Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • Action Alert: Help stop bad bills today

    Two bad bills on today’s debate schedule are SF184/HF203, which would circumvent federal “Buy American” requirements on state and local road projects, and SF435/HF518, which would gut Iowa’s workers compensation system for work-related injuries and disabilities (see more below).

    You can help by e-mailing Republican Senators today and by calling the Senate switchboard (515-281-3371) to leave messages for specific individual Senators this afternoon.

     

    Workers Compensation

    Let me be more specific about how SF435/HF518 would gut our workers compensation system for work-related injuries and disabilities. Provisions that would create new barriers to compensation or arbitrarily reduce compensation include:

    • New and unrealistic deadlines for asserting a claim.
    • Discriminatory age limitations against people age 67 or older.
    • A new “predominant factor” test that will take away compensation from injured workers because of pre-existing conditions such as age, weight and prior work injuries.
    • Additional barriers due to alcohol or drug use, even if unrelated to employment.
    • Reduction of compensation for all shoulder injuries.
    • Reduction of compensation for all second work injuries.
    • New “light duty” requirements that could reduce or bar compensation.
    • New provisions that allow or encourage employers and their insurers to delay paying compensation.

    If you speak up today, we may be able to get 4-5 Senate Republicans to help us stop or amend this legislation. Please e-mail and call today to save Iowa’s injured and disabled workers.

     

    Speak Up For Iowans to Stop the Rest of the “Dirty Dozen”

    We expect other damaging and dangerous bills to come up, perhaps as early as this week, in the Iowa House and the Iowa Senate.

    Here are 10 other bills where we need your help:

    1. Prohibit Local “Pre-Qualification” for Bidding (SF438) – passed Iowa Senate, now in Iowa House
    2. Lower Local Minimum Wages (HF295) – passed Iowa House, now in Iowa Senate
    3. New Government Barriers to Voting (HF516) – passed Iowa House, now in Iowa Senate
    4. Make Planned Parenthood Ineligible for Medicaid Reimbursement (SF2) – passed Iowa Senate, now in Iowa House
    5. Create Religious Exemptions for Boarding School Regulations (SF443) – still in Iowa Senate
    6. Eliminate Permits to Acquire Firearms, Other Firearm Changes (HF517) – passed Iowa House, now in Iowa Senate
    7. Unfunded Mandate on Local Officials to Enforce Immigration Laws (SF481) – still in Iowa Senate
    8. End Bottle and Can Deposit Law (HF575) – still in Iowa House
    9. Take Away Local Control of Water Supply (HF484/SF456) – Has not passed either chamber
    10. Restrict Right to Bring Nuisance Lawsuit (HF468/SF447) – Has not passed either chamber

    If you keep speaking up, we will be able to stop some or all of these bills.

  • McCoy requests Oversight Committee review of “root causes” of the abuse of Glenwood residents

    March 6, 2017

    Senator Breitbach,

    As Ranking Member of the Senate Government Oversight Committee, I am formally requesting you to convene and hold a meeting to review the Iowa Department of Human Services report to determine “root causes” of physical and verbal abuse of residents of the Glenwood State Resource Center, which houses 230 people with severe intellectual disabilities.

    The report states that “Many of the administrative and supervisory staff interviewed were overwhelmed and felt they could not adequately supervise and complete all of their required workload.”

    The Iowa Department of Human Services runs the facility and disclosed in January that seven residents were physically abused and 13 residents were subjected to verbal abuse or neglect. Thirteen staff members were fired or quit over the allegations, and six face criminal charges.

    The 34-page report was written by the Joint Commission Resources consulting company, which the state hired to investigate what led to alleged physical and verbal abuse of the Glenwood institution’s residents by staff members. The Department says it spent up to $65,000 to commission the report because it wants to understand and fix problems at the facility.

    I believe it’s imperative that the Legislature review this report closely.  That is a large amount of money to pay for a report and recommendations.  We need to make that cost worthwhile by very seriously reviewing and making the necessary changes to keep residents safe.

    I am requesting that the Senate Government Oversight Committee meet next week to review this report.  I would ask that you invite the Department to testify to what recommendations they have already implemented, which would take more time or resources to implement and if any of the report recommendations are inconsistent with the Department’s future plans to increase oversight and support to the Glenwood campus.

    I look forward to hearing from you regarding this request.

