Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • Legislators disappointed by governor’s veto of bipartisan help for suffering Iowans

    Iowa House and Senate
    For Immediate Release:  May 24, 2019

    Legislative supporters of strengthening Iowa’s weak medical cannabis program are disappointed Governor Reynolds vetoed HF 732 today.

    “The Governor’s veto is distressing news for thousands of sick and vulnerable Iowans who deserve greater access to this life-changing medication. I’m deeply disappointed that the Governor vetoed this bi-partisan bill, which passed overwhelmingly in both the House and Senate,” said Representative John Forbes, an Urbandale pharmacist.

    For the last five years, sick, vulnerable Iowans from across the state have been a regular presence at the Iowa Statehouse. The focus this session was improving what has been called the nation’s “least helpful medical cannabis law.” House File 732 passed the Iowa House by a vote of 96 to 3 and the Iowa Senate by a vote of 40 to 7.

    “Iowa’s medical cannabis program is too bureaucratic, too expensive and makes thousands of sick Iowans needlessly suffer,” said State Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City.  “Iowa’s law covers a very limited number of conditions and imposes arbitrary limits not found in other states.

    On February 23, 2019, the Iowa Poll found that 78% of Iowans want the state’s medical cannabis program expanded.

    -end-

  • Labor & Business Relations Committee – All-Bill Summary 2019

    SF 304 – Prohibiting licensing sanctions for student loan default

    SF 567- Professional licensing sanctions for felons

    HF 650- Immunity from civil liability for negligent hiring

     

    SF 304 – Prohibiting licensing sanctions for student loan default

    SF 304 requires the state’s licensing boards to adopt rules that prohibit suspension or revocation of a professional license because the licensee is in default or delinquent on repayment of postsecondary education loans, solely on the basis of such default or delinquency.

    The bill repeals Iowa Code sections relating to the process by which the Iowa College Student Aid Commission can initiate action to deny, revoke or suspend a license to someone who has defaulted. According to Iowa Student Aid Commission, they do not use this process now.
    [3/11: 46-0 (Absent: Elder, J. Smith, Zaun; Vacant: Danielson)]

     

    SF 567– Professional licensing sanctions for felons

    SF 567 relates to professional licensing and the ability for licensing boards to deny, revoke or suspend a license because of a felony conviction. The bill allows the boards to grant an exception for a person who would otherwise be denied a license because of conviction for a felony, provided there is an extenuating circumstance that justifies the exemption. The bill also strikes current Code sections allowing the boards to revoke, deny or suspend a license for conviction of any felony.

    The bill forbids the Iowa Department of Corrections to enroll an inmate in an apprenticeship program if the inmate is unable to obtain a necessary license to practice due to a felony conviction that is violent or sexual in nature. Prior to enrolling an inmate in an apprenticeship program, the Department of Corrections must receive written confirmation from the appropriate licensing board that the inmate could receive the necessary license to practice the profession if it appears that inmate may be disqualified from receiving such a license.

    The bill provides specific guidance to the Electrical Examining Board and the Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board when the boards consider exceptions for a person who would otherwise be denied a license due to a felony. The boards must consider the nature and seriousness of the offense, mitigating circumstances surrounding the commission of the offense, the age of the person at that time, letters of reference and other relevant evidence of rehabilitation. Also, the language provides a list of specific crimes that will be grounds for denial, revocation or suspension of the license.

    These felonies must be grounds for denial, revocation or suspension of a license:

    • Conviction of a felony in Iowa that is sexual abuse in violation of 709.4.
    • Sexually violent felony offense as defined in section 229A.2.
    • Felony dependent adult abuse in violation of section 235B.20.
    • Forcible felony as defined in section 702.11.
    • Domestic abuse felony assault in violation of section 708.2A.

    A conviction of a felony in violation of federal law or in violation of the law of another state will be given the same effect as it would if such conviction had been under Iowa law. Conviction for any other felony will not be grounds for denial, revocation or suspension. A person holding a license prior to July 1, 2019, does not need to obtain an exception to maintain their license.

