Des Moines — Iowa state Sen. Claire Celsi released the following statement on the need for bipartisan cooperation to solve the severe staff shortage and long-term care crisis facing Iowa.
“Iowa’s nursing homes are experiencing an unprecedented crisis, precipitated by catastrophic and disastrous staffing shortages,” Sen. Claire Celsi, D-West Des Moines, said. “Without action, long-term care facilities will continue to shut down, and elderly Iowans will continue to suffer and die due to inadequate care.”
“I appreciate that Gov. Reynolds recognizes the severity of this crisis, and I invite her to set aside partisanship and come together to find solutions – including on the critical issue of staffing,” Celsi said. “Our elders are in harm’s way, and it’s up to all of us to work together to ensure the safety and dignity they deserve.”
“Iowa’s revenue growth cannot keep up with the costs of Governor Reynolds’ corporate tax cuts and private-school voucher spending,” Senate Appropriations Ranking Member Janet Petersen, D-Des Moines, said. “Today’s revenue estimate is a warning for Governor Reynolds and statehouse Republicans: your special-interest spending spree isn’t sustainable and it leaves too many taxpayers behind.”
Des Moines — Iowa state Sens. Tony Bisignano and Bill Dotzler released the following statements in response to the news that the Iowa Speedway will host a 2024 NASCAR Cup Series race.
“From dirt tracks to IndyCar, Iowa has a long, rich history in motorsports,” Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, said. “Today’s announcement of a NASCAR Cup Series race at Newton opens an exciting new chapter for auto racing in Iowa.”
“Top-tier NASCAR in Newton is a huge win for race fans, for motorsports, and most of all for the state of Iowa,” Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, said. “Democrats and Republicans have been working for more than a decade to bring NASCAR’s best cars and drivers to the fastest short track on the planet right here in Iowa, and today that dedication is paying off.”
Des Moines — Iowa state Sen. Janet Petersen released the following statement in response to Gov. Kim Reynolds announcement Wednesday regarding the state budget.
“Gov. Reynolds talks a big game about relief for Iowa families, but she’s always put rich corporations and special interests first – and she always will,” Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Janet Petersen said. “While Gov. Reynolds is again slashing corporate taxes and promising more giveaways to come, middle-class families still aren’t getting ahead.”
“Gov. Reynolds’ tax schemes aren’t working for everyday Iowans,” Petersen, D-Des Moines, said.
Petersen, D-Des Moines, serves as the ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Iowa state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott released the following statement following the start of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services issuing Summer P-EBT cards to provide food assistance for Iowa children who qualify for free or reduced lunch during the school year.
“I’m happy and relieved to see our state follow through on feeding hungry Iowa kids,” Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott said. “This is the right thing to do – these cards will go a long way toward meeting the need.”
The cards being sent to eligible households should be received by early October. Eligible families will receive EBT cards in the mail with $120 per eligible student that can be used at grocery stores. According to HHS there are 240,000 Iowa children who are eligible.
“At a time when food pantries are reporting all-time highs, finding ways to increase access to food is more important than ever,” Trone Garriott said. “If you’re a household with eligible school-age children, make sure to check your mail.”
The food assistance program began its rollout after Sens. Trone Garriott and Izaah Knox sent a letter along with state Rep. Sean Bagniewski to the governor in June requesting that the state apply for the funds. At the time, Iowa was one of the few states that had not yet applied. The full letter is available here.
Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-West Des Moines, is the ranking member on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
This Monday on Labor Day, we were proud to celebrate the working people of Iowa and the labor movement, whose victories make our families and communities stronger.
Labor Day is an important reminder that our work is not done. When Republicans took power in Iowa, they wasted no time passing laws to gut collective bargaining rights, slashing wages for union and non-union workers alike, and restrict unemployment benefits. Now, Governor Reynolds and Republican politicians have led our state into a historic workforce crisis. And instead of solving that problem, they’ve chosen to rewrite Iowa’s child labor law to allow our kids to work more dangerous jobs.
But this summer, Iowans have taken a stand. From Des Moines to Dubuque to Newton, Iowans are demanding fair wages and respect – and they’re getting results! We can’t think of a better way to honor the Labor movement.
All Iowans deserve a good-paying job, a middle-class life, and a secure retirement – and that’s what we’re working for in the Iowa Senate. We hope you and your family enjoyed a safe, responsible, and healthy Labor Day.
Quick Updates
Come see your Supreme Court. The Iowa Supreme Court kicks off its 2023-24 term this month, and will hear cases at Waverly-Shell Rock High School on Sept. 19 and the University of Iowa Law School on Sept. 29. Seeing Supreme Court arguments in person can be illuminating, but the Court also posts all of their cases on YouTube. And for the stats lovers out there, here’s last term by the numbers.
To schedule a tour of the Iowa State Capitol, call 515-281-5591 or just stop by the visitors center on the ground floor.
High school rankings: U.S. News and World Report ranks the nation’s best high schools based on six factors including college readiness, student assessments, and graduation rates. The best high school rankings include data on nearly 25,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Iowa high school rankings can be found here.
New test data. State-level education assessment results from the last school year were released late last month and show little to no growth across most grades in English language arts as well as persistent achievement gaps between groups of students. The statewide assessment is given every spring and affects what’s taught in Iowa classrooms. There will be achievement gaps so long as Iowa lawmakers continue to short-change our public schools and prioritize funneling taxpayer dollars into private schools. Iowa public education has been held back by staffing shortages, inadequate funding, and mean-spirited attacks schools and educators. We must support our public schools and educators and increase investments to ensure a quality education for all of Iowa’s students.
Tips for healthy kids. As students head back to school, these tips from experts may help your kids stay healthy and stay in the classroom. It’s important to make sure all immunizations are up to date, and have open dialogue with your kids to monitor mental health, which can be just as important as physical health when attending school.
Iowa Bridges on U.S. Stamps. Two iconic Iowa bridges are featured on new postage stamps release last month by the United States Postal Service. The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge connecting Council Bluffs to Omaha and the Interstate 74 Mississippi River Bridge between Bettendorf and Moline will appear on Presorted First Class Mail stamps as part of a bridge-themed four-stamp series. To see the stamps and find more information on ordering them, click here.
Election year 2023. City and school board elections are right around the corner. The following information from the Iowa Secretary of State will help candidates and voters:
Senate Dems Seeking Interns. The Iowa Senate Democratic Caucus is seeking talented and motivated interns for the 2024 legislative session. Interns work directly with Democratic senators and staff, assisting the communications team in shaping the message and sharing the story of the 2024 session. The internship program is open to college students, School to Work program participants, and others interested in learning the basics of political communication. Click here for more information and application instructions.
Applications Open for Legislative Page Program. Applications are now open for the 2024 Iowa Legislative Page Program, in which Iowa high school juniors and seniors live in Des Moines and work at the Capitol throughout the legislative session. Pages are assigned to the Senate, the House or the Legislative Services Agency and perform crucial tasks to keep the legislature running. Click here for more information and application instructions.
Iowa state Sen. Janice Weiner released the following statement regarding the Boards & Commissions Review Committee meeting on Wednesday taking public comment on proposed board and commission mergers and eliminations.
“Today we heard from dozens of Iowans concerned about the negative consequences of eliminating and merging critical boards and commissions,” Weiner said. “We owe it to the people of Iowa to take those concerns seriously and make decisions based on what’s best for Iowans – not just the governor’s office.”
“State boards and commissions bring essential expertise into our state government and ensure public accountability for the public’s business,” Weiner said. “I support a thorough review of our boards and commissions, but the Reynolds administration needs to slow down and fully engage the public before it does anything that could affect our health and wellbeing.”
“The Reynolds administration created an unaccountable committee to conduct this review and then set an arbitrary deadline for completing it,” Weiner said. “It’s clear to me that the goal of this sham process is to increase power for the governor – not Iowans.”
Weiner, D-Iowa City, is an ex-officio member of the Boards & Commissions Review Committee and serves on the Senate State Government Committee and Local Government Committee.
The child-labor expansion bill passed by Iowa Republican politicians earlier this year and now written into Iowa Code violates federal law, putting young Iowans at risk in dangerous jobs and creating confusing, contradictory rules for Iowa businesses to follow.
The letter, dated August 24, finds that Iowa’s new law violates federal law in two critical ways:
The Iowa law allows 16- and 17-year-olds to operate dangerous power-driven machines, engage in heavy manufacturing, and work in demolition — all of which are prohibited under federal child-labor laws.
The new Iowa law also does not require 16- and 17-year-olds working in apprenticeship or student-learner roles to be registered by the U.S. Department of Labor or a state agency, which federal law does require.
The letter makes clear that when state and federal labor laws are in conflict, the law providing the most protection for young people must be followed — in this case, that’s the federal law.
The Department also pledges to keep an eye out for violations of federal law as Iowa’s child-labor expansion is implemented: “In addition, the Department will continue to monitor Iowa’s implementation of the law to assess potential obstruction of federal child labor protections.”
“The child-labor expansion forced into law by Republican politicians and Gov. Reynolds sets a trap for Iowa kids and businesses alike,” Sen. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines, said. “It makes our kids less safe by exposing them to hazardous environments that could get them injured or even killed—something the legislation itself acknowledged. And now it creates new bureaucratic confusion that can lead employers right into violations of federal law.”
“This letter has a clear message for legislators and employers alike,” Boulton said. “For legislators, it tells us we must fix this bad law and protect kids from dangerous jobs. For employers, it’s a warning not to put their businesses at risk by hiring young people in illegal jobs. More child labor is not the solution to our workforce crisis.”
