From the Desk of Senator Staed
Legislative Listening Post
Please join Representative Aime Wichtendahl and me for our first Legislative Listening Post this Saturday, 10 – 11 am, January 25th at the Ladd Library, 3750 Williams Blvd SW.
Meet My Clerk!
Every Iowa State Senator is helped in their legislative efforts by a clerk. Clerks are trusted aids working for a singular senator on all manner of issues. They serve as administrative assistants, communicators, schedulers, sounding boards, and confidants. Clerks help senators manage their legislative portfolios, committee and subcommittee assignments, bill filings, and amendments. They play an indispensable role in the Iowa Senate.
I’m ever so thankful to have my partner in life by my side in the legislature. Susan has had unique work experiences as a small motel manager/operator, office manager for a retirement complex, and coffee shop owner – all of which helped prepare her for the various duties required in the legislature. When not working, she enjoys spending as much time outdoors as possible (in warm weather, that is) walking, biking and gardening. She has a voracious appetite for reading, working crossword puzzles, and beating me at Scrabble. Fun fact – when we met, I’d finish my teaching job and come work for her at her coffee shop. Now the tables are turned, and she works for me!
Putting Iowa Families First through Paid Leave
This week I signed on to co-sponsor a piece of legislation designed to help provide economic security to Iowa families: the Iowa Family and Medical Leave Act.
We’ve all experienced unexpected emergencies that require our immediate attention. Unfortunately, taking time away from work to deal with those emergencies isn’t possible for many Iowa families due to the potential lost pay. This bill empowers working Iowans to care for their loved ones with one fewer worry during their time away from work. It’s a critical step in creating a better deal for Iowans through increased opportunity and economic security.
The United States is the only industrialized nation without paid family leave for private sector workers. Here at home, 79% of Iowa private sector workers are without access to paid family leave through their employers. That’s about 1,371,000 working Iowans who could be forced to make impossible choices between caring for their loved ones and providing financial stability for their families.
The Iowa Family and Medical Leave Act, SF109, establishes a family and medical leave insurance program to provide paid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. The bill is an extension and modernization of the unpaid, federal Family and Medical Leave Act and is reflective of present and future workforce needs.
Putting families first means providing real coverage for working Iowans during times of emergency, and I’m proud to join the entire Senate Democratic caucus in supporting SF109.
Private School Vouchers: Where is the Oversight?
We’re now in Year 2 of the taxpayer-funded private school voucher program here in Iowa. As has been the case throughout the program’s short existence, we have had to deal with an appalling lack of transparency from the governor’s office, and we still have many unanswered questions. Here are a few things we know at present.
Vouchers are now, and have always been, a subsidy for families who already sent their children to private schools.
- This school year, 79% of voucher recipients already attended private schools. That’s a double-digit increase from Year 1.
In most of the state, Iowa kids do not have increased access to private schools.
- 51% of school districts have fewer than 10 students utilizing private school vouchers.
The private school voucher program continues to vastly exceed projected costs, ballooning state spending despite shrinking revenues.
- In Year 1, vouchers cost the state $129 million — $22 million over the estimated cost.
- In Year 2, vouchers are estimated to cost the state $218 million — $38 million over the estimated cost.
- In Year 3, when the income eligibility cap comes off, the governor’s budget estimates vouchers will cost the state $315 million – but it’s anyone’s guess what the real cost will be.
There is a fundamental imbalance between public and private schools when it comes to transparency and accountability. We expect public schools to submit to oversight and governance from elected school boards, and to hold open, public meetings inviting comments, recommendations, and concerns from the community. To this point, private schools accepting voucher dollars here in Iowa are not subject to the same accountability requirements as our public schools. This lack of transparency creates a series of unanswered questions. Here are some things we still don’t know.
- How do private schools determine their admissions standards?
- Public schools have a duty to accept and educate any student within their district boundaries. Which children and families are being turned away from Iowa’s private schools, and for what reasons?
