Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • 2017 Session Wrap-up

    Download a pdf of our 2017 Session Wrap-up

    Education & worker training

    Jobs & economy

    Health & health care

    Safe communities

    Quality of life

    Good government

    Veterans & service members

     

    Education & worker training

    Bipartisan successes

    Helping schools use limited resources effectively by allowing them to spend various categories of school funding on a broader range of expenses that still achieve the intended goals (HF 564).

    Allowing some unused school funding to go into a “Flexibility Account” to be used in a broader fashion to achieve the intended goals (HF 565).

    Expanding the ways Iowans can earn a high school equivalency diploma when they meet academic standards. New pathways include a test battery, credit-based measures, and attaining academic credentials of equivalent or greater rigor (HF 473).

     

    Republican failures

    Limiting Iowans’ ability to get ahead with mid-year cuts of more than $26 million to education, community colleges and state universities (SF 130).

    Failing our schools with inadequate funding that doesn’t keep up with inflation, let alone make up for years of unmet needs. School superintendents say this will cause teacher layoffs and larger class sizes (SF 166).

     

    Missed opportunities

    Creating greater equity among school districts with consistent per-pupil school funding (SF 455).

    Fixing the huge disparity in school transportation costs so that each student gets the same amount for their education once they arrive at the school doors (SF 455).

    Improving efficiencies by offering financial incentives for school districts to share administrative functions (HF 633).

    Clarifying that FFA programs qualify as Career Technical Education (CTE) programming (HF 648).

    Providing necessary help for students learning English (SF 427, HF 6).

    Providing necessary help to better ensure low-income pupils can succeed in school (HF 8).

    Including age-appropriate information on dating violence and prevention in human growth and development instruction (SF 119).

    Offering financial incentives to expand Iowa’s preschool offerings to meet needs (SF 136).

     

    Bad ideas stopped

    Taking $200 million from public schools, and eliminating the Iowa Department of Education and Iowa Public Television (SF 29).

    Instituting a political party litmus test for university faculty (SF 288).

    Banning teachers and school leaders from voicing their opinion on education issues (HSB 47).

     

    Jobs & economy

    Bipartisan successes

    Offering incentives for smaller communities to increase affordable housing for working families (SF 488).

    Increasing opportunities for local small businesses that make and sell Iowa beer, wine and distilled spirits (HF 607).

    Adding to the list of invasive plants that can quickly crowd out corn and soybean crops. Palmer Amaranth is an edible flowering plant that can no longer be imported, sold or distributed in Iowa (HF 410).

    Helping thousands of Iowans become homeowners and boosting our economy by providing a state income tax exemption for First-time Homebuyer Savings Accounts (SF 505).

    Ensuring state-provided Apprenticeship Training funding goes to Iowa residents only (HF 231).

     

    Republican failures

    Passing an anti-worker, anti-growth budget that significantly cuts Economic Development funding (SF 130, SF 513).

    Eliminating support for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, which jeopardizes a successful program that has encouraged entrepreneurship and small business development across the state (SF 510).

    Lowering wages and stepping on local communities by rolling back minimum wage increases already in force in four counties—Polk, Johnson, Linn and Wapello (HF295).

    Preventing local governments from setting better standards for minimum wage, hiring practices, leave, benefits, scheduling or other terms of employment (HF295).

    Interfering with efforts to ensure high-quality local construction by eliminating Project Labor Agreements and pre-qualification questionnaires on complex public improvement projects (SF 438).

    Driving down wages in rural areas by eliminating the requirement that prevailing wage rates be paid to laborers and mechanics on federal construction contracts (HF 203).

    Hurting Iowa jobs and businesses by removing the Buy American requirement that U.S. steel be used on federal construction projects (HF 203).

    Hurting 185,000 family budgets and the communities where they live and shop by prohibiting public employees from collectively negotiating terms of employment, including health insurance and safety (HF 291).

    Cutting protections for Iowans hurt on the job through no fault of their own, reducing an employer’s liability for injuries, and encouraging employers and insurance carriers to avoid paying claims (HF 518).

     

    Missed opportunities

    Stimulating and diversifying economic and agricultural development by creating a marketing and production program for industrial hemp, which is a low-input, sustainable cash crop (SF 329).

    Saying “no” to tax relief for Iowa farmers, small businesses, teachers and families by refusing to couple state taxes code with federal changes (SF 428).

    Raising the minimum wage for hard-working Iowans (SF 156)..