“Kids’ lives are at risk today because Republican lawmakers passed a bill for the special interests. Not only is it confusing but it proves costly for Iowa businesses just trying to do the right thing,” said Rep. Jeff Cooling, D- Cedar Rapids, Ranking Member of the House Labor & Workforce Committee. “Child labor is not the solution to Iowa’s workforce shortage and it never should be. It’s time to put people, especially our kids, over politics.”
The child-labor expansion bill, Senate File 542, was passed by Republican politicians and signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds in May.
The U.S. Department of Labor had previously sent a letter warning that an earlier version of the bill included violations of federal law. The new guidance examines the language of the bill actually passed into Iowa law.
As nearly five hundred thousand Iowa K-12 students head back to school this week, Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education still owe parents and taxpayers answers to critical questions about their private-school voucher scheme.
Passed by Iowa Republican politicians just last January and outsourced to a private, out-of-state, for-profit company over the summer, the new voucher regime is about to funnel more than a hundred million dollars in public funds to exclusive private schools.
There is still much the public doesn’t know about this program. Senate Democrats are encouraging parents, taxpayers, school administrators, and journalists to raise their voices and demand answers from the Reynolds Administration on how vouchers are being implemented and how they’re impacting Iowa public schools.
Gov. Reynolds and her Department of Education still haven’t answered five key questions:
1. How many vouchers is the state handing out this year, and how much will they cost taxpayers?
Even as money is routed out of the state treasury, through a for-profit company, and into private-school bank accounts, taxpayers remain in the dark on how much they’re on the hook to pay. We know the state has approved 18,627 voucher applications – far more than initially budgeted – but we still don’t know how many recipients will actually attend private schools and what it will cost the state treasury in total.
2. How much funding is each school district losing due to vouchers?
With public school funding this school year running nearly $800 per kid behind inflation compared to seven years ago, every taxpayer dollar paid out to private schools is a dollar denied to our public schools. Parents, districts, and community leaders deserve a full accounting of how much money is being siphoned away from the many to benefit the few. That’s especially true in rural Iowa, where public schools anchor communities and funding cuts threaten closures, consolidation, and economic decline.
3. Why were voucher recipients denied admission at private schools?
Students approved for vouchers can still be denied admission by selective private schools. We need to know how many and why. Are private schools screening out students with disabilities or special needs? Are vouchers making private schools more diverse or further segregating the haves from the have-nots? Taxpayers deserve to know.
4. How many voucher recipients already attend a private school, and how many are enrolling for the first time?
This one is simple: who benefits? All the available information suggests vouchers will primarily benefit well-to-do families who are already able to afford private education.
5. What are the demographics of voucher recipients?
Where do voucher recipients live? We already know that ten rural counties have two or fewer voucher students each and three have none at all. What school districts do they come from? What is their household income? Do students from all religions get equal treatment? Do racial and ethnic minorities?
“Gov. Reynolds rushed this massively expensive private-school voucher scheme into law, but she continues to leave us in the dark on how it works, whom it helps, and what it costs,” Sen. Herman Quirmbach said. “Parents, taxpayers, community leaders, and school administrators have important questions about vouchers. They deserve answers.”
“Iowa kids are heading back to class this week. Gov. Reynolds’ explanations are long overdue,” Quirmbach said.
Senator Quirmbach (D-Ames) is the Ranking Member of the Senate Education Committee.
Iowa state Sens. Janet Petersen, Herman Quirmbach, Todd Taylor, and Janice Weiner sent a letter to Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird on Thursday demanding answers on a stalled “audit” of the state’s victims’ services program, which her office has used to deny funding for medical care for survivors of sexual assault.
In the letter, the senators seek an explanation of the legal basis for Bird’s withholding of funds for emergency contraception and abortion services. State law and administrative rules clearly state that such services must be provided, raising serious questions about the legality of Bird’s decision to defund critical health services to victims of rape and incest.
“…no law or rule grants the Attorney General the discretion to prohibit medical care she personally disagrees with,” the senators wrote in the letter. “If you have evidence to the contrary, we would very much like to see it.”
The senators’ letter comes three months after a previous request for information from the office, which the attorney general never formally responded to. As in that first request, today’s letter seeks an explanation of Bird’s rationale for suspending critical victims services funding; an expected timeline for the office’s ongoing audit of victims services; and a list of all the services to survivors that have been suspended during that audit.
“Depriving funding for medical care to victims while your office continues its seemingly indefinite and indefensible audit is an attack on justice,” the senators wrote. “This deprivation is yet another violation to the victim’s bodily autonomy. Victims, advocates, prosecutors, and law enforcement deserve to know why needed resources are being withheld by your office.”
Petersen, D-Des Moines, serves on the Senate Judiciary and Health and Human Services committees, and is a longtime advocate for women, children, and survivors of sexual assault. Taylor, D-Cedar Rapids, is the ranking member on the Senate Justice Systems Appropriations Subcommittee. Quirmbach, D-Ames, and Weiner, D-Iowa City, serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