    Sincerely,

    Senator Matt McCoy
    Ranking Member, Senate Government Oversight Committee

     

    PDF: McCoy letter to Government Oversight Chair requesting meeting on Glenwood report

    Des Moines Register news story on Glenwood report

    Report on Glenwood Resource Center, which failed to properly train and manage staff, paving way to abuse allegations.

  • Mid-session Update: Let’s make progress for working families

    Governor Branstad, Lt. Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans promised to focus on economic prosperity, fiscal responsibility and public schools.

     

    Republican Broken Promises & Wrong Priorities

    • Shortchanging public schools again this year with the third-lowest increase in basic school funding in the state’s history. This will force more consolidations of smaller school districts and lead to bigger classes, teacher layoffs and fewer learning opportunities (SF 166).
    • Gutting the collective bargaining rights of 180,000 public workers in Iowa (HF 291). This bill is government overreach that attacks Iowa workers and their families.
    • Weakening the voting rights of thousands of Iowans with a big voter suppression bill (HSB 93 & SSB 1163).
    • Outlawing most forms of birth control and prohibiting abortions in cases of rape/incest/health of mother (SF253/HF297).
    • Lowering wages for 65,000 hard-working Iowans and preventing local governments from having strong civil rights enforcement (HF295).
    • Lowering wages for construction workers and allowing Chinese steel to be used on Iowa road projects (HF203).
    • Imposing deep, mid-year budget cuts that led to job losses, higher tuition at community colleges, scholarship cuts, and endangers public safety. The cuts could have been avoided if Republicans hadn’t focused all their energy on giving huge tax breaks to corporations (SF 130).
    • Defunding Planned Parenthood (SF 2) and reducing access to cancer screenings, birth control and other health care services for thousands of Iowans, especially in rural areas.

     

     Democrats believe we should work together to make progress for working families again

    • Investing in K-12 schools and preventing more school closures
    • Rejecting mid-year budget cuts
    • Raising the minimum wage for 200,000 Iowans
    • Taking a serious look at reducing or eliminating tax breaks for big, out-of-state corporations that put the state budget in the red and don’t create jobs in Iowa
    • Keeping health care affordable and accessible for all Iowans
    • Guarantee every Iowan can exercise their right to vote
    • Keeping down the cost of college & job training
    • Make child care more affordable for working parents and those training for better jobs
    • End wage theft so that workers are paid what they’re owed
    • Making sure women receive equal pay for equal work
    • Coupling with changes in the federal tax code so that teachers, homeowners, college students, and other hard-working taxpayers will get a break

  • UI right to reverse scholarship cuts

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For immediate release: March 1, 2017
    Contact: Senate Democratic Leader Rob Hogg, 515-281-3901

     

     

    Iowans should speak up for affordable, world-class universities

                            

    Statement by Senate Democratic Leader Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids

    “Since the session began in January, Republicans have twice taken back millions of state dollars already allocated to Iowa’s public universities and community colleges.

    “The University of Iowa’s response to these Republican takebacks was to renege on scholarships already awarded to Iowa students.

    “I reached out to UI officials and asked them to reconsider.  I’m glad they have reversed that decision.

    “Now Iowans should speak up and tell Republican legislators to support higher education so we can have world-class universities that are affordable to Iowa families.”

     

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  • The Dirty Dozen – Speak up this week to stop more harm to Iowans

    Friday marks the “first funnel” under legislative rules, which is a first procedural hurdle that will stop some legislative proposals for the year. If we can stop bad bills this week, it will reduce the damage that could be done later.

    The new Republican majority has already done a lot of damage to Iowans, including:

    • Major mid-year budget cuts (SF130) that closed correctional facilities and laid off correctional workers, forced court closures, and led the University of Iowa to renege on promised scholarships.
    • The third lowest school funding level (1.11 percent) (SF166) in the history of the school finance formula, after the worst six-year funding stretch in our state’s history.
    • Attack on our teachers’ and public workers’ rights to organize and negotiate for fair wages, benefits and other working conditions (HF291).

    Now, there is even more harm coming to Iowans under Republican proposals pending in committee. With your help, we can stop at least some of these proposals in committee this week, and take them off the table for the rest of 2017.

    Please speak up with Republican legislators this week on one or more of the following issues by e-mailing them or calling them at their preferred contact number (available at www.legis.iowa.gov). You can also call and leave messages at the House switchboard (515-281-3221) or the Senate switchboard (515-281-3371).

