I’m Listening to You
As your state Iowa Representative, an essential part of my job is to gather feedback and listen to your ideas and concerns, and to keep you informed of the key issues and bills that come before the Iowa House.
When session began, I asked you what you thought about some of the important issues in the Iowa Legislature and asked for you to share your priorities for the 2015 session. My thanks to all of you who responded to the survey.
An overwhelming majority of you (80 to 90%) said that we should work together to expand job training opportunities at community colleges in order to address Iowa’s skilled worker shortage, expand the production of wind, solar, and biofuels to create good jobs and use more renewable energy resources, strengthen Iowa’s Nutrient Strategy to improve our water quality, and make sure that every child has access to early childhood education. And 73% of you supported raising the minimum wage.
In addition to the survey, I hope to hear your ideas and issues throughout session. My weekly newsletter is designed to give you updates from the Iowa House, present some highlights, and keep us connected during session.
I’m accessible to you in a variety of ways during the week and on weekends, when I’m back home during the legislative session. In addition to listening posts and local forums, you can reach me by email, art.staed@legis.iowa.gov, or call me at the Capitol at 515-281-3221 during the week. We can also stay connected through social media: Facebook or Twitter.
If you are interested in knowing even more, the Iowa Legislature’s webpage www.legis.iowa.gov has a lot of information for you. Besides reading the bills and finding out what happened in the House or Senate, on any given day, you can listen or watch our debates live when we are in session. All of the debates are then stored in a video archive that allows you to watch at your convenience.
Education Update
This week the Senate passed SF171 and SF174 to boost education funding by 4% each year for the next two years. These bills are on their way to the Iowa House, where we approved only 1.25% funding along a party-line vote – and only for next year. House Democrats offered 6% supplemental aid but the bill was defeated here in the Republican-controlled House.
The additional school funding is critical. Nearly every school district in the state has testified that 1.25% funding would lead to school closings, firing of teachers, shortages of resources and an increase in local property taxes. This would also put Iowa children at a great disadvantage with fewer teachers and resources, larger classes, the loss of individualized attention, cuts in course opportunities and a drop in student achievement.
Iowa’s school funding has dropped from the top 10 in the country in the early 1990s, adjusted for cost of living, to 28th in the country. In actual dollars, we are now 35th in the country – with $1,612 per student below the national average. It is projected that he 1.25% funding, if enacted, would drop Iowa’s commitment to 40th in the country.
Some say that even a 4% funding growth would be too costly. But the state’s reserves are full, revenues are up 5.7% compared to last year, and failing to fund our K-12 schools adequately would negatively impact student opportunity and achievement – creating additional and substantial costs in the future. Investing in education is one of the smartest investments we can make, and 4% is the minimum necessary to give our students a great education.
You can help convince House members to vote for 4% by calling Representatives at the House switchboard, 515-281-3221, or by e-mailing House members at their e-mail addresses available at the legislative web site, www.legis.iowa.gov/
Bernie Lettington came to Des Moines for Animal Welfare Lobby Day at the capitol. A visit from a constituent was a great way to start the week! Bernie spoke with me about a variety of animal welfare issues, including horses.
My mother-in-law’s kitty, Marley, was rescued from the Cedar Valley Humane Society. Marley has been a terrific companion for Lucille King and I have a soft spot for him also (I’ve nick-named him Bob : ) To adopt a pet, donate or contribute to the Humane Society: http://www.cvhumane.org/
Over fifty activists boarded the bus at Cedar Rapids Monday morning to come to the state house and lobby for animal welfare, including providing additional state inspectors for Iowa’s breeding facilities. Iowa ranks second for commercial breeding establishments, but provides little oversight into their management. Last year, the USDA found that 47% of these establishments were in violation of laws.
Constituents, Sandra Galer, along with Kristina Aguilar, Annie Lester and Denise Mineck, shared stories about their own adopted/rescued pets.
“He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” – Immanuel Kant
Design Professionals Day on the Hill means an opportunity to visit with constituents, Joe Tursi and Chris Wand. Joe is President of AIA Iowa (American Institute of Architects) and Chris serves on the Board of Directors. We had a good discussion about the Statute of Repose, Design-Build-Bridging and Good Samaritan Protection.
