From the Desk of Senator Trone Garriott
Clockwise from top left: SCR7 Sine Die resolution; Sudanese leaders in the Des Moines Metro visited the Iowa Senate to share a prayer for peace in Sudan and South Sudan; the majority party had referred to the minority a number of times as the “super minority” so we are embracing our super status with pins; the Girl Scout troop from Adel visited the Capitol.
The 2023 Legislative Session is Over
At 12:04 p.m. on Thursday, May 4, the 2023 legislative session adjourned sine die. Latin for “without a day,” sine die means the legislature has adjourned “with no appointed date for resumption,” until the next session.
First, I want to thank all the Iowans who reached out — and even showed up at the Capitol in person — to express their priorities and concerns to legislators. In every session, incredibly important decisions are made at the Iowa Capitol that directly impact the lives of the people in this state. I was heartened to see so many speaking out on the issues that matter to them. Each year it is an honor to serve my Iowa neighbors in our state Senate and stand up on behalf of your concerns. Please know that your voice matters and your communications do make a difference, even if you can’t always see the impacts directly. Many bad ideas did not move forward, and other bad bills were made somewhat better by pressure from the public. And it’s always a good thing to let legislators know that Iowans are paying attention!
This session, unfortunately, will go down in history as one of the most divisive and cruel ever seen in Iowa. Rather than working for Iowans, the Republican legislative majority was focused on carrying out a national agenda that targeted public schools, attacked LGBTQ Iowans, undermined longstanding child labor protections, took away food assistance from low income neighbors, and funneled millions of taxpayer dollars to private schools. Instead of responding to the needs of our state with real action, the Republican majority either looked away or offered policies to lower standards. Hot button issues were used to take away parental rights and local decision-making.
Throughout the session the majority party leadership sought new ways to shut the public out of their state government. A massive restructuring of state government consolidated power in the governor’s office, and was signed into law without amendment, despite the many significant concerns raised by Iowans. For the first time ever, blank budgets were filed and passed out of committee, taking away the public’s opportunity to comment and ask questions. Republican senators outright refused to publicly answer questions during debate, defying decades of long-standing norms in the Iowa Senate. A new law will restrict the independence of Iowa’s state auditor to investigate mismanagement and corruption in state agencies.
This session set our state back rather than moving it forward. But we must never forget: it doesn’t have to be this way.
We see the best of Iowa in our neighbors every day: integrity, kindness, generosity, optimism, hard work, fairness. It is not too much to expect our elected leaders to measure up to these values. Iowa is worthy of a state government that represents all. Iowans deserve legislators who listen, put the people first, and work together to solve the big challenges facing our state. Iowa is worth fighting for—and I will continue to show up and work hard no matter what!
A New Deal on Property Taxes
Last week the House and Senate came together to pass a $100 million property tax package that will benefit property tax payers.
For years big corporations and the wealthiest Iowans have been first in line for tax cuts – it’s about time ordinary Iowans caught a break, too. The property tax package passed this week is a step toward finally providing relief for the taxpayers who need it most.
Property taxes fund important city, county, and school needs. It will be important for the legislature to listen closely to our communities as this new tax policy goes into effect. It is not unheard of the legislature needing to revisit policy passed in previous years to make adjustments or fix outright errors — it happened this year. Check in with your city and county leaders to learn what these changes may mean in your area, and do not hesitate to share your thoughts with state legislators!
Quick Updates
- Thank a teacher: May 8-12 is Teacher Appreciation Week! We love our teachers and respect the hard work they do to strengthen our kids and our communities. Please take a moment to thank the teachers in your life this week – share with me about an educator you appreciate and I’ll send them a letter of appreciation! Get your nomination in this week!
- Mental Health Awareness Month: May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative has tools and resources you need to Make It OK in your workplace, school, community and beyond. Download the free Mental Health Awareness Month toolkit and spread the word about the fight against stigma in Iowa. Together we can #MakeItOK to not be OK.
- Water Quality Cuts. Since 2013, the Iowa Flood Center at the University of Iowa has been working with the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Center on supervising water quality monitoring across the state, including the network of approximately 70 sensors on Iowa’s streams and rivers that measure nitrate levels and send real-time data to the Iowa Water Quality Information System. But now, the budget written and supported by statehouse Republicans diverts one-third of the state’s funding for water quality projects. That adds up to a $500,000 cut to the Nutrient Reduction Center funding, and is almost guaranteed to hinder the Iowa Flood Center and water quality measurement statewide. No Democratic senators supported this step backwards on safe drinking water.
- $30M less for AEAs. Legislative Republicans are fond of claiming they don’t cut education, they just don’t fund it as much as public schools need. But this week, they explicitly cut $30 million from the state’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs), which provide special education and other essential services for students and schools across our state. AEAs have sustained cuts in funding every year, but this year’s $30 million cut could mean losing 8-12 staff members at each AEA – at a time when demand for AEA services will increase with the private-school voucher program enacted by Republicans earlier this year.
- Ending non-competes. Last week, Senate Democrats supported HF 93, which eliminates non-compete agreements for mental health professionals. The move will allow mental health professionals to provide services to Iowans immediately after leaving any hospital, removing contract restrictions on future employment. While Senate Republicans need to do more to support our state’s lackluster mental health infrastructure, this legislation is a move in the right direction.
- Improving the probate system. The Senate moved a bill last week making a wide range of fixes to the probate code. It will give more flexibility and protections for the inheritance of minors who have lost their parents, and it will simplify the transition for people who can’t afford long-term care but have too much income for Medicaid. Moving loved ones into long-term care can be a stressful and complicated time, and I’m glad we’ve taken steps to simplify it.
- Inaction on opioids. Republicans in the legislature refused to invest the opioid settlement funds awarded to the State of Iowa this session. Their inaction requires over $20 million (and quickly growing) to languish for another year. Those funds should be helping people right now, and instead, Republicans have chosen to let people suffer until next session.
This Week in the Capitol
If I was in a Wes Anderson Film:
Winners:
Pack it up:
Partisan meddling in party politics:
We adjourned, then I came right back:
