From the Desk of Senator Trone Garriott
Clockwise starting from top left: Waukee Prairieview students at the Iowa Safe Schools Governor’s Conference; I sat down to Iftar dinner with the Ezan Bosnian Muslim Community before Ramadan ended this week; Following the HF2680 vote legislators posed with Fire Fighters who had been advocating for years to get the changes to the 411 system; Waukee NW Student Lily Severson has been interning in the Senate all session and spent the day shadowing me; Groundbreaking for the new public safety building on the western edge of Waukee; Rep. Judge and I at our favorite event: Waukee HS Warrior Awards.
Do You Want the Good News or Bad News First?
Let’s start with the good. The Senate was in debate all week and a few good things came out of the chamber.
House File 2668 makes biomarker testing more accessible by requiring more insurers to cover this practice. These tests can help determine targeted treatments for better outcomes. Adel resident Maria Steele was sitting in the gallery when the bill passed. Biomarker testing made all the difference for her cancer treatment. Watch her story here. The bill was amended so it does need to go back to the House, please contact representatives.
House File 2680 makes helpful changes for municipal police and firefighters covered under the 411 pension plan, including: cumulative workplace related injuries, mental health and PTSD, and allows for work-based injuries to be discovered up to three years after retirement. This bill passed the House unanimously a number of times of the last several years but died in the Senate when the Majority leader refused to let it come to a vote. I have some thoughts about why it finally passed this year.
House File 2661 updates the Sheriff and Deputies section of the Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) in terms of benefits and adds a 1.5-percent annual cost of living increase. Different law enforcement entities are on different pension plans, and the pension benefits had varied significantly between municipal police, state police, and sheriffs departments. This has been a challenge in recruiting and retaining personnel, especially when there is competition between different law enforcement entities for quality candidates. For many different public employees, IPERS retirement benefits are a significant tool for recruitment and retention — and of great value to our state.
And now the bad news…
The legislature hasn’t adjourned yet. The House and the Senate Republican Majority are still far apart on their budget numbers. This is the point when policy bills start getting used as leverage to negotiate. Some bills (both good and bad) that seemed to be dead might come back to life. Other bills took new amendments in our chamber and got tossed back to the House. Here are a couple of bills that I am concerned about that are headed back to the House:
Senate File 2385 makes significant changes to Iowa’s Boards and Commissions, eliminating, reducing, consolidating these entities–and therefore the opportunity for the public to have a voice in matters of professional licensing, health, safety, and government oversight. This is part of the Governor’s broader effort to consolidate power in her office as she restructures state government. We heard from so many members of the public concerned about these changes.
House File 2586 was amended to remove funding required School Resource Officers in public schools of a certain size, but then was amended to remove any funding for these staff. The most troubling aspect of the bill is allowing staff to carry firearms in school buildings with minimal training. I spoke with law enforcement about the rigorous training they receive and the strategies (continuum of force, preclusion, safe storage) they employ to use their weapons safety and only as a last resort. This legislation requires none of these best practices to be taught to school staff who seek to be armed in a building full of children.
Also in State Government this week…
On April 10th the Governor announced a competitive grant program for summer feeding sites.
Previously, on the Friday before the Christmas holiday, the governor announced she was rejecting $29 million in federal feeding assistance that would have benefitted 240,000 Iowa children in every corner of the state.
The Summer EBT program is a permanent program offered to support students who qualify for free and reduced lunch when school is not in session. These cards are mailed to families so they can spend $120 per child in local grocery stores. The governor rejected this opportunity despite other Republican governor’ taking part in the program. Instead, she’s now announced $900,000 for summer feeding programs over a three-year period – and Iowa communities must compete for the grants. These funds are coming from one-time federal American Rescue Plan dollars. Summer feeding sites are not available in every district, every county, or even every legislative district. Last year, summer feeding sites assisted less than 20,000 children in our state. The governor’s program is crumbs compared to the federal program she rejected.