Joe is with OPN Architects and Chris is with Primus. You can see some of the impressive projects these two firms have completed in Cedar Rapids, here: http://www.opnarchitects.com/ andhttp://primusconstruction.com/
The Iowa Assoc. of Realtors had numerous Cedar Rapidians attending their annual legislative day at the Capitol. Great visit with constituents, Kevin Platzand Sheryl Jahnel about radon mitigation and property ordinances. It’s wonderful to have so many realtors at the statehouse, sharing their ideas about community improvements with legislators!
Carla Andorf is the Operations Director for Kirkwood’s IowaWORKS program. IowaWorks is a partnership between Iowa Workforce Development and Community Colleges with a goal of connecting Iowans to jobs, and employers to workers- for free! Workshops are centered on assisting with job search, including resumes, money management, social media, cover letters, conflict resolution. Also pictured are Michelle Rich and Indira Blazevic Karic, both Senior Program Managers with the State Public Policy Group in West Des Moines.
With an improving economy, workforce offices are also serving more Iowans with significant barriers to employment. These barriers may include: lack of affordable childcare, disability, mental illness, lack of basic skills, lack of transportation, criminal background, and chronic disease.
If you are looking for a job, please check into the many services Kirkwood provides to assist you in your search: http://www.kirkwood.edu/
Principal Financial Group, led by President Dan Houston, hosted a legislative reception at their renovated offices in Des Moines. Principal is Des Moines’ largest employer (over 6,000 workers at its campus). Principal made a major investment in Iowa with this renovation with a cost of more than 200 million dollars. (Dan says the staff are really enjoying the delicious food prepared in the new cafeteria!)
Community, natural resources and quality of life issues are among their legislative priorities.
Meredith Corp. held a legislative reception Tuesday and it was great to learn more about this media, marketing powerhouse. Art Slusark, VP of Corporate Communications, informed us that the Des Moines location houses the corporate headquarters with more than 1,000 employees. The company was founded in 1902, publishing Successful Farming magazine – a few years later adding Better Homes and Gardens. But House Minority Leader, Mark Smith was most interested in their premier of Wood magazine in 1984. Mark is quite a craftsman and has used some of the designs from the mag to create beautiful wood pieces. He’s shown here with a cutting board he crafted from a Wood magazine pattern.
Good to hear of successful Iowa businesses….and talented legislators!
The Iowa Motorsports Coalition sponsored a legislative reception to thank legislature for our work. I enjoyed talking dirt bikes and race cars with Andy Kyner of Van Wall Powersport, and Alan Rodenborn, President of the IA Motorcycle Dealer’s Association. Iowa has a large variety of motor sports, including Hawkeye Downs and the Iowa Speedway, as well as dozens of other venues for racing enthusiasts.
Dr. Thomas Benzoni, Asst Professor of Family Medicine at Des Moines University, spoke with me about mental health issues. Dr. Benzoni is an emergency room physician who, along with many other doctors, is concerned about the lack of system capacity for handling mental health patients. Of immediate concern are the numbers of psychosocial cases where patients are transported outside of their communities and away from their support network.
Dr. Yogesh Shah is Associate Dean for Global Health at Des Moines University. Dr. Shah is a geriatrician who is trained to meet the unique healthcare needs of older adults.
Dr. Mark Menadue is President of Acute Care, Inc., and an attorney to boot. Dr. Menadue and I discussed Medicaid reimbursement rates and payment parity for telemedicine services. Telemedicine is widely accepted across the country, but has stalled in Iowa. I will be working with my colleagues to expand the use of telemedicine to provide unmet care needs in rural Iowa.
Constituents Tim Campbell and Keith Earle spoke with me Wednessday about hepatitis C virus (HCV), the most common chronic blood-borne infection in the U.S. It’s estimated that 38,000 – 54,000 Iowans are living with chronic hepatitis C. The good news is that a decades-long search for better treatments for the debilitating liver disorder is finally coming to fruition. The bad news is that this medicine is expensive – 1,000 dollars a pill taken daily for 12 weeks. That’s 84 Thousand Dollars!
Tim and Keith, and the organization they represent, CHAIN (Community HIV and Hepatitis Advocates of Iowa Network), are asking the legislature to provide continued state support of the Viral Hepatitis Prevention Program. The program allows the IA Dept of Public Health to: find Iowans who have hepatitis C but who don’t know it, to immunize Iowans against hepatitis A and B, and to refer Iowans for additional support and treatment.
