are working hard but still not getting ahead.

There is so much more that we can do to make sure every Iowa family gets a fair shot at obtaining a higher quality of life and additional opportunities for realizing their dreams. This means:

•    ensuring that education, including K-12 schools, are our top priority again
•    making child care more affordable
•    cleaning up our waterways
•    monitoring and protecting our health care and mental health safety nets
•    raising the minimum wage
•    safe and sensible gun legislation
•    making higher education affordable – within financial reach for every Iowan
•    assisting our small businesses with creating good-paying jobs
•    expanding job training through community colleges and local apprenticeships.

-Representative Art Staed

This Week in Photos

On Wednesday I had a chance to visit with Deborah K. Reed, Ph.D., Director of the Iowa Reading Research Center and got an update about the organization’s efforts in “Laying the Foundation for Literacy Improvement in Iowa.” IRRC provides school districts with specialized assistance in gathering and analyzing reading data and expertise in literacy materials, instruction, assessment and professional development.

The results are in – the three Intensive Summer  Reading Programs helped students who were struggling with reading to maintain their reading skills during the summer break.

There is much to be learned from this first-of-a-kind study including implications surrounding communication with parents, the offering of summer programs as early as kindergarten and increasing the number of educators with reading endorsements or reading specialist certifications.

IRRC staff are creating literacy professional development modules resulting from the study conducted in 2016. These modules will be made available as professional development for kindergarten-fifth grade teachers statewide.

New legislation in Iowa now includes required training about reading disabilities, including dyslexia, for undergraduate and graduate students in teacher certification, reading endorsement, or reading specialist programs. The Iowa Reading Research Center is offering training (with certificate of completion) to help meet this requirement.

You can learn more about the Center at: www.iowareadingresearch.org

Deborah Reed, Director of the Iowa Reading Research Center

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In the Capitol Rotunda talking with Amber Mercil Martin, Coordinator for Iowa’s Family Development Self-Sufficiency (FaDSS) program, about the Four Oaks program.

Four Oaks has been a FaDSS grantee since its start in 1998 and is now provided in all of Iowa’s 99 counties promoting family stability to those in the Family Investment Program. Trained and qualified staff work cooperatively with families to set and reach goals, address barriers to success, and become stronger families both socially and economically. Cornerstone has the capacity to provide services to 222 families and their children in eight local counties, including Linn. In fiscal year 2016 Cornerstone served a total of 453 families.

Kudos to Four Oaks for this family strengthening work!

For more about Four Oaks: https://www.fouroaks.org/

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This week the American Heart Association, the American Stroke Association and the Iowa Public Health Association had representatives in the Capitol Rotunda.

A top legislative priority for all the organizations is an increase in healthy physical activity for Iowans – young and old. More than 2/3 of Iowa children and adults do not get the recommended amount of physical activity. One of the largest barriers to people getting this physical activity is access. By increasing funding for trails, sidewalks, safe routes to school and bike lanes the Iowa legislature could help increase access to recreation for all Iowans and put us on the path towards being the healthiest state in the nation.
For additional information go to: https://www.iowapha.org/

Pictured here (from left to right) are Chris Atchison, Director of the State Hygienic Lab, Jeneane Moody, Executive Director of the Iowa Public Health Association, and Pamela Mollenhauer, President of the Iowa Public Health Association and Governmental Relations Officer at State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa.

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The Iowa Juvenile Court Services Association (IJCSA) held a reception at the Capitol on Wednesday. They were here to discuss the importance of evidence based decision making in the administration of our juvenile court system, and to highlight programs using this approach to help Iowa youth.

The system has seen positive results: Since 2007 the IJCSA has overseen a 19.6% reduction in the number of juveniles charged with a felony, a 27% decrease in juvenile complaints, and a reduction in recidivism resulting in less than 1/3 of first time offenders reoffending. And, as Iowa Chief Justice Mark Cady remarked on Wednesday during the State of the Judiciary speech, the diversion program and other juvenile court programs have reduced the number of individuals under 21 years of age entering Iowa’s prisons by 50%.

Meeting here with representatives of the IJCSA, Juvenile Court Officers Chad Jensen , Chris Wyatt and Steve Kremer.

Pictured here are Jeff Werning and Bernie Bordignon, JCOs for the Sixth Judicial District.