    Preventing bad employers from stealing wages from their workers (SF 80).

    Ensuring equal pay for equal work (SF 340).

     

    Health & health care

    Bipartisan successes

    Ensuring timely, appropriate help for kids with autism spectrum disorders (HF 653, HF 215).

    Limiting the harmful effects of congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV), which can cause hearing or vision loss, lack of coordination, muscle weakness, cognitive impairment and seizures (SF 51).

    Reducing breast cancer deaths by requiring that mammography reports sent to patients include information on breast density if the patient has dense breast tissue (SF 250).

    Improving mental health and disability services in rural areas by allowing counties to equally share in regional funding (SF 504).

    Ensuring appropriate treatment for sick and disabled Iowans by allowing a physician to override an insurance company’s step therapy protocol in certain cases (HF 233).

     

    Republican failures

    The Republican-controlled House failed to approve an expanded, comprehensive medical cannabis program to properly treat more Iowans with debilitating conditions, and allowing medical cannabis to be grown, manufactured and dispensed in Iowa (SF 506).

    Cutting help for abused kids, the elderly, and sick, disabled and vulnerable Iowans by reducing access to quality health care, mental health care and other critical services at a time when the safety net for our most vulnerable is already in trouble (SF 130, HF 653).

    Cutting help for Iowans trying to give up smoking and other tobacco products by $1 million (HF 653).

    Cutting $8 million for Department of Human Services field operations. These are the people who protect children and seniors from abuse (HF 653).

    Increasing the cost to Iowa taxpayers with a new State Family Planning Program while reducing the number of Iowa health care providers (HF 653).

    Making it harder for Iowa parents to find out if their family qualifies for Medicaid and Hawk-I health insurance (HF 625).

    Increasing the likelihood of unintended pregnancies and abortions by shutting down a successful family planning program (HF 653).

    Making it more difficult for Iowans to get fair compensation when they’ve suffered at the hands of a negligent health care provider (SF 465).

    Making it extremely difficult for Iowans who are sick or dying from asbestos exposure to be adequately compensated for their pain and suffering (SF 376).

    Continuing Iowa’s Medicaid privatization mess that has dramatically increased costs to taxpayers, forced businesses to close and hurt the health care of thousands of vulnerable Iowans; and refusing to consider marginal improvements (SF 368).

     

    Safe communities

    Bipartisan successes

    Expanding the criminal offense of “sexual exploitation by a school employee” to include full-time, part-time and substitute employees, as well as volunteers and contract employees (SF 238).

    Allowing survivors of sexual assault to get a sexual abuse civil protective order to keep abusers away from them, their home and their place of work (SF 401).

    Enhancing public safety by improving law enforcement and emergency communications systems (SF 500, HF 467).

    Making roads safer by requiring drivers to remove their vehicle from the traveled portion of the road if it was damaged in an accident, but is operable and can be reached safely (HF 313).

    Saving lives by making texting while driving a primary offense. That means law enforcement can pull over a driver and ticket them if they see the driver texting (SF 234).

    Stopping deceitful and damaging adoption practices that harm Iowa’s families by toughening penalties for scamming prospective adoptive parents (SF 433).

    Charging a motorist with reckless driving (a Class “C” felony) when texting while driving causes an accident that seriously injures or kills another (SF 444).

    Protecting kids by updating the definitions of “child in need of assistance” and “child abuse” to apply in additional cases with dangerous substances in the home, including cocaine, heroin and opioids (HF 543).

    Cracking down on stalking and domestic violence, and enhancing monitoring and penalties for violations (HF 263).

    Expanding the definition of “criminal stalking” to include repeated use of an electronic device to track a person’s whereabouts with no legitimate purpose (HF 263).

    Reducing drunken driving fatalities and other drug and alcohol-related crimes by establishing 24/7 Sobriety program in counties that want to try this accountability-based program (SF 444).

    Requiring temporary staffing agencies to do background checks on employees for nursing homes and assisted living centers (HF 576).

    Prohibiting government offices open to the public (including public libraries and schools) from using a monitoring device where a person expects privacy, such as in a toilet, bath, shower or locker room (SF 499).

     

    Republican failures

    Jeopardizing the safety of Iowans, neighborhoods and communities by cutting services for victims, reducing access to the courts, delaying prosecution of crimes and making prisons even more dangerous (SF 130, SF 508, SF 509).