Unsure if you should be tested? Following is a link to the Center for Disease Control’s testing recommendations: http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/
Representing The Heritage Area Agency on Aging in Cedar Rapids were Sandy Sandra Bell, Shirley Geadelmann, and Kirkwood intern Kaitlin Miller. We discussed elderly abuse laws, Lifelong Links, case management and meals for home bound seniors. I learned that last year, Lifelong LInks (Iowa’s Aging and Disability Resource Centers) received 55,951 calls for support with the most common referrals made to: insurance counseling, financial assistance, home & community based services, housing options, and nutrition. Iowa’s six Area Agencies on Aging provided a staggering 2,597,350 meals to Iowans! With Federal funding decreasing, it’s more important than ever to fund our food banks – to take care of our most vulnerable citizens.
Brian Waller, President of Technology Association of Iowa, in partnership with Dee Baird, President of the CR Metro Economic Alliance, is hosting “Tech Brew” events in Cedar Rapids. These mixers bring entrepreneurs, technologists, business people and funders together to visit in an informal setting. TAI also has launched Tech Hub in Cedar Rapids for Iowa students. Tech Hub partners member companies with local area school districts to increase the awareness of tech-related careers and engage students and educators through public/private partnerships. This involves clubs, job shadowing, presentations, internships, mentoring and more. TAI provides a wealth of resources and support, including the program’s three Web sites for students, educators and parents. More info here:http://www.technologyiowa.org/
Members of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) met with Representative Mary Mascher and myself about many educational issues. ASCD is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose members are educators from all levels and subject areas. Topics covered in today’s meeting include: high-needs schools, English Language Learners, bullying, school start date, supplemental aid, flexibility in at-risk program funding, pre-school, teacher leadership compensation, and assessments. I believe we covered most of the key issues being addressed in the Education Committee this Session. Led by ASCD Director, Dr. Susan Pecinovsky, the group provided valuable input and support for public school educational priorities and excellence. The goal of ASCD was clear – to ensure that all students are successful.
It was thrilling to meet with so many college students pursuing teaching degrees! This group is attending UNI’s College of Education, and I was most impressed with their enthusiasm and dedication to making a difference in students’ lives.
UNI graduates approximately 500 new teachers each year, with a 96% employment rate or enrollment in graduate school. As our universities prepare professionals to “Educate, Serve, and Lead”, I am optimistic that the legislature will adequately fund our K-12 schools. Pictured here with: Grace Nielsen, Rachael Johnson, Bridget Tharp, Bailey Wright and the Associate Dean of UNI’s College of Education, Dr. Mary Herring.
Representative Helen Miller speaking to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority members. Some of the Sorority’s legislative priorities include: providing affordable housing for low income citizens, raising the minimum wage, impact of the grand jury process on the African-American community, and funding behavioral health programs.
There was a press conference held today at the Capitol on disparities in Iowa’s criminal justice system. According to the Sentencing Project, there are four key aspects to addressing this issue (read the full report here: http://www.sentencingproject.
1. Acknowledge the cumulative nature of racial disparities
2. Encourage communication across players in all decision points of the system
3. Know that what works at one decision point may not work at others
4. Work toward systemic change
Iowa jails 9.4 percent of its adult African American males, which is the third highest in the nation. Obviously, we have a serious problem; recognizing this and raising awareness is a good first step to problem-solving, but it’s time for the legislature to act.
The Iowa Dept. of Revenue hosted a reception Thursday to meet with legislators and let us know more about the work they do. Greg Stokke and Patty Fulton have been with IDR for over 30 years, while Marcus Walton is a newbie with just 2 1/2 months on the job. Good to visit with this hard-working crew!
By the way, it’s tax season. Last year, 89% of Iowans filed their income tax returns electronically. You may qualify to eFile for free. More information here:https://tax.iowa.gov/
On a more light-hearted note, one of Susan’s favorite monkey’s, Curious George, came to the Capitol on behalf of Iowa Public Television. A noncommercial, public-service mission enables IPTV to present an unequaled array of programs of lasting value to Iowans, regardless of where they live or what they can afford. More than one million viewers a week turn to IPTV for programming that reflects a range of interests for Iowans in all demographic categories. We enjoyed a healthy snack of bananas and fruit with George before heading on to the next committee meeting.
(This pic is for our grandkids! Check out this fun, interactive Curious George page: http://pbskids.org/
Continue Reading the Statehouse News
To read the rest of my Statehouse News go to:http://iowahouse.org/