    The bill alters license requirements for barbering by allowing an individual who completes a barbering apprenticeship training program (registered by the Department of Labor) at the Department of Corrections to take the examination for a license to practice barbering.
    [4/17: 50-0]

     

    HF 650– Immunity from civil liability for negligent hiring

    HF 650 prohibits a cause of action for damages against a private employer, general contractor or premises owner for negligently hiring an employee, agent or independent contractor who has been convicted of a public offense. However, a cause of action for negligent hiring based on evidence that the employee, agent or independent contractor has been convicted of a public offense is not prohibited if all of these criteria are met:

    • The employer knew or should have known of the conviction.
    • The employee was convicted of any of these crimes:
    • A public offense committed while performing duties substantially similar to those to be performed, taking into consideration these factors:
        • Nature and seriousness of the public offense.
        • Extent and nature of employee’s past criminal activity.
        • Age of employee when offense was committed.
        • Amount of time that has elapsed since the last criminal activity.
    • A sexually violent offense
    • Dependent adult abuse
    • First-degree murder
    • Second-degree murder
    • Felony assault
    • Domestic abuse assault
    • First-degree kidnapping
    • Robbery first degree
    • Manufacture or possession of a controlled substance on school grounds and other public properties.
    • A felony offense involving the use of a dangerous weapon.

    The protections provided in this bill will not apply in a suit concerning the misuse of funds or property of a person other than the employer by an employee if, on the date the employee was hired, the employee had been convicted of a public offense that included fraud or the misuse of funds or property as an element of the public offense, and it was foreseeable that the position for which the employee, agent or independent contractor was hired would involve discharging a fiduciary responsibility in the management of funds or property.
    [4/8: 50-0]

  • Statement: Republican politicians have done harm to all Iowa workers

    Statement by Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen on Iowa Supreme Court decisions

    “By taking away the rights of teachers, firefighters, nurses, correctional officers and other public servants, Republican politicians have done harm to all Iowa workers. Working Iowa men and women are the real victims of the assault by the Branstad/Reynolds Administration and Republican-controlled Legislature.

    “Chief Justice Cady got it right when he said the law stripping workers of their rights ‘offends our constitution.’

    “Senate Democrats continue to believe that all Iowa workers deserve respect, dignity and the right to bargain for health and safety protections. We will always stand side by side with ISEA, AFSCME and other unions who continue to stand up for the rights of public employees across the state.”

    END

  • Statement on Governor signing Health & Human Services budget

    “Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans worked in lock step to pass a budget rich with perks for special interests and out-of-state corporations rather than putting Iowans first. They supported taking away the civil rights of Iowans; implementing policies that will result in more unplanned pregnancies and abortions; and ignoring the concerns of Medicaid recipients, health care providers and taxpayers who are being harmed by privatized Medicaid.

    “Senate Democrats remain committed to expanding civil rights for Iowans, supporting policies that will result in fewer unplanned pregnancies and abortion, and making Medicaid accountable, affordable and sustainable again.”

    –         – end –

  • End-of-Session Remarks from Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen

    End-of-Session Remarks 2019

    Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen

     

    Thank you, Mr. President.

    As we wind down the 2019 Legislative session, I want to thank my Democratic colleagues for the honor of serving as your Leader. It is an honor leading a team of senators who care deeply about our state and the Iowans we serve.

    I want to give a special “thank you” to the new members of our caucus: Senators Claire Celsi, Eric Giddens, Jackie Smith, Todd Taylor and Zach Wahls. They have all brought new enthusiasm and ideas to the Iowa Senate and we’re all grateful for their service.

    Thank you to our dedicated caucus staff and leadership team who put in countless hours and have their fingerprints on every piece of legislation that runs through this chamber.  We are fortunate to have such smart, caring and talented people working for us, and more importantly, working for Iowans.  A special thanks to the Republican caucus staff and leadership team as well.