    Hurting kids with cuts to the Court Appointed Special Advocate program, which will no longer be available in all in all 99 counties (HF 640).

    Hurting elderly, disabled and vulnerable Iowans by cutting inspections of nursing homes (HF 640).

    Putting food safety at risk with cuts to the Iowa Department of Inspections & Appeals (HF 640).

     

    Missed opportunities

    Reducing fatalities by updating Iowa law for safely passing bicyclists on our roads. Improving safety for all road users by requiring bicycles to use a rear light visible from 300 feet between dusk and dawn (SF 450).

    Helping fire fighters and other public safety organizations raise money for charity or local public safety efforts from passing motorists. “Filling the Boot” is not legal in every Iowa community (SF 163).

    Helping victims with crime-related expenses that may arise years later and ensuring family members are compensated for lost wages when attending court proceedings (SF 276).

    Protecting students from worsening a concussion injury and requiring school coaches to be certified in CPR (HF 563).

    Protecting the health of students and educators by requiring radon testing in public schools (HF 7).

    Requiring that human growth and development instruction include age-appropriate information on dating violence and prevention (SF 119).

    Implementing health and safety checks for homeschooled students, in light of instances of child abuse and child death (SF 138).

    Establishing training requirements, procedures and prohibitions on physical restraint and seclusion of students by school districts and accredited nonpublic schools (SF 204).

    Training school personnel on suicide awareness, suicide prevention and on crisis plans (SF 378).

    Protecting all students by strengthening anti-bullying policies and programs (SF 390).

     

    Bad ideas stopped

    Ending licensing for such occupations as social work, mental health counselors and respiratory therapists (HSB 138).

     

    Quality of life

    Bipartisan successes

    Protecting homebuyers by ensuring construction lien disclosures before the sale of a house (HF 541).

    Keeping traffic moving efficiently by updating traffic laws for turns on red. On a red light, a driver may turn right from all lanes designated for right turns, or left from all lanes designated for left turns on a one-way street (HF 372).

    Protecting kids by providing consistency in child custody laws for married and unmarried couples, including completing a court-approved Children in the Middle course (HF 253).

    Reducing harassment and invasion of privacy by making it illegal to share images of another person in the nude or engaged in a sex act without their consent (HF 526).

     

    Republican failures

    Failing to pass any legislation to seriously address the state’s water quality problem.

    Scaling back nuisance protections for local residents in the vicinity of animal feeding operations (SF 447).

    Cutting funding for state parks to such an extent that some will likely be closed (SF 510).

    Cutting the Resource Enhancement and Protection program (REAP), which supports cities and counties that want to enhance quality of life through urban conservation and by developing natural, cultural and historic resources (SF 510).

    Emptying the Cultural Trust Fund account, which provided grants to arts and cultural organizations throughout Iowa (SF 130).

     

    Good government

    Bipartisan successes

    Using resources efficiently by giving county auditors the flexibility to combine staff and polling locations when low voter turnout is expected in primary and general elections (HF 471).

    Protecting the rights of Iowans by setting higher standards for law enforcement to seize property— especially money and cars—that may be related to a crime (SF 446).

    Saving taxpayer dollars by ensuring private parties cover more of the costs of civil services they require from county sheriffs, such as bills of sale and deeds for land sold (SF 501).

    Ensuring indigent Iowans obtain legal counsel when they’re charged with a crime that carries the possibility of jail or prison time (SF 374).

     

    Republican failures

    Eliminating the Watershed Improvement Funding Program, which encourages cooperative projects within watersheds (SF 510).

    Delaying access to justice and necessary services with cuts that require further scaling back clerk of court hours and specialty courts (SF 508, SF 509).

    Preventing local governments from voluntarily entering into agreements with local contractors that ensure good-paying jobs, quality work and cost-effective projects (SF 438).

    Weakening the rights of thousands of Iowans by making it more difficult for them to vote in elections, including elderly and disabled Iowans, college students and others (HF 516).

    Creating a costly registration card program for voting (HF 516).

     

    Missed opportunities

    Establishing a better way for Iowans to identify themselves at the polls by allowing them to present common forms of ID (Amendment on floor).

     

    Bad ideas stopped

    Jeopardizing the drinking water of nearly a million Iowans, raising water bills and robbing local taxpayers of a major asset by dismantling Des Moines Water Works (SF 456/HF 484).

    Ending retirement security for public employees, including teachers, fire fighters, and police officers ( SF 45).

