Capitol Comments

EDUCATION

After the House and Senate approved differing plans on education this session, we’ve sent them both to a conference committee that will work to find consensus on a single plan that can pass both chambers and get the Governor’s signature. It’s a step in the right direction and I’m optimistic we will find common ground, but time is of the essence.

That’s because the bill also includes the critical school funding piece for the upcoming school year, called “allowable growth”. I have strongly support 4% allowable growth, which has already been approved by the Senate. It was supposed to be set last year, but was blocked by Republicans and the Governor who both refused to take action. Instead of taking quick action this session, the Governor issued an ultimatum and insisted lawmakers address his “education reform” bill first.

By next week, most schools will have approved budgets for the next school year – as they are required to do by law — without knowing the state funding level. We’ve already begun to see the negative consequences of the state funding delay as school boards are being forced to send notices about teacher layoffs, to raise class sizes, and delay technology improvements.

School leaders have been warning us for months that this would happen but Republicans and the Governor have refused to listen or act. With our schools in a terrible bind right now, we must work to resolve our differences in the conference committee as quickly as possible to end the uncertainty for schools.

School Funding Basics to help explain “Allowable Growth”:

Enrollment: Much of the funding for Iowa schools is based on the number of students served by a district. The number of students enrolled by the third Friday in September determines a school district’s budget. More students may enroll after this date, but the budget is set.

Sources of Revenue: The money to fund the school budget comes from a mix of state aid and local property taxes, along with a small amount (less than 4 percent) from federal funding. The ratio of property tax and state aid supporting a district’s budget varies by district. Property-rich districts receive less state aid, and so on. Because of the school funding formula, when allowable growth rates are low, it often means a greater burden for local property taxpayers.

Equity: To ensure that every Iowa child has access to a quality education, Iowa law requires that the “cost per student” across the state be equal.

Allowable Growth: The Iowa Legislature controls the annual increase in dollars available per student. This is called “allowable growth.” Allowable growth is the most significant and equitable way to control and provide adequate funding for Iowa schools.

Employees: A school district budget is “people intensive.” With salaries and benefits comprising over 80 percent of the average school district budget, the allowable growth has a huge impact on the ability of our schools to attract the best teachers and pay all teachers and other school employees a fair and just wage for the important work they do with our students.

Flexibility: School districts are required by law to maintain separate funds for things such as buildings, property insurance, and food service. These “restricted funds” cannot be used for other purposes. Some funds for academic purposes are provided by the state through “categorical” programs, which require the funds to be spent for a specific purpose, such as technology or reducing class sizes. Allowable growth provides the greatest flexibility, allowing decisions about how funds are spent to be made by local communities based on their own students’ needs.

THE SECOUND “FUNNEL” 

This week marks the second self-imposed deadline of the session (a second “funnel”) to winnow the number of bills still eligible for debate and move toward adjournment for the year. I’m pleased that some of our priorities are still alive this year; however, there are several common sense bills already approved by the Senate that Republicans defeated in the House this year.

At the top of the list is HF187 expanding our anti-bullying law to include social media and keep kids safe in schools. It was crafted after a bullying prevention summit last fall and has strong bi-partisan support. However, it was killed by Republican leaders after 16 GOP lawmakers joined forces with an extreme political & religious group and spoke out against an anti-bullying conference, the 8th Annual Iowa Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth. The GOP lawmakers also threatened to hold up funding for Iowa’s 15 community colleges if Des Moines Area Community College didn’t withdraw as a sponsor of the conference.

Legislation aimed at preventing window falls, SF381, will not advance after a House committee chairman, Republican Chip Baltimore of Boone, declined to bring it up for debate on Wednesday. The bill would have required state building codes to include new window standards in hotels, motels and multifamily dwellings. This legislation has been a passion for Shanda Boone and Jamie Geneser, a Des Moines couple whose 4-year-old daughter died in 2011 after falling out of a third-story window. The bill was passed in the Iowa Senate and cleared a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee earlier this week. After learning that the bill would not make the “funnel” this week, Jamie Geneser commented, “I’m confident it would’ve passed in the full committee and I’m confident I had enough votes that it would’ve passed on the floor”.