Also this week, the Iowa Supreme Court heard arguments about the governor’s abortion ban. This law was passed in a special session last July, but was put on hold till the court could make a ruling as to its constitutionality. The court now has until June 30th to issue a ruling.
Earlier this year, we introduced a legislative package defending reproductive freedom – including an amendment to the Iowa Constitution that will guarantee the fundamental right to reproductive freedom and ensure safe and legal access to abortion. Reproductive freedom is the foundation for strong families, and allows all Iowans to plan for their futures and live the lives they want.
- A Constitutional Right to Reproductive Freedom:Senate Joint Resolution 2001: This resolution enshrines the fundamental right to reproductive freedom in Iowa’s State Constitution through a constitutional amendment. This includes the right to prenatal and childbirth care, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and infertility care. Restrictions imposed by the state would be subject to strict scrutiny by the courts, the highest constitutional standard.
- Over-the-Counter Birth Control:Senate File 2141: This bill permits pharmacists to order and dispense birth control without requiring a doctor’s prescription, increasing access to birth control and contraceptives across Iowa.
- Family Planning Services for Iowans:Senate File 2137: This bill reinstates the State Family Planning program. Republicans defunded this program in 2017, drastically limiting the number of providers able to provide family-planning resources to low-income families.
- Postpartum Medicaid Coverage: Senate File 57: This bill provides postpartum coverage for pregnant Iowans for up to 12 months after pregnancy, up from the current 60-day requirement. This bill aligns with federal requirements, ensuring all eligible Iowans can access postpartum care.
- Right to Contraception: Senate File 2135: The legislation codifies Iowans’ right to access and obtain contraception and prohibits health providers from adopting limitations or requirements that would impede access to contraceptives. It also preempts any future state or local government restrictions on contraceptive access and authorizes enforcement for violations of the law.
Quick Updates
- Justice for Iowa Survivors. The Iowa Senate this week passed a bill opening the door for Iowa survivors who suffered abuse as Boy Scouts to receive their full award from the Boy Scout Settlement Bankruptcy Trust. The national settlement agreement had lowered the award eligibility for Iowans because of Iowa’s laws limiting legal options for abused minors, but it will allow the full award if there’s a change in Iowa law before the deadline. The bill makes that needed change – but it still must be passed in the House and signed by the governor before April 19.
- Beware the Grandparent Scam. The Attorney General released an alert regarding an uptick in Grandparent Scam calls, in which the scammer targets an older Iowan by pretending to be a grandchild in crisis. This is particularly dangerous now that AI technology can clone the voice of a loved one. If you believe you or someone you know has been targeted by a grandparent scam, report it to the Attorney General’s Office at 888-777-4590 or file a complaint online.
- Iowa Legislature starves public universities. As state support goes down, tuition goes up, shifting the financial burden to Iowa students and families – and Iowa’s defunding of higher education rates among the worst in the nation, according to a new “State Higher Education Finance” report. The funding included in Senate Republicans’ proposed higher education budget for the coming year is $72 million below what it was almost 15 years ago.
- Iowa needs more mental health. The Iowa Mental Health Practitioner Loan Repayment program is an important effort to get more mental health practitioners working in Iowa, which ranks near the bottom nationally in the availability of care. The program provides loan repayment benefits for up to five years of full-time service, with a maximum award of $40,000. This year, the state received 121 qualified applicants – but provided funding for just 13 awards.
- IBAT Expanding. Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking (IBAT) now has 600 members in nearly every county in our state. IBAT is a statewide recognition and education program from the Iowa Secretary of State’s office that empowers businesses to help in the fight to end human trafficking through trainings and outreach opportunities. If you have a business or organization, join today and help make Iowa a trafficking-free state.
- Community Food Conference. The Community Food Systems Program and the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition will hold a conference on June 13 and 14 in Iowa City. The conference is open to the public, with food-systems practitioners, K-12 school district staff and early care and education providers encouraged to attend. Early-bird registration is open through April 15. Registration closes May 31. Click here for more information.
This Week in the Capitol