     

    “The Dirty Dozen” – Help Us Stop These Bad Bills in Committee

    1. Prohibit Local “Pre-Qualification” for Bidding (SSB1145) – This bill would prohibit local governments from using “project labor agreements” or other “pre-qualification” for bidders on building projects, taking away the ability of local government to ensure timely, quality construction. Speak up for qualified workers and local control. Contact the Republican members on the Senate Labor Committee: Jason Schultz (chair), Brad Zaun, Mike Breitbach, Waylon Brown, Jake Chapman, Mark Costello, and Dennis Guth.
    2. End Licensing for Occupations (HSB138) – This bill would end licensing for many professional occupations, including social workers, mental health counselors, massage therapists, dieticians, funeral home directors, respiratory therapists and athletic trainers. Speak up for these professionals and the protection of consumers, public health and public safety. Contact the Republican members of the House State Government Committee: Ken Rizer (chair), Kevin Koester, Rob Bacon, Chip Baltimore, Michael Bergan, Peter Cownie, Lee Hein, Jake Highfill, Bobby Kaufmann, Tom Moore, Dawn Pettengill, Mike Sexton, Ralph Watts and Louie Zumbach.
    3. Government Barriers to Voting (HSB93/SSB1163) – This bill would create new government barriers to voting, including photo identification requirements where only a few forms of identification would qualify. Speak up for Iowans who do not have the specified forms of identification and should not have to face more government barriers to voting. Contact Republican members of the House State Government Committee (see HSB138 above) and Republican members of the Senate State Government Committee: Roby Smith (chair), Jake Chapman, Bill Anderson, Waylon Brown, Dan Dawson, Randy Feenstra, Charles Schneider, Jason Schultz and Brad Zaun.
    4. So-Called “Personhood” Bill (SF253) – This bill would ban all abortions and many common forms of birth control. Speak up for individual rights to make personal health decisions and access to birth control to prevent abortion. Contact the Republican members on the Senate Judiciary Committee: Brad Zaun (chair), Dan Dawson, Jeff Edler, Julian Garrett, Charles Schneider, Jason Schultz, Tom Shipley and Amy Sinclair.
    5. Partisan Take-Over of Judicial Nominations (SF327) – This bill would remove attorneys from the judicial nomination process and replace them with all gubernatorial appointments, politicizing the judicial-selection process. Contact Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee (see SF253 above).
    6. Reinstate the Death Penalty (SF335/SF336) – These bills would reinstate the death penalty in Iowa for the first time since 1965. Iowa doesn’t need the death penalty. We have life in prison without the possibility of parole. Instead, encourage legislators to do more to resolve unsolved murders (“cold cases”). Contact Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee (see SF253 above).
    7. Eliminate Permits to Acquire Firearms (HSB133) – This bill, which has 40 sections in more than 25 pages, would eliminate the annual permit to acquire a pistol or revolver among many other provisions. Speak up for annual permits, criminal background checks and public safety. Contact the Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee: Chip Baltimore (chair), Jim Carlin, Stan Gustafson, Greg Heartsill, Lee Hein, Ashley Hinson, Megan Jones, Kevin Koester, Andy McKean, Zach Nunn, Ross Paustian, Ken Rizer and Matt Windschitl.
    8. Allowing Firearms on Campus (SF256) – This bill would prohibit our community colleges and universities from limiting the carrying of firearms. Speak up to keep firearms off campus. Contact Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee (see SF253 above).
    9. Required Video Cameras in Classrooms (SF294) – This bill would require schools to install video cameras in every classroom, cafeteria, library and other “student use area” of a school. Speak up against wasteful spending and excessive surveillance. Contact Republican members on the Senate Education Committee: Amy Sinclair (chair), Jeff Edler, Jerry Behn, Mark Chelgren, Tom Greene, Craig Johnson, Tim Kraayenbrink, Mark Lofgren and Ken Rozenboom.
    10. Political Test for University Faculty (SF288) – This bill would subject current and future university faculty to a political test for employment to achieve “political balance.” Speak up against this infringement on personal liberty, and in favor of merit-based hiring. Contact Republican members on the Senate Education Committee (see SF294 above).
    11. Take Away Local Control of Water Supply (SSB1146) – This bill would take away local control over water supply and impose regional and state control. Speak up for local control and against political retribution for clean-water advocacy. Contact Republican members of the Senate Agriculture Committee: Dan Zumbach (chair), Waylon Brown, Mark Costello, Jeff Edler, Tim Kapucian, Ken Rozenboom, Mark Segebart and Tom Shipley.
    12. Restrict Property Right to Bring Nuisance Lawsuit (SSB1144) – This bill would restrict a property owner’s right to bring a nuisance lawsuit against livestock producers. Speak up for property rights, including the right to be free of nuisances. Contact Republican members of the Senate Agriculture Committee (see SSB1146 above).