A bill requiring schools to test for the cancer-causing gas radon, SF 49, failed to advance in a Republican-majority House State Government subcommittee Wednesday. Republican Rep. Matt Windschitl of Missouri Valley said, “The overall concern is the property tax implication.” The lack of Republican’s support in the House means the bill is unlikely to survive a legislative deadline this week. The Democrat-controlled Senate last month approved the bill. The legislation would have required public and private schools to test for the gas and install a system to expel it from buildings. The bill would also have required residential construction companies to install pipes to extract the gas from new homes built after Jan. 1, 2015. Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that can leak through cracks in building foundations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calls radon the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. The agency also says Iowa’s 99 counties are in the agency’s highest risk zone for gas exposure. (Excerpts included from www.Omaha.com Apr. 4, 2012)

Senate File 337, a bill mandating suicide-prevention training for teachers, won Senate approval in March but will not be brought up in the House, the chamber’s Education Committee chairman, Republican Ron Jorgensen or Sioux City, confirmed. The bill would have mandated suicide prevention and mental health awareness training for all teachers as part of their teaching license renewal. The legislation has been championed by Johnston Middle School Principal Brian Carico, whose teenage son committed suicide last year. “There’s a lot of support there,” he said of the bill. “I don’t understand why they’re stalling it out.”

Even HF 93, the “Made in Iowa” legislation that I co-sponsored to help Iowa manufacturers and small businesses hire new employees and grow their Iowa businesses by giving them first opportunity at state and local government contracts will “die” this week in the House Commerce Committee where Republican Peter Cownie of West Des Moines is the chair. The proposal would have given Iowa businesses a boost and keep more of Iowans’ taxpayer money from going out of the state or to China or India. It’s an idea that many of you supported during the campaign and it’s a common sense bill that should have garnered strong bi-partisan support this year in the legislature. Currently, state and local governments must accept the lowest bid in any circumstance even if an Iowa business only bids $1 more than an out-of-state company. The “Made in Iowa” proposal would have allowed Iowa-based businesses to match the bid if it was within 5 percent or $10,000, whichever was lower, of the lowest bid.

MEDICAID IN IOWA

Every Iowan needs access to mental health care. Iowa’s hospitals, mental health professionals and state and local governments are working together to make sure our mental health system works for all of us. But the problem can’t be solved when thousands of low-income Iowans are left uninsured. If Iowa is serious about improving mental health, we must insure as many Iowans as possible. We can do it, and Iowa can afford it, through Medicaid expansion.This video shows how Medicaid expansion and improving access mental health care are inextricably linked. – provided by Kirk Norris, President and CEO of Iowa Hospital Association.

I am supporting Medicaid expansion in Iowa. At the Governor’s request, authorization to expand Medicaid is stalled in the Republican controlled House. If you favor Medicaid expansion in Iowa, please call Governor Terry Branstad and let him know at 515-281-5211.

– Representative Art Staed

I was honored to have my mother-in-law, Rev. Lucille King, provide the prayer at start of Session Monday. After delivering a beautiful prayer in the House, she then did the same in Senate Chambers. Constituent Sue Lewis accompanied Lucille to Des Moines. They enjoyed a Capitol tour and also attended part of the Democrat caucus. I learned that Sue’s father was a Pocahontas County Supervisor for 24 years, so the legislative process is one she’s familiar with! Susan and I had a wonderful time visiting with Lucille and Sue.

Had a great time visiting with constituents at two Hy-Vee locations last weekend. Conversation topics included: school funding, class size and reform; MH/DD; Medicaid expansion; CAFOs and nutrient runoff; gun rights legislation; bullying in schools and workforce training. I met with several who had never attended a forum or listening post before with a legislator. It’s good to see people become more involved in the process and become more aware of the influence of state government!

U of I Director of Alumni Relations, Courtney Blind, told me that family-owned popcorn producer, Jolly Time, is headquartered right here in Iowa. It’s the oldest popcorn company in the US and employs about 180 people. Iowa business alum, Steve Huisenga, is the VP of sales at Jolly Time. As popcorn is my wife’s favorite snack food (and sometimes dinner), I was pleased to get a sample to take home.