- Many private schools in Iowa raised tuition rates in response to the voucher program. How are they any more accessible to Iowa families whose kids did not already attend?
- How many Iowa children used a voucher to attend a private school, only to return to public school after finding the private school did not meet their needs?
- Which private schools in Iowa are not requiring appropriate teacher accreditation or licensure for educators and staff?
I believe public dollars belong in public schools, full stop. But if I can’t get my Republican colleagues to agree on that, we should at least be able to agree that it’s time for some accountability and oversight for the private schools that take taxpayer-funded vouchers.
This Week in the Capitol
Appreciate the League of Women Voters Linn County for continuing to host legislative forums, allowing voters access to their legislators.
Audience questions included:
- Dept. of Education proposed changes to science curriculum, banning the terms ‘climate change’ and ‘evolution’
- Food insecurity and removing some youth and elderly from receiving SNAP benefits
- Water quality and high cancer rates
- Local control regarding property taxes
- Reproductive rights
- Gun violence prevention measures
- Public Health agencies’ resources (in light of addressing future public health emergencies)
- Immigration
Spoke with Kayla Burkett, Public Affairs Administration with the Metro Waste Authority about the annual ‘bottle bill’ and the desire to leave it as is. MWA is the largest solid waste agency in Iowa, with a team dedicated to diverting challenging waste streams from landfills.
MWA may be the largest waste agency, but they don’t have a Mount Trashmore!
Also spoke with CEO Kirk Irwin; Marketing Coordinator, Kendra Schloten; and Education and Outreach Coordinator, Sarah Borzo
#reducereuserecycle
Annual photo with Cedar Rapidian Randy Cornelius who is a nurse anesthetist serving communities in Eastern Iowa. Always great to visit with our medical personnel about issues concerning Iowa’s health care systems and the practice of medicine.
Veterans Day on the Hill. Thank you to Iowa Veterans for their service to our country.
Good to visit with Paula Martinez and Joe Stutler, a Veteran from Linn County!
Filed a couple of bills on behalf of the State of Iowa Youth Advisory Council (SIYAC). One is about adding mental health resources to school websites, the other requires school boards to have a student liaison (non-voting).
Visiting with Bob Carlson, YMCA of Cedar Rapids CEO, about the value our Y provides the community. I’m just one of 400,000+ Iowans who belong to the YMCA (I particularly enjoy their Tai Chi classes).
With Representatives Elinor Levin and Elizabeth Wilson
Cecily Robinson with Easterseals Iowa & Camp Sunnyside discussing their legislative priorities which includes investments in the state Medicaid program and implementation of a schedule for rebasing HCBS rates every other year.
Easter Seals provides needed services for adults and children with disabilities.
Marty Lenss, the Eastern Iowa Airport Director, discussed the advancements at our airport along with aircraft maintenance training classes now occurring at Kirkwood and airport management classes at Coe.
This is one time when it’s good things are up in the air!
Non-partisan Legislative Services Agency’s Fiscal Legislative Analysist, Adam Broich, provided a quick overview of the general fund budget process. In order to fund the Governor’s recommendations, we will need to use funds from the Taxpayer Relief Funds (which is also one-time monies and unsustainable).
Aron Brecht with HACAP Food Reservoir talking about the Double Up Food Bucks program. It doubles the value of federal SNAP benefits spent at farmers markets and groceries which helps people bring home more fruit and vegies and supports our local farmers. I strongly support this initiative.
Served the sub-committee for SF4 which adds limitations to those who can become lobbyists. This bill restricts heads of licensing boards to a two-year delay before they can lobby – and vice versa (2 yrs. before lobbyists can become head of a licensing board). I agreed with the bill.
This group of smiling faces is from William Penn University, and they came to the Capitol to talk about their experiences as student teachers.
Isaiah Anderson is from U of I and he spoke specifically about providing a stipend for student teachers. He explained many of his peers have dropped out of the program while he works three jobs in order to make ends meet. The proposed $1,000 per student stipend would help pay for gas and food. With Iowa’s severe teacher shortage, this is a one way to encourage more students to enter Teacher Education Programs.