  • McCoy: Oversight needed to address failures at Iowa DHS & shortcomings in Iowa law

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release: February 27, 2017

    Iowa children are falling through the cracks and government policies may be part of the problem, according to members of the House and Senate Government Oversight Committee.

    Natalie Finn is a 16-year old Des Moines girl who died after she was tortured and starved by her parents.  Malayia Knapp, another Des Moines resident, was beaten, starved, and imprisoned by her adoptive parents.

    These cases are among those raising concerns of systematic failures in the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) and shortcomings in Iowa law. In response, Senator Matt McCoy of Des Moines, Ranking Member of Senate Government Oversight Committee, and Representative Abby Finkenauer, Ranking Member of House Government Oversight Committee, will convene a joint meeting on these issues at 10 AM on Monday, February 27, in Room 116 of the Iowa State Capitol.

    “As a state, Iowa failed to protect Natalie and Malayia,” said McCoy.  “Is DHS doing enough for children at risk of abuse?  Iowa no longer requires homeschooled children to have any contact with schools or public agencies.  Did that change in Iowa law contribute to these tragedies?  We need to find out the facts and take action better protect the children of our state.”

     

    Video

    Malayia Knapp, who was beaten, starved, and imprisoned by her adoptive parents, speaks to Senator Matt McCoy and Representative Abby Finkenauer, members of the Senate and House Oversight Committees, and other legislators. McCoy and Finkenauer are holding a series of meetings on what Iowa can do to help children who are falling through the cracks and the government policies that may be part of the problem.

    https://www.facebook.com/IowaSenateDemocrats/videos/10154323020581778/

     

    Senator Matt McCoy’s prepared remarks

    Too many Iowa children are falling through the cracks.  The state system to protect them that has been pushed beyond its capacity.

    I had two high profile and heart-breaking examples in my senate district.

    Malayia Knapp’s alarming abuse was recorded in police reports and confirmed in a child abuse investigation.  Her mother was later convicted of assault.

    When Malayia Knapp told me her story– shortly after the starvation death of Natalie Finn.—I was appalled and outraged.  That outrage was outraged to hear her story

    Today, I have questions and concerns about whether state child-welfare officials are taking the right steps to safeguard children when possible abuse has been reported.

    I have questions and concerns about the vetting of potential parents before children are adopted out of foster care.

    I have questions and concerns of the Iowa Department of Human Services and its child-protective workers and how they handle, respect and respond to abuse reports from mandatory reporters.

    I asked Senator Breitbach, the Chair of the Senate Government Oversight Committee, to convene and hold hearings and an investigation into the abuse of Malayia Knapp, the death of Natalie Finn, and the Iowa Department of Human Services’ abuse investigation and parental termination policies procedures.

    Unfortunately, Senator Breitbach would not agree to look into these very troubling incidents.

    As parents, legislators and as members of the Government Oversight Committee, it is our job and our duty to identify problems within the system so failures like those that prolonged the abuse of Malayia and Natalie never happen again.

    We must analyze the current policies and procedures and make necessary changes.  We must evaluate how the loss of more than 800 DHS workers during the Branstad/Reynolds administration has affected the safety of Iowa children who most need our protection. *

    In both of these cases, these young girls were removed from public schools and put into home schooling options.  In 2013, Iowa’s Legislature established a new, completely unregulated form of home schooling.

    I know parents who homeschool because their kids need more challenges than their local school provide.

    I know parents that homeschool because their kids need more assistance than they feel their local school can give.

    I know parents who love their public schools, but homeschool for personal and religious reasons.

    I support all of those choices because I know their kids… and they are thriving in a home school.  It’s obviously works for them and that’s great.

    However, this new homeschool option went far beyond anything Iowa or other states had done.

    It allowed parents or guardians to remove their child from public school and break all contact with that school.  If a family moved to a new area, or never enrolled their child in school to begin with, a school district would have no idea that student even existed.