Dr. Erica Colleran of Iowa City Dermatology provided free skin cancer screenings at the Capitol for legislators and staff.

Some facts I learned:

• Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.
• Malignant melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer.
• Exposure to tanning beds increases a person’s risk of developing melanoma by 75%.
• The World Health Organization has classified tanning devices into the highest cancer risk category (carcinogenic to humans).

Due to the foolish use of tanning beds in my youth and unprotected exposure to the outdoor sun, I damaged my skin and now have actinic keratosis (a pre-cancerous condition) which requires constant vigilance under the care of a Dermatologist. I urge you to use sunscreen, limit exposure to harmful rays- outdoors or in a tanning bed.

Tuesday was U of I’s 3rd Annual Hawkeye Caucus Day at the Capitol. President Sally Mason and I spoke about important stuff – the delicious pizza at New Bo Market in Cedar Rapids! The two of us shared common concerns: we don’t get over to the Market often enough. Seriously, I am thankful for Ms. Mason’s leadership at the University of Iowa, and am very proud that we have some of the finest educational institutions in the country.

met with 3D Design grad students and teaching assistants

(In above two photos) I met with 3D Design grad students and teaching assistants, Shelley Xie and Allison Holden, concerning 3D design and 3D printing using Leonardo software. Another awesome program of study found at our own U of I.

With Exec Director of the Nat. Assoc. of Social Workers, Kelli Johnson Soyer, and student intern, Mazie Johnson. My wife’s daughter, Kirsten Sowell, and sister, Martha Stuter, are both social workers and I have a tremendous respect and appreciation for the work they do for families. (btw, NASW is yet ANOTHER group in support of Medicaid expansion.)

Speaking with Jeff Capps.

Jeff’s background in journalism, fine arts and education has prepared him well to serve as Executive Director of Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity. Habitat seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the Cedar Valley area and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Since the flood, they have helped construct dozens of homes in the Cedar Rapids area. After visiting with Jeff, my wife plans on heading to the Restore soon….I think she has another project planned.

You can volunteer at Habitat for Humanity by calling (319) 366-4485 or emailing volunteer@cvhabitat.org

Joshua and Jonathon were both born with phenylketonuria, a hereditary condition in which the body fails to properly process an amino acid called phenylalanine. Because of early detection at birth, the boys receive treatment and are normal, active kids. Undetection could lead to severe mental disabilities. Joshua and Jonathon’s mother was at the Capitol lobbying for insurance coverage of the nutritional formula which keeps the roughly 300 Iowans with PKU healthy. The formula costs between $3,000 and $10,000 per child per year, much less than the estimated $4 Million that undetected PKU would cost. It was wonderful to see Joshua and Jonathon; a real-life example of the amazing benefits of a simple, inexpensive newborn test.

National Advanced Driving Simulator

(Above two photos) Program Manager of MiniSim, Andrew Veit, spoke to me about the various uses for NADS (National Advanced Driving Simulator), including industrial and commercial applications. Andrew’s team is currently developing algorithms associated with behavior in order to predict driver responses. The simulator demonstrated that risky driving behavior produces bad results. : )

During Trees Forever Day at the Capitol, I had a great visit with this group from Marion: County Supervisor, Brent Oleson; Trees Forever CEO, Shannon Ramsay; Field Coordinator, Dustin Hinrichs; and Special Projects Coordinator, Heath Hupke. We spoke about Iowa’s trees and woodlands, tree health issues and threats, the benefits of trees, and much more.

Trees Forever will be at EcoFest on April 20th in the NewBo district in CR (and I will be, too). For more information click here:

http://www.treesforever.org/Events/20130420/503/EcoFest-2013-Cedar-Rapids-IA.aspx

It’s not every day an 8 month old visits House Chambers. This little guy was enamored with my “Governor, Medicaid Matters” button. Hmmm, perhaps Adrian understands with child-like clarity the importance of Medicaid expansion for another 130,000+ uninsured Iowans!

Read More from the Iowa House

To read the rest of the Statehouse News go to: http://iowahouse.org/StatehouseNews/4-5-13.html