In Thursday’s Ethics Committee Meeting, we passed two bills:
SSB 1020
Does three things:
- Changes the notification process/confidentiality of complaints. The proposed change directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a filed complaint to the entire Ethics Committee, caucus staff assigned to the Committee, and to the Respondent (person subject to the complaint). This is being done to avoid unintentional violations of the Code (currently when a complaint is first filed it is only sent to the Chair and Ranking Member and then later is more widely distributed) and creates a fairer process.
- Eliminates language that will be changed due to the notice requirement in #1 above.
- Currently, one of the options for the Committee in dealing with a complaint is to send it back to the complainant and take no further action unless the complainant provides “further substantiating information.” The proposed language keeps this option – but states that if the complainant does not provide additional information within 120 days the complaint will be dismissed. Otherwise, it is unfair for the Respondent to sit with a complaint hanging over their heads for 3 years (statute of limitations). This proposal addresses that concern. In addition, the proposal states that any outstanding current complaints (and there are two of them) that are awaiting further substantiation from the complainant will be dismissed (both complaints have been sitting for a long time).
SSB 1021
Eliminates the requirement that lobbyists file a report at the start of each session that lists by number all the bills and resolutions they intend to lobby, as well as if they are for or against the bill. The requirement was never followed as all bills and resolutions are not drafted prior to the session and completing a list would be impossible. This still requires lobbyists to file declarations on each bill they intent to lobby on, but only once the bill has been filed in the system and they do it on an individual basis.
Both bills passed unanimously and are now eligible to come before the full Senate body for debate/passage.
Constituent Emmaly Renshaw is the Senior Program Director with Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development. I got to visit with her about several small farm issues including the Choose Iowa Purchasing Program and incentives for new farmers.
Like me, Emmaly believes Iowa should diversify and expand our crop options. Corn and soybeans thrive in our healthy soils but at one time Iowa had 100+ crops. Diversifying would keep that soil healthy and provide new economic engines for small farmers to thrive – all while protecting the environment.
Learn more about Emmaly’s organization here: https://www.iowavalleyrcd.org/
Served on the sub-committee for SSB 1023 which allows students at on-line public schools to participate in co-curricular and extracurricular activities offered by their school district.
This passed 3 – 0 and is now eligible to come before the Senate Education Committee for debate/passage.
Before heading back to my Senate District, I spoke with Rebekah Domayer, STEM Education Manager at the Iowa Children’s Museum. Rebekah was participating in the Iowa Afterschool Alliance Day on the Hill to talk about how her program impacts academic success while engaging her young learners (and old learners). Click the photo below to watch a video!
Quick Updates
- Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month: The Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking offers multiple ways for an individual to get involved and combat trafficking this month. If you or someone you know is a business owner, you can also join Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking and get access to resources to educate and take action.
- The Healthiest State Annual Awards is an annual recognition that celebrates people and organizations in six categories for implementing best practices to support the physical, social, and mental well-being of Iowans. The deadline is Jan. 29th, 2025 to nominate someone you know!
- IDALS warns pet owners to be aware of avian influenza: The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) encourages pet owners to keep their dogs and cats away from sick or deceased wild birds and animals. Pet owners should also prevent indoor/outdoor cats from hunting wildlife due to the threat posed by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1 HPAI) occurring in wild and migratory birds. Iowa veterinarians should call IDALS at (515) 281-5305 if they see cats or dogs displaying symptoms such as fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, red eyes, respiratory signs (eye or nose discharge), neurological signs (tremors, seizures, incoordination, blindness), and sudden death.
- Frozen pipes season is here:ISU Extension encourages homeowners to prevent a burst pipe crisis bykeeping garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage, opening kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing, letting the cold-water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes during extreme low temperatures, and keeping the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° For more advice: https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2015/01/19/preventing-and-thawing-frozen-pipes/