Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • Governor Reynolds’ claim to balance budget ‘without cuts to education’ is astoundingly false

    Sept. 21, 2017

    Statement by Senator Herman Quirmbach of Ames, Ranking Member of the Senate Education Committee

    “Reynolds apparently wants to forget about the nearly 250,000 students who attend Iowa’s colleges and universities, but they really took it on the chin from her budget.  SF 130 resulted in $4.75 million being cut from the community colleges, $9.24 million cut from the University of Iowa, $8.99 million from Iowa State, and $2.52 million from UNI.  Private college students ducked any cut for FY2017, but they lost $2.8 million from their Iowa Tuition Grant scholarship fund for this school year.

    “As a direct result of Reynolds’ education cuts, Regents university students this fall got a ‘welcome back’ surprise of a steep tuition hike.  At ISU, the increase was two and a half times what students had initially been told.

    “Bad enough that Reynolds would levy a ‘tuition tax increase’ on students and their families, but then to fib about it and pretend it didn’t happen is just dishonest.  Iowans deserve better.”

    end

  • Reaction by Senate Democrats to the latest update on GOP’s budget mess

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release:  Wednesday, September 20, 2017

     

    This is a statement from Sen. Joe Bolkcom, ranking member of the Senate Appropriation Committee

    “This is the third time we have seen a budget shortfall for Fiscal Year 17. Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans have created a budget mess by failing to grow Iowa’s economy.  They have failed to keep their promises to increase family incomes by 25 percent and to create more than 200,000 new jobs.

    “Economic prosperity and fiscal responsibility can only return if Governor Reynolds and Republican legislators start working in a bipartisan way to make smart investments in Iowa workers and their families.”

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  • Quirmbach: GOP’s “tuition tax” will hurt students and weaken Iowa’s economy

    For Immediate Release: Sept. 7, 2017

    State Senator Herman Quirmbach of Ames, the Ranking Member of the Senate Education Committee, released a statement in response to today’s meeting of Tuition Task Force with the Iowa Board of Regents:

    “In a series of meetings, Iowans overwhelmingly urged the Board of Regents not to impose years of sharp tuition increases on Iowa students and their families.

    “Let’s be clear.  During the 2017 session, Republicans balanced the state budget by cutting university funding, forcing a tuition increase this year of more than twice what the Board of Regents had proposed.  Now, instead of ending huge giveaways to out-of-state corporations, Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans hope a steep, multi-year ‘tuition tax’ on Iowa students will balance Iowa’s busted state budget.

    “However, making college much more costly for Iowa students will only make things worse.  Iowa is in a downward spiral.  Our state’s lack of skilled workers prevents strong economic growth.  The lack of economic growth creates a budget deficit.  Republicans cut education to balance the budget.  Those cuts worsen our skilled worker shortage.

    “The Republican plan to balance the budget through a ‘tuition tax’ on Iowa families will hurt Iowa’s economy and should be rejected.”

     

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  • Hart highlights bipartisan opportunities to reinvest in rural Iowa in letter to Governor

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release: Aug. 2, 2017

     

    State Senator Rita Hart of Wheatland highlighted several bipartisan ways to reinvest in rural Iowa and small towns in a letter to Governor Kim Reynolds on August 1. Hart, former chair of the Iowa Senate’