    There are no check-ins, regulation, oversight, or progress reports to school districts or the Iowa Department of Education.

    Look, I know most Iowans believe that every child deserves to be safe and to receive a quality education.

    Minimal levels of oversight are a reasonable expectation.  It is what most Iowans already-and incorrectly—believe is already the case.

    To make sure all children are protected, I introduced SF 138.  It requires the parent, guardian, or legal custodian who places a child in private instruction to submit the same report to their local school district that is required for child in private schools.  It also requires school districts to conduct quarterly health and safety home visits.  Some parents who homeschool have already requested an amendment to eliminate the home visit portion of the bill.  Instead, the child would go to the school for a quarterly check-in with a teacher/counselor. Parents told me this would be less intrusive and preferred.

    These are complex issues and I want to hear from everyone and especially those on the front lines of child protection in our state.

    We will start our work today by hearing from Malayia.  She will tell us how she escaped abuse and about her lingering fear for her siblings.

    On March 13, we’ll hear from DHS on how the system works, how it is funded and how workers are trained.  We will consider the caseloads workers have and how that load has increased in recent years.

    We’ll also hear from DHS regarding the criteria for special needs adoptions and how families are recruited and screened to be foster or adoptive parents.

    Iowans need to know what problems are happening within DHS and other agencies; how the elimination of reporting for homeschooling has ended welfare checks, making future case of cases like the Knapps and Finns

    Most importantly, legislators need to shed light on these problems and demand solutions.

    I want to applaud Malayia for her bravery in being here today.  She is standing up for herself, for her siblings, and for every child children in Iowa’s child welfare system.

    *Reference Notes:

    Branstad has eliminated at least 2,094 full-time positions in state government, according to a Des Moines Register analysis of data from the Iowa Department of Administrative Services.  Most of those job cuts — nearly 11 percent of the state government executive branch workforce, minus universities, occurred in four departments: human services (839); transportation (232); workforce development (244); and corrections (262), the Register found. Des Moines Register; 2/20/2017

  • Negative Consequences for Iowans from the New Public Sector Employment Law

    A new law (HF 291), exclusively drafted and implemented by Republican legislators and the Branstad-Reynolds administration, strips away a wide range of rights from public workers in Iowa. Some comments in debate and since enactment have led to misunderstandings, but it is important that the true impact of the law is understood.

    Some clarifications:

    1. This law is bad for Iowa’s economy, and really hurts rural Iowa. Many rural Iowa business owners—including farmers—count on outside public employment of a spouse to help make ends meet. Limiting the voice of those public workers in their wages and benefits disproportionately hurts rural communities and local economies.
    2. Cutting workers’ rights does not allow for greater local control. The new law actually does the opposite, with state government dictating to counties, cities, and school boards a new set of illegal topics they cannot openly discuss with employee representatives. County supervisors and school boards passed resolutions against the new law. Many counties, cities, and local school district contracts rushed through new contracts with employees to avoid the immediate, negative impact of this law. They knew the new law was no good for their employees.
    3. The new law does not exempt police, fire, and other public safety employees. First, many police officers and firefighters who work in employment groups where they make up less than 30% of the workforce are not covered by the limited exclusions in the new law. Second, the new law limits the definition of public safety employee so severely that corrections officers, university police, and emergency medical service personnel do not meet the definitions of public safety employees.
    4. It creates “haves” and “have nots” in public employment. The State of Iowa has now created classes of citizens and divided public workers. For the first time since Republican Governor Robert Ray signed the law on public employee organizations in the early 1970s, the state has determined that a very select few public employees in Iowa will have enhanced workplace rights. The vast majority of Iowa’s public employees will now be “have nots” with health insurance negotiations now becoming illegal, along with several other important topics.
    5. It undermines our ability to offer quality public education. If we want the best and brightest teaching our children, we cannot take away the voice our teachers have in determining the benefits and conditions of their employment. We already have a teacher shortage in Iowa, with 400 fewer educators graduating from Iowa colleges. This only increases the problems rural districts and urban schools face in attracting new teachers.
    6. It’s bad for all Iowa workers and their families. This legislation did nothing to improve the lives of Iowa workers, but instead only takes away rights from public workers. Private sector employees have the federally-protected right to freely negotiate over benefits, wages, hours, and other conditions of employment. Iowans who need and want qualified public workers serving their communities are going to be left behind as this law devalues the important work of each and every employee who answers the call of public service.