    Discouraging Iowans from filing legitimate lawsuits by placing a financial burden on plaintiffs, even before the case is heard by a judge or jury (SF 71).

     

    Veterans & service members

    Republican failures

    Decreasing funding for National Guard readiness centers, armories and facilities, and upgrades to Camp Dodge sewers, which causes Iowa to also lose significant federal matching funds (HF 643).

    Cutting 20 percent from the Veterans Home Ownership Program (HF 653).

    Cutting $1 million from National Guard Tuition Assistance, a 24 percent decrease from what the Legislature originally approved and the Governor signed (HF 642).

  • 2017 Closing Day Remarks by Senate Democratic Leader Rob Hogg

    Mr. President, Mr. Majority Leader, and all my Senate colleagues:

    During my address on the opening day of this session, I expressed hope the Senate would govern wisely and take action to make life better on the bread-and-butter issues that Iowans face every day.

    I noted that – in recent years – the Legislature has worked together in a bipartisan manner on policies that were designed to:

    • Create jobs and broaden economic prosperity across our state.
    • Create more educational opportunities for Iowans.
    • Expand access to health care and make it more affordable.
    • Improve public safety for families, neighborhoods and communities.
    • Help safeguard our people and our property from disasters.

    With that in mind, I pledged on the first day of the session that Senate Democrats would focus on real solutions to real problems.

    I specifically cited six real problems that need to be addressed:

    First, the increase in deadly Iowa traffic accidents.

    Second, the Medicaid managed care mess that is failing Iowa patients and families, failing Iowa providers, and failing Iowa taxpayers.

    Third, the lack of pension and retirement security for too many Iowans.

    Fourth, the statewide problem of impaired waters.

    Fifth, the loss of population in over 70 counties and its impact on local schools.

    Sixth, the problem of stagnant wages paid to Iowa workers.

    So how did the Legislature do on these six key problems facing Iowa?

    On traffic safety, Democrats joined with Republicans to pass Senate File 234 to address texting while driving and Senate File 444 to increase penalties when texting causes an accident that seriously injures or kills someone.

    That same legislation will also help reduce drunken driving fatalities and other drug and alcohol-related problems by establishing the 24/7 Sobriety program in counties that want to try it.  This is probably the best news of this legislative session.

    Unfortunately, this body did not take up Senate File 450 to address bicycle safety, and we have much, much more to do for better driver’s education and traffic safety to save lives.

    On the Medicaid managed care mess, the Republican majority did not take any action to fix the problem.  The Republican majority failed to take up bills Democrats proposed to improve the system, and even blocked a vote on an amendment just to study ways to improve managed care.

    To make matters worse, the human services budget (House File 653) slashed funding for hospital reimbursements, slashed funding for child abuse investigations through the field offices, and made further cuts to our mental health system that is already in crisis.

    On retirement security, the Republican majority did not take any action to improve retirement security.  None.  The only good news is that no action was taken on a Republican proposal, Senate File 45, to end the retirement system for peace officers, fire fighters, teachers, and other public employees.

    On water quality, the Legislature was much more talk than action.  In fact, the Ag and DNR budget (Senate File 510) reduces funding for REAP, CRP, and other water quality programs and would eliminate the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, which Governor Branstad established at Iowa State University in 1987.  I still hope that Governor Branstad will exercise his veto pen and save the Leopold Center.

    On the declining population in over 70 counties in Iowa, the Republican majority did not enact any positive vision for revitalization in our counties and small towns.

    Instead, the Republican majority provided inadequate funding for our schools – again (Senate File 166) – along with cuts to our community colleges (Senate File 130), cuts to the REAP program (Senate File 510), and cuts to our hospitals (House File 653).

    These cuts do nothing to reverse the decline in population and revitalize our communities across our state.  We should be investing in our natural resources, our schools, and access to health care across our state to reverse declining population and stop school consolidations and closures.

    On stagnant wages, the Republican majority failed to make progress, despite the promise of Governor Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds to raise family incomes.  In fact, the Republican majority voted for House File 295 – which was signed by Governor Branstad – to cut the wages of 85,000 hard-working Iowans in counties that had already moved forward to raise the minimum wage.

    There were other bills that undermine wages and family incomes in our state.  The Republican majority voted for Senate File 130 and House File 642 to slash education funding for our community colleges and our universities.  The Republican majority voted for House File 518 to create barriers and cut workers compensation for injured and disabled workers.