    Thank you to the Secretary of the Senate, your staff, and the Senate pages who keep this chamber running smoothly.

    Thank you to everyone at the Legislative Services Agency, to our joint legislative employees, and the Legislative Ombudsman’s Office for your putting your gifts to work on behalf of Iowans.

    Let’s give them all a round of applause!

    Mr. President, Mr. Majority Leader, Senate colleagues, and to all the Iowans we serve:  On the opening day of the 2019 Legislative Session, I talked about how the Iowa Senate has called this chamber home for more than 130 years.

    The laws and budgets we pass or don’t pass have the ability to impact the lives of every Generation living in our state today – and Generations who will be sitting in our chairs long after we are gone.

    This session we did some good things for the people of this state.

    One of the most significant pieces of legislation we passed was the guardianship bill, a cause championed by Josie Gitler of Iowa City and so many others who worked with her.  That bill will help protect hundreds of lives.

    We passed the Iowa CARE Act, and established a governance structure for a children’s mental health system in our state.

    We finally passed a bill opening the door to hemp production in Iowa.

    There were missed opportunities as well. 

    Once again, we saw Republicans “fixing” things that weren’t broken instead of fixing things that are broken…

    Iowans want strong public schools.  Instead of fully funding our public schools, we saw Republicans push for private school vouchers that would take resources away from thousands of Iowa’s children.

    Iowans want legislators to work on initiatives to prevent crime;  deal with substance abuse and mental health problems; make our neighborhoods, workplaces and schools safer; and reduce racial disparities in our criminal system.  Instead of tackling many of those issues, we saw a bill to completely revamp Iowa’s highly respected judicial nominating system to politicize Iowa’s courts.

    Iowans are innovative and making great strides in solar, wind and other renewable energy areas. Instead of supporting those efforts, Senate Republicans passed a bill that would give government-supported monopolies the power to squelch Iowa’s growing solar industry. They also put further restrictions on energy efficiency programs for homes and businesses.  Democrats believe we should be working together on renewable energy policies that help our entire state thrive.

    Instead of focusing on health prevention and wellness efforts, our state is still reeling from the Governor’s privatized Medicaid mess that has gone on for more than three years. More than 425,000 Iowans and hundreds of health care providers will soon find themselves navigating through a web of red tape of yet another for-profit Managed Care Organization.  Democrats believe health care dollars should be going to health care, not helping out-of-state, for-profit companies with their bottom line.

    Democrats pushed for automatic voter registration and improved cyber security oversight for elections. Instead of expanding voter rights in Iowa, we saw Senator Roby Smith and his Republican colleagues push for more voter suppression legislation that would have made it harder to vote for Iowa college kids, veterans, and those who don’t work a 9 to 5 job.

    Speaking of elections, it’s a real shame that Senate Republicans dropped the ball on a proposal by Governor Reynolds to restore voting rights to felons who have served their time. The Governor’s proposal was approved on 95-2 vote in the House nearly a month ago and clearly had bipartisan support in the Iowa Senate. There’s no excuse for Senate Republicans turning their backs on Iowans who deserve a second chance.

    Iowa lost another eight labor and delivery departments last year and our state’s maternal mortality rate has more than doubled in less than three years. Yet, several maternal and reproductive health care bills Democrats proposed did not get taken up.  The Governor did not get her pharmacy access to birth control bill through the legislature nor did the Republicans restore access to health care providers again for the thousands of women who were banned seeing many of Iowans most highly qualified providers in 2017. And in the final hours of the session, Republicans voted for anti-Planned Parenthood legislation that will actually lead to more abortions in our state, not fewer. That’s shameful!

    It’s also shameful that legislative Republicans decided at the 11th hour of this session to take away the civil rights of Iowans who are already marginalized in our society. Democrats believe in expanding and protecting the civil rights of ALL Iowans. That is how we help our state grow.

