From the Desk of Senator Donahue
Week 12 was a tough one for Iowa!
The AEA legislation, with four separate titles log-rolled into one bill, all of which were worse than the original bills, hit the floor for final passage.
As I stated in my speech, the Republicans who swore they would not take up the governor’s bill did exactly that — and this bill is just as damaging as the original. And maybe even worse. They did not listen to their constituents. They did not listen to who voted them in. Instead, they chose to go with the governor, against the majority of Iowans’ wishes.
Some school districts will get a bump in teacher salary, but not all. The biggest hit was the AEA dismantling and the lowered SSA, which is the supplemental school aid. SSA is the main funding for public schools and it was kicked back down to 2.5 percent — which is what the governor wanted when the House and the Senate were set for 3 percent. That half of a percent makes a huge difference in property tax rates for many schools. Because of the lowered SSA, some districts will have to raise property taxes to fund what the state isn’t. And, not to get too far into the weeds, that is because of something called budget guarantee. There is a certain amount of funding that is guaranteed to schools through using property taxes. When a school falls short due to state funding, they can take the rest out in property taxes.
Schools do not want to rely on that. Many districts have fought not to use that over the last few years, instead finding other ways to make ends meet. But underfunding by the Republican legislature for nearly a decade has taken its toll.
On a brighter note, we’re supposed to be finished in three weeks — for the sake of Iowa, I hope we are. I do hear that budgets are starting to come forward, so that means the beginning of the end is happening. The sooner the better, before more damage is done.
I hope before the end of session that bills that we need to pass come forward, but there are still a lot of bills out there that just aren’t helpful to Iowa.
I want to make sure to thank everyone who took the time and effort over the past 12 weeks to write emails, make calls, show up to forums, come to the Capitol, and who sent words of encouragement to me as I fought the bill in its many forms. Your efforts were tremendous! And though we did not get the outcome we all hoped for, I hope everybody across Iowa now knows what they need to do in November!
Thank You for Speaking Up
The AEA debate concluded this week. A majority of Senate Republicans passed a final version of the bill, and Gov. Reynolds signed it into law on Wednesday.
We’re disappointed in our colleagues and concerned for the future of education in our state. But we’re also incredibly thankful – for you. Over the last three months, Iowans rallied to defend our Area Education Agencies, and organized an unprecedented grassroots outreach effort.
Many people – maybe you were one of them! – contacted their legislators for the very first time to defend the AEAs and speak up for those without a voice at the Capitol. We owe these Iowans our gratitude. They put Iowa’s children first, and showed the state what was at stake in this debate.
It may not feel like it right now, but those efforts made a difference. The thousands of Iowans who spoke up changed the course of this legislation through the House and Senate. Because of their work, Republican lawmakers were unable to simply fast-track a bill and rubber-stamp the governor’s demands. Because of their work, this was not merely a party-line vote. And because of their work, Iowans saw their governor’s heavy-handed bullying tactics and witnessed her misplaced priorities.
So, what comes next? Over the coming months, Gov. Reynolds’ Department of Education will implement the law they’ve passed – and we need your help to hold them accountable. Please stay in touch. Email me and let me know how things are going in your community. We expect a lot of corrections and cleanup as this ill-advised law is implemented across Iowa. You can be our eyes and ears to make sure we address its very worst effects.
Quick Updates
- Measles on the rise. While Iowa has yet to see a confirmed case, several of our bordering states have had outbreaks. Luckily, vaccinations for measles are widely available – contact your primary health care provider to check whether you or your children are eligible for the vaccine. Health care providers would like to see higher measles vaccination rates in Iowa to provide better protection against the measles virus.
- Republican Attorney General Bird refuses to care for victims. One of the Attorney General Brenna Bird’s first move after taking office was to freeze state funding for health care services of victims of sexual assault. She claimed that she wanted to “audit” these services to determine if aiding victims of sexual assault was an appropriate use of state funding. Well over a year later, there has been no word whether the AG will restore this critical funding, while Senate Republicans refused to move Democratic legislation restoring services.
- Let’s expand access to birth control. It’s the right thing to do for Iowans, which is why Senate Democrats introduced a bill to allow pharmacists to prescribe over the counter birth control as part of our reproductive freedom agenda. Extreme Republicans at the Capitol have blocked this policy from moving forward, despite its clear value to Iowans.
- Digital safety for kids. Teaching younger Iowans how to navigate the digital landscape safely is critically important in a world where technology is a major part of everyday life. Several reputable organizations offer Interactive games and lessons to help kids navigate the online world safely. Check out PBS’s Cybersecurity Lab game and Google’s free interactive online safety resources. Check out these materials and more to help teach children to recognize and respond to cyberthreats.
- Wildflower updates in your inbox. Discover the renewal of spring with the Iowa DNR’s weekly woodland wildflower bloom report. Get anup-to-date list of woodland wildflowers in bloom each week until Mid-May. Early spring wildflowers are commonly called ephemerals, which means “short-lived.”
- Spring turkey season is coming. Iowa’s spring turkey hunt is spread among four seasons, allowing hunters to have a unique experience. Season one is April 8 through 11; season two is April 12 through 16; season three is April 17 through 23; and season four is April 24 through May 12. Hunters may purchase up to two tags, with at least one being in season four. Last spring, hunters reported a record harvest of nearly 14,850 turkeys, with birds harvested in all 99 counties. Nonresident hunting is limited to 2,148 tags annually.
- New Business Investments. The Iowa Economic Development Authority this week approved aid for two major business projects in Cedar Rapids:
- A High Quality Jobs program property tax exemption for Google’s planned $576 million data center. The project is expected to create 31 jobs with a qualifying wage of at least $31.44 per hour.
- High Quality Jobs program tax benefits for International Flavors & Fragrances’ construction of a new $17.5 million steam generation plant. The project is expected to create at least two jobs with a qualifying wage of at least $31.44 per hour.
This Week in the Capitol
Events Around the District