    The Republican majority also voted for House File 203 to circumvent “prevailing wage” and “Buy American” requirements for road projects.  The Republican majority voted for Senate File 438 to prevent local governments from considering wages and health and safety qualifications when seeking bids for construction projects.

    All of this legislation will make the problem of stagnant wages worse, not better.  And dealing with the problem of stagnant wages is the key to creating a future with broad prosperity and more opportunity for all Iowans.

    Dealing with stagnant wages with solutions to raise wages and grow family incomes is also the key to our budget.  After more than six years under Governor Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds, Iowa’s budget is a mess – not because of a national or global recession, but because of bad budgeting decisions by the Branstad-Reynolds Administration and their failure to grow our economy and family incomes as they promised.

    Unfortunately, rather than deal with these real problems, the Republican majority made a decision to pursue the fake problems I warned about on opening day – like the “fake” problem of collective bargaining, the “fake” problem of Planned Parenthood funding, and the “fake” problem of “fake” people casting votes.

    The bad news for Iowans is that the Republican majority dedicated this session to addressing these fake problems, with an anti-worker, anti-women, anti-family agenda that hurts Iowans.

    The Republican majority attacked the “fake” problem of collective bargaining by taking away workers’ rights and reducing wages and benefits (House File 291), hurting 184,000 Iowa families and communities across our state.

    he Republican majority attacked the “fake” problem of Planned Parenthood funding (House File 653), costing the state $3 million in federal family planning dollars and making it harder for Iowans across the state to access preventive health care services.

    The Republican majority attacked the “fake” problem of “fake” people casting votes (House File 516), by weakening the voting rights of Iowans, by making it more difficult for all Iowans to vote, especially elderly and disabled Iowans, poor people and minorities who do not own or drive a car, and college students who won’t have the required identification.

    I believe the intent of House File 516 was to limit participation, which is fundamentally contrary to the ideals of our state and our country.

    But I also believe that because of the attacks on workers, women, families, students, minorities, and all voters, we are already seeing the greatest re-awakening of democracy that Iowa has ever seen.

    As I said in my opening day speech, the solution to our problems is not less participation, it is more participation.

    So today I ask again – as I asked when this legislative session opened on January 9 – to everyone in this chamber and to those listening or watching the proceedings online – let’s join together with a renewed sense of citizenship, to sit at our table of democracy, to participate, to reach out, to listen, to speak up, and to serve, so that together we can build a safer and healthier future, with broad prosperity and more opportunity, for all Iowans.

    Thank you, Mr. President.

     

  • Senate Democrats respond to legislative GOP budget plan

    Statement by Senator Joe Bolkcom, ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee:

    “The budget plan released today by legislative Republicans is terrible news for Iowans.  Republicans are once again balancing the budget on the backs of working Iowans.

    “Senate Democrats will not support drastic cuts that threaten public safety, the quality of education, and the safety net for seniors, children and vulnerable Iowans.

    “These budget cuts could have been avoided if Republican legislators, Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds had delivered on their promises to increase family income by 25% and create more than 200,000 new jobs in Iowa.”

    ###

  • Mathis, Ragan respond to Branstad/Reynolds release on Medicaid privatization

    “Everything the Governor lists can be refuted by patients, providers and advocates. Don’t believe this blather,” said Senator Liz Mathis of Robins. “We still have big issues with pre-authorization, physicians dropping hundreds of Medicaid patients and millions of dollars of claims left unpaid to providers. That is far from a successful year.”

    “The willingness of Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds to continue to mislead Iowans about their Medicaid privatization disaster is stunning,” said Senator Amanda Ragan of Mason City. “Now it’s up to Lt. Gov. Reynolds to be honest with Iowans and start repairing the damage privatized Medicaid has brought to Iowa families, health care providers and taxpayers.”

    -end-

  • Hindering medical breakthroughs

    Last week, the Senate passed SF 359, a bill to ban voluntary fetal tissue donations.

    This bill puts politics above good science and medicine. The bill is nothing more than a platform for people who are opposed to abortion to perpetuate lies about abortion providers and women who have abortions.

    The legislators behind this bill are the same ones who pushed the personhood bills, would ban all abortion in Iowa and defund Planned Parenthood. This bill does not actually impact the provision of abortion.  It simply harms those who could benefit from medical research.