    This was landmark legislation. I, along with Senate Democrats, worked hard to offer amendments to address our most serious concerns. We were denied those changes and debate was even cut off so we couldn’t even fully discuss them.

  • Seven weeks into legislative session, Republicans still breaking promises to create jobs, grow incomes

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 23, 2017
    CONTACT:
    Senate Democratic Leader Rob Hogg: (515)  281-4610
    House Democratic Leader Mark Smith: (515) 281-0817

     

    (Des Moines) Today House and Senate Democratic Leaders pointed out that the Republicans in charge of state government continue to break promises to create jobs and increase family incomes.

    “In 2009, Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds promised to create 200,000 jobs in five years,” said Senate Democratic Leader Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids.  “After more than six years, Iowa has gained fewer than 126,000 jobs, which is slower than the rate of job growth in the country as a whole.  Instead of working on legislation to create jobs, Republicans are pursuing a partisan agenda that ignores the best interests of hard-working Iowans.”

    “Instead of increasing wages and incomes for Iowa families like they promised, Republicans are planning to pass a bill that actually lowers wages for 65,000 Iowans. Far from increasing Iowa incomes, Republicans are casting vote after vote that will lead to job losses and lower incomes for Iowa families,” said House Democratic Leader Mark Smith.  “Democrats believe we should work together to raise wages and increase incomes for Iowa families, not lower them.”

    Republicans have:

    • Refused to help small businesses and farmers who would benefit from coupling with federal tax code changes.
    • Rushed through a collective bargaining bill (SF 213) that directly hurts 185,000 family budgets and will undermine the economies of the communities where they live and shop.
    • Approved a miserly 1.11% increase in aid to local schools (SF 166), even though 61% of superintendents warn this will cause teacher layoffs.
    • Approved deep mid-year budget cuts to community colleges and public services (SF 130) that has resulted in job losses, higher tuition at community colleges, and the loss of 2,440 scholarships for Iowa students.
    • Continue to support the Medicaid privatization mess that has already forced businesses to close and will drive others out of business due to late and non-existent payments by the MCOs.
    • Instead of increasing the minimum wage, Republican lawmakers are working on legislation that will directly cut the wages of 65,000 Iowans.
    • Republican lawmakers are pushing legislation (SF 184) that will drive down construction wages in rural areas, bring in out-of-state workers to do Iowa jobs, and open the door to building Iowa roads and bridges with materials imported from China and other countries.
    • Republican lawmakers are pushing legislation (SSB 1145) that will stop local governments from voluntarily entering into agreements with local contractors—agreements that ensure good-paying jobs, quality work, and cost-effective projects.

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  • Senate Leader: Anti-worker legislation hurts working Iowans and their families

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For immediate release: February 16, 2017
    Contact: Senator Rob Hogg: 515-281-3901

                            

    Republican legislators refused to listen to hard-working Iowans

    DES MOINES – Senate Democratic Leader Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids said anti-worker legislation fast-tracked through the Senate and House will hurt hard-working Iowans, their families and their communities.

    “This new anti-worker law takes away the health care security and lowers the standard of living for hundreds of thousands of working families,” Hogg said. “This legislation is wildly unpopular because it hurts Iowa families.”

    Hogg pointed out that an overwhelming majority of Iowans who packed the Capitol, attended rallies and overflowing local meetings, and filled legislative voicemail and email inboxes were in opposition to Senate File 213/House File 291.

    “Their message was clear: This bill hurts working Iowans and their families,” he said.

    Hogg said he is proud Democratic Senators listened to Iowans, especially those who will be hurt the most: nurses, police officers, firefighters, snowplow drivers, teachers, correctional officers and other public workers.

    “All of us, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, teachers, nurses and other Iowa workers, deserve fairness and a voice in our own workplaces,” he said.

    He said the current law worked for 40 years because it simply required Iowans and their employer to sit down and work together.  Iowa school boards, city councils, county boards of supervisors, and other Iowa governments have almost always been able to reach mutually agreeable solutions to workplace issues.

    “Our current collective bargaining law works. Originally passed to stop strikes, the law has served Iowans, employees and public employers well for more than 40 years,” he said. “Under this bill, cities, counties and school districts are prohibited from negotiating and reaching agreement on health care coverage and other workplace issues.”