    Democrats pushed for putting more money in the pockets of Iowans with fairer tax policies, better job and apprenticeship opportunities, and decent wage and benefit policies for Iowans who work hard every day to support themselves and the people they love.  Senate Republicans pushed for more red tape and hurdles for Iowa families struggling to make ends meet.

    Children and adult survivors of child sexual abuse also lost again this session.  A bill that would finally give survivors a chance to seek justice against their perpetrators and the organizations that covered up the crime were kept in a desk drawer and only a small window of time was added to the criminal statute of limitation for child sexual abuse.

    While I am disappointed, that we did not accomplish more good things for Iowans in 2019, I am hopeful we can work together to make bigger strides next session.

    I truly believe there are more things that unite us than divide us and we must continue looking for ways to work together to make Iowa a state we can proud to call home.

    Thank you Iowans for making your voices heard this session.

    – end –

  • Sen. Wahls on Iowa’s need for Manufactured Home Reform

    Transcript:
    I just wanted to make sure that the body was aware of a current situation that’s unfolding across our state. Over the last several weeks and months, an out-of-state corporation called Haven Park Capital has acquired several mobile home parks across Iowa. These are currently, the ones we know about at least, are located in Waukee, North Liberty, Indianola, Iowa City, and North Liberty. And when I heard about these acquisition– two of them are in my own district–I started to take a look and understand what the current state of mobile home resident law is in our state. And the answer is it’s not very good. And I know hopefully nearing the end of session here, and we’re getting pretty late in the session, but I just wanted to put on everyone’s radar, that this company is raising the rents on folks, at least in Waukee and North Liberty, by 70 percent with only about 60 days’ notice And a 70 percent increase with 60 days notice is not very much time. And so I’m interested in working with anybody who wants to try and take a look at what’s possible to help protect folks who are being affected by these rent increases. And potentially under the gun, for increases that may be coming in other communities. I’ve had the chance to speak with Senator Kinney, whose residents in North Liberty are being affected by this. We had some of those folks just yesterday in the capitol, and we have a couple ideas about things that we can do to help protect folks. And I’ll be trying to walk around and talk with people. I want to thank Senator Rosenbloom for his interest in potentially working together on this issue. And one of the things I just want to make clear for folks, is the current law basically offers mobile home owners or residents virtually zero protection. I want to read just a quick sentence from the lease that was handed to folks in the Waukee mobile home park by this new company, Haven Park Capital. This is on page four of the lease they were handed under the 12th clause: Use of premises. “Premises,” of course, being the home. Residents shall occupy the premises and shall only use the premises as a residence and not for any commercial purposes or any purpose other than as a residence. Commercial use, among other things, is defined to include baby sitting and or childcare for individuals other than the resident’s immediate family on a regular basis. Residents shall not undertake any illegal activity including but not limited to the use, transfer, possession or creation of any illegal substance on the premises or in the community. And shall not use the premises in any other illegal or unlawful manner or contrary to any applicable law, rule, regulation or ordinances of any federal, state or municipal authorities. All that’s totally fine. Here’s the kicker. Further, residents shall not move the home from the home site without the landlords’ prior written consent which may be withheld for any reason and/or no reason. The whole point of a mobile home is that it can move. And the lease that these folks are being subjected to prevents them from being able to do that at all. So, I’m interested in working with anybody who’s willing to do some work on this. We’ve got a couple of ideas that will hopefully get some bipartisan support. I’d like to talk with you before we get out of here and go home. Thank you Mr. President.

  • News Conference: Iowans demand fix to state’s mobile home laws

  • KCCI on Waukee park’s planned 69% rent increase

    Cynthia Fodor of KCCI news talks about how Iowa legislators are working to combat the manufactured home rent crisis: wp.me/p8aBRy-77h

  • Feds launch investigative review of oversight of privatized Medicaid

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release:  April 17, 2019

     Key Iowa Senators applaud investigation by U.S. Inspector General

    DES MOINES – The U.S. Office of Inspector General has launched an investigative review of whether federal officials are providing sufficient and appropriate oversight to ensure that people with Medicaid are receiving the care to which they are entitled.