    It treats abortion differently since research is allowed on fetal tissue following a miscarriage or stillbirth. While an amendment to the bill protects existing cell lines commonly used in research, it means that no new cell lines will be available in the future.

    We don’t know how science will evolve, and to place these kinds of limitation on what kinds of tissue and cells can be researched is short-sighted and could limit future research. While cell lines that meet this definition are available now, several years down the road, there could be a shortage of available cell lines in the future.

    Federal law regulates fetal tissue donation. It recognizes the benefits of fetal tissue donation and does not bar the practice.  It does, however, ban any organization from participating in tissue donation of any kind for profit.

    This bill also sends a message to current and prospective medical researchers that Iowa is not a place to do research on disease curing medical discovery.

  • TODAY: Tell your senator to stand up for injured workers

    This is an action alert for Monday, March 27. Please e-mail state senators to urge them to support Iowa workers by rejecting two bills Iowa Senate Republicans have placed on the daily debate calendar for today:

    1. House File 518 – the bill to gut workers compensation for injured and disabled workers.
    2. House File 295 – the bill to take away local minimum wages and reduce the minimum wage for tens of thousands of Iowa workers.

    You can find their email addresses at www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find, or call the Iowa Senate switchboard at 515-281-3371 to leave messages for specific individual Senators.

    On social media, urge Iowa’s state senators to #SaveIAWorkers and #RaiseTheWage.

     

    Update on Rest of “Dirty Dozen”

    1. Prohibit Local “Pre-Qualification” for Bidding (SF438) – passed Iowa Senate, pending in Iowa House
    2. Circumvent “Buy American” on local road projects (HF203) – passed both Iowa House and Iowa Senate, now signed into law by Governor Branstad
    3. New Government Barriers to Voting (HF516) – passed Iowa House, amended by the Iowa Senate to shorten the window for absentee voting from 40 to 29 days, pending again in the Iowa House
    4. Make Planned Parenthood Ineligible for Medicaid Reimbursement (SF2) – passed Iowa Senate, still pending in Iowa House
    5. Create Religious Exemptions for Boarding School Regulations (SF443) – still pending in Iowa Senate
    6. Eliminate Permits to Acquire Firearms, Other Firearm Changes (HF517) – passed Iowa House, pending in Iowa Senate
    7. Unfunded Mandate on Local Officials to Enforce Immigration Laws (SF481) – still pending in Iowa Senate
    8. Dismantle Des Moines Water Works (HF484/SF456) – still pending in both Iowa House and Iowa Senate
    9. End Bottle and Can Deposit Law (HF575) – pending in Iowa House Ways & Means Committee
    10. Restrict Right to Bring Nuisance Lawsuit (SF447) – passed Iowa Senate and Iowa House, now pending consideration by Governor Branstad. Call his office at 515-281-5211 to urge him to veto it.

  • March 20 action alert on anti-worker bills

    Two of the “dirty dozen” are on the debate schedules for today, one in the Iowa House and one in the Iowa Senate. This update is to ask for your help today, and to encourage you to keep speaking up on other “dirty dozen” issues and on the revised Branstad-Reynolds-Republican budget we expect to see any day now.

     

    Speak Up For Iowa Workers

    In the Senate, we continue to need your help to stop the legislation (SF435/HF518) that would gut Iowa’s highly-rated workers compensation system.

    The Insurance Journal rates Iowa’s system as the third best in the country. Premiums have fallen three of the last four years. Case filings are down. This bill is NOT an Iowa solution to an Iowa problem. Republicans did not campaign on this issue. This legislation is being pursued at the request of big-money, out-of-state special interests.

    By speaking up, you have slowed down this legislation, but it did pass the Iowa House on Thursday and is now back on the debate schedule for today—Monday, March 20—in the Iowa Senate.

    With your help, we can find 4-5 Senate Republicans who will finally stop this bill and give Iowans a chance to consider this legislation more carefully before next year’s legislative session.

    Please e-mail Republican Senators today and call the Senate switchboard (515-281-3371) to leave messages for specific individual Republican Senators this afternoon. E-mail contact information for Republican Senators is available at www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find.

    Here are some of the provisions in SF435/HF518 that would create new barriers to workers’ compensation or arbitrarily reduce compensation:

    • 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 and unrealistic time 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.
    • New provisions that allow or encourage employers and their insurers to delay paying compensation.