     

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  • SF213 – Prepared remarks by Sen. Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City

    Senator Joe Bolkcom  – Comments on SF 213 – February 14, 2017

    This legislation will accelerate Iowa’s slide into a mediocre, low-wage economy and send more of our young people looking for opportunities elsewhere.

    This bill will put middle class Iowa families at risk. It will lower their incomes and health security.

    Senator Dix you told the Senate on the first day of the session that you were going to focus on Growth, Growth, Growth. Who knew it would be to grow the number of Iowans living paycheck to paycheck and on food stamps.

    Under the dishonest guise of local control your efforts will decimate the voices of teachers, nurses, fire fighters, police officers, jailers, snowplow drivers, mental health professionals and dozens of others.

    SF 213 makes it ILLEGAL for a school superintendent and a teacher organization to even discuss health care benefits, evaluations, grievances, seniority, and many other topics that help schools and workplaces operate smoothly.

    That’s right, ILLEGAL. It prohibits public employers from continuing to allow workers to voluntarily have some of their paycheck deducted for their union dues or for political purposes.

    Iowa’s collective bargaining law– a law that has worked to foster good worker-management relations across Iowa for the past 40 years.

    This bill will disrupt that balance and undermine morale and productivity at every public employee in the state.

    The bill will drive down wages and benefits for both union and non-union public employees.

    I want to share a few of the stories of my constituents about this legislation.

    I have talked to a parent, whose daughter is getting ready to graduate and begin her teaching career. She had her sights set on teaching in Iowa. Now her folks are actually encouraging her to look to other opportunities to teach outside of Iowa so that her financial and health security will not be in doubt.

    I have talked to graduate students who are represented by a labor agreement at the UI. One student is concerned the she will have to leave the university before she can finish her studies because she may not have the health care her family needs. I have heard from another prospective graduate student who will not consider coming to Iowa because of the uncertainty of wages and benefits going forward. This student had options to go to MN where the package is stable.

    I have talked to several school superintendents who are scratching their heads trying to figure out what problem is being solved here. They feel the current process for managing employees is working and creating a collaborative environment in the workplace

    ABANDON RURAL IOWA

    This bill is an abandonment of rural Iowa. This bill is a gut punch to rural communities. I hear there is a lot of resentment toward public employees in rural Iowa. For some reason people resent teachers, and superintendents and people that protect us and work in our state prisons and state institutions. They make too much money and have good benefits.

    According to the USDA report: Rural Economy and Population: Employment and Education, Any decline in the number or quality of public sector jobs will have a disproportionate effect on Iowa’s rural communities because, as the USDA notes, the public sector is a “major source of earned income in rural areas” that tend to attract far fewer of the financial, professional, or information service activities concentrated in urban areas.

    Eroding the quality of public sector jobs in Iowa will further exacerbate recent effects of unprecedented declining public sector employment levels following the last recession, which USDA data suggests are already causing negative effects in rural counties, along with negative multiplier effects on private sector employment.

    These are the best jobs in rural Iowa. Or at least they were some of the best jobs.

    Who do you think local businesses are going to resent when they have fewer customers able to eat at their restaurants, shop at the hardware store and grocery store. Much less the local car dealer, local lawn equipment dealer and local gun store.

    Today, these public employees keep small town businesses in business. Get ready to shudder some more main street storefronts.

    Rural Iowa soon closed for business. Nice job.

    SECRET AGENDA

    Iowans did not vote for this. Republican did not campaign for this.

    You campaigned on supporting the schools. You did not say you were going to attack teachers. You campaigned for safer communities. You did not say you were going to attack police, firefights and correctional officers.

    Republicans did not campaign on destroying the lives of people that work in local government, our schools or state government. But here we are with the republican secret agenda to kick in the doors of hardworking Iowans.

    Make no mistake. The next door that is going to be kicked in and the next target of this Republican majority is to destroy the pension security of Iowa retires and active public employees. If you are counting on IPERS for a secure retirement? Forget it. Your family is next on the Republican chopping block.

    Make NO Iowa retirees mistake. They are coming for you next year!

    GOVERNOR BRANSTAD

    Another major reason we should not pass this bill now and send it downstairs is that we have a lame duck Governor. How can we possibly let him sign this devastating bill?  He is a lame duck. There is no accountability with the Governor. No accountability. We need to have the people decide. We need to have another election.  The people need to speak. A new Governor should be in place before this bill is approved.