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The Iowa Electric Cooperatives held their annual Welcome Back Reception at the Iowa Historical BuildingTuesday evening. Additional hosts included the Iowa Biotechnology Association, Iowa Institute for Cooperatives, Iowa Communications Alliance and the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa.
Linn County Rural Electric Cooperative provides power that is safe, affordable, reliable, and environmentally responsible for its member-consumers. It was great to visit with several members about current and future sustainable renewable energy in Iowa.

Pictured with Rep. Todd Taylor, Sen. Liz Mathis and Linn County Rural Electric Cooperative members

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Serious bipartisan work means planning and coordination, right down to the threads.

Shown here with Rep. Kevin Koester. We are both well-suited and ready to continue working together this session.

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Tuesday Morning I met with the Iowa Board of Regents and our University Presidents. I had the opportunity to discuss growth in enrollments, tuition, educational quality and academic standards, election results impact on foreign students, higher education funding, Iowa shortages of engineers and professional health care workers and mental health professionals from psychiatrists to direct-care workers (and all those in between).

Public Education remains the bedrock of the economy and the future of the state. We must continue our commitment to supporting quality education with adequate state funding for our preK-12 system, our community colleges and our Universities.

Pictured here with University of Iowa President, Bruce Harreld, and Senator Amada Ragan.

Having a cordial visit with University of Northern Iowa’s incoming President, Mark Nook

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Tuesday Morning during the American Cancer Society’s legislative reception I had the chance to speak with Gail Orcutt. Gail is a volunteer for the ACS’s Cancer Action Network, an amazing advocate and a cancer survivor. The Network’s legislative priorities for 2017 include:

• Support of efforts to prohibit minors from using tanning facilities
• Increased funding for Iowa’s Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Program
• Legislation to improve quality of life for all cancer patients
• Protecting funding for lifesaving cancer screening programs

In addition, they continue to support the testing and mitigation of dangerous Radon Gas in Iowa schools.

For more information, to volunteer or to donate, go to: www.acscan.org

Pictured here with ACS volunteer and advocate Gail Orcutt

Rep. Ashley Hinson and I visiting with Cedar Rapids attorney and American Cancer Society volunteer extraordinaire, Gary Streit.

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The first day of the session I joined a large group of public employees and representatives of progressive advocacy organizations from across the state in a press conference: “Standing together and Fighting back”.

This group represents a diverse coalition of organizations committed to standing together and fighting back against the right wing agenda that threatens the 2017 legislative session. The groups, represented at the press conference, want to hold conservative legislators accountable to Iowa’s public workers, Iowa voters, and Iowa women and refrain from passage of regressive legislation that would roll back worker rights, restrict access to voting and deny women health care and health care decisions.

The group announced the continuation of Moral Mondays Iowa (MMI). MMI is a project designed to highlight the progress at work in the Iowa legislature. Starting January 23, MMI will highlight new bills at noon eachMonday in room 304 of the capitol building. I look forward to working in support of these goals – fighting to protect the rights of Iowans.

For additional information on advocacy and Moral Mondays Iowa, go to http://interfaithallianceiowa.org/make-a-difference/moralmondaysiowa/

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Delighted to visit with Sara Yedlik, member of the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners and teacher colleague. Sara is a 2nd-5th grade PACT (Program for Academic and Creative Talent) Resource Specialist for the Cedar Rapids Community School District

We had a great conversation about the Board’s education priorities and how school funding is impacting our students’ achievement in Iowa schools. I intend to continue the fight this session, on the Education Committee and on the House floor, to make sure education is a legislative priority.
For more information visit: www.boee.iowa.gov

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Thursday was Solar Day at the Capitol, and that gave me the opportunity to speak with a fixture in the Iowa Solar industry and a former colleague in the Iowa House, Cedar Rapids resident Tyler Olson.
Tyler is the CEO of Paulson Electric, representing the fourth generation of family leadership for this Cedar Rapids based business. Tyler and I spoke about new solar installation projects in the Cedar Rapids/Linn County area and the important role renewable solar energy has had in spurring small business growth in Iowa.

For information about Paulson Electric’s Solar Projects visit: http://www.paulsonelectric.com/Featured-Project/Default.aspx

For information from the Iowa Department of Revenue regarding solar energy visit: https://tax.iowa.gov/solar-energy-system-tax-credits