    Stop the Attack on the Des Moines Water Works

    Just like we need your help in the Senate, House Democrats need your help today to stop the bill (HF484) that would take over the Des Moines Water Works, dismantle the utility, and deprive voters from having their say on what should happen to its $300+ million in assets.

    HF484 is on the debate schedule today in the Iowa House, so e-mail state representatives or call the House switchboard (515-281-3221) to leave messages for specific individual Representatives. If House Democrats can find 9-10 House Republicans to oppose this bill, they will be able to stop it.

     

    Update on the Rest of the “Dirty Dozen”

    Here is the status on the rest of the “dirty dozen”:

    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. Circumvent “Buy American” on local road projects (HF203) – passed both Iowa House and Iowa Senate, and is now pending Governor’s signature. You can call his office at 515-281-5211 to urge Governor Branstad to veto HF203.
    4. New Government Barriers to Voting (HF516) – passed Iowa House, now in Iowa Senate
    5. Make Planned Parenthood Ineligible for Medicaid Reimbursement (SF2) – passed Iowa Senate, now in Iowa House
    6. Create Religious Exemptions for Boarding School Regulations (SF443) – still in Iowa Senate
    7. Eliminate Permits to Acquire Firearms, Other Firearm Changes (HF517) – passed Iowa House, now in Iowa Senate
    8. Unfunded Mandate on Local Officials to Enforce Immigration Laws (SF481) – still in Iowa Senate
    9. End Bottle and Can Deposit Law (HF575) – still in Iowa House
    10. Restrict Right To Bring Nuisance Lawsuit (HF468/SF447) – passed Iowa Senate, now in Iowa House

    Almost every day there is another misguided bill added to our daily debate calendar. Today, the Iowa Senate is expected to debate new caps on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases (SF465) that would be particularly hard on children, seniors and others who do not have “economic” losses—such as lost wages—to recover in the rare cases when medical providers make mistakes that cause harm. This bill is in the Iowa Senate now, and if it passes, will go to the Iowa House for more consideration.

    Last Thursday, the Iowa Senate passed a proposed Constitutional amendment (SJR9) that would incorporate today’s budgeting rules into our Constitution (99 percent spending limitation and revenue forecasting) and would also place a hard cap of 4 percent annual budget growth in our Constitution, regardless of inflation or other emergency health or safety situations that may arise. This amendment is at best unnecessary, and at worst, would tie the hands of future Legislatures at the exact moment when action is most needed. This resolution has passed the Iowa Senate, so please speak up with Iowa House members about it.

  • Contacting Iowa’s Republican State Senators


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  • Bolkcom: Republican policies are train wreck for working families

    Iowa Senate News Release
    State Senator Joe Bolkcom: (319) 330-9541
    For Immediate Release: March 14, 2017 

     

    Statement by Senator Joe Bolkcom, lead Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, on the updated revenue estimates

    “In 2010, Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds were elected to office based on two promises: Raise family incomes by 25% and create 200,000 new Iowa jobs within four years.

    “They failed and made life worse for Iowa families and their communities.

    “Now, with complete control of the Iowa Statehouse, Republicans are pursuing an agenda that is driving down incomes and destroying jobs.

    “Their agenda includes grossly underfunding our local schools; turning Iowa’s respected, state-run Medicaid safety net into a national disaster; weakening the rights of workers and driving down wages; and showering out-of-state corporations with an all-you-can-eat buffet of tax cuts and tax credits.

    “Senate Democrats stand ready to work with legislative Republicans, the Governor and Lt. Governor on a mid-course correction that will restore fiscal stability to our state budget by investing in our schools and job-creation initiatives, and taking a serious look at out-of-control spending on tax credits.”

    – 30 –

     

  • “Keep Iowa Beautiful” recognizes Allen for community improvement efforts

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release: March 13, 2017

    On Monday, March 13, Governor Terry Branstad presented Senator Chaz Allen with a special award from Keep Iowa Beautiful. The organization helps communities and organizations with cleanup and beautification projects while promoting anti-littering education programs.

    Senator Chaz Allen was recognized today for his leadership on a successful, bipartisan effort to continue state support of Keep Iowa Beautiful. In 2016, Allen worked with Iowa House Republican Pat Grassley to continue state support for Keep Iowa Beautiful.

    “Keeping Iowa beautiful by cleaning up garbage and educating people about the damage caused by littering is important to economic development,” said Allen. “Iowa is a great and beautiful place to live, and keeping it that way makes our state a more attractive place in which to live and invest.”

    -end-