    Citing the lack of oversight of privatized Medicaid by Governor Reynolds and the Republican-controlled Legislature, two key Iowa State Senators today praised the new investigation.

    “Since it was launched three years ago in Iowa, privatized Medicaid has been unsustainable, unaffordable and unaccountable,” Senator Amanda Ragan of Mason City and Liz Mathis of Hiawatha wrote in a letter to U.S. Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson. “There has been little effort by the Governor or majority party in the Iowa General Assembly to provide proper oversight for the out-of-state managed care organizations (MCOs).”

    The Senators added: “Medicaid advocates, policymakers and other taxpayers deserve an investigation by the Inspector General that provides an answer to the question that we have asked since the start of Medicaid privatization in Iowa: Are some MCOs putting the bottom line ahead of patient health and safety?”

    The Inspector General initiated the review of the oversight role of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the request of U.S. Senator Robert Casey of Pennsylvania, Ranking Member of the Special Committee on Aging.

    In his request, Casey cited reports from across the country “alleging that some Medicaid managed care companies (MCOs) continuously deny care to patients sorely in need of care. In some cases, patients have experienced entirely preventable life-altering harms.”

    “Medicaid is emblematic of who we are as a nation, reflecting who we value and the ideals we are willing to fight for,” Casey added. “We must ensure Medicaid MCOs live up to these ideals and provide Americans with the health care that they deserve.”

    In its description of the investigation, the Inspector General acknowledges that privatized Medicaid “can create an incentive to deny beneficiaries’ access to covered services.”

    “Our review will determine whether Medicaid MCOs complied with Federal requirements when denying access to requested medical and dental services and drug prescriptions that required prior authorization,” the agency’s website states.

    ###

    Links:

    Letter from Sens. Ragan and Mathis to Inspector General

    Inspector General’s website

    Letter from Senator Robert Casey to Inspector General

  • Don’t let Medicaid mess undermine children’s health insurance

    Iowa Senate News Release
    Senator Nate Boulton
    Representative John Forbes
    For Immediate Release:  April 15, 2019

     

    Don’t let Medicaid mess undermine Iowa’s successful children’s health insurance program

    Two members of the board of Hawki, Iowa’s nationally recognized Hawki children’s health insurance program, today raised concerns in a letter about maintaining quality as it becomes part of Iowa’s troubled privatized Medicaid program.

    “This is another challenging transition for Iowa families,” said Senator Nate Boulton.  “Unitedhealthcare had been a Hawki provider for more than five years.  Those families need as much support as possible to make sure their care is not interrupted.  Specifically, we must make sure providers continue to welcome Hawki kids into their care.”

    “The Hawki transition is another opportunity for the Reynolds Administration to show that it has learned from past mistakes,” said Representative John Forbes.  “Iowans were promised that a privatized health care system would increase quality and access to care. However, too often they have instead gotten more headaches and problems.”

    Hawki provides low-cost health coverage for more than 70,000 children from working families across the state.   The Hawki Board of Directors guides the Department of Human Services’ efforts to develop, implement and administer the Hawki program.

    The questions for the board included:

    • How will the Board/DHS communicate with Hawki families about the transition from UnitedHealthcare to one of the two remaining managed-care organizations, Amerigroup Iowa or Iowa Total Care?
    • How will the Board/DHS communicate with schools across the state to make sure that parents and school officials are aware of the upcoming changes?  This is especially concerning for parents/guardians because they will be scheduling annual physicals, immunizations and other routine care during the summer months.
    • How will parents/guardians learn whether they will be able to keep their current pediatrician or other health care provider if they are transitioning to Amerigroup Iowa or Iowa Total Care?
    • How will the Board/DHS ensure healthcare providers continue to see Hawki as a secure and trustworthy benefit program, one that they want to be involved with?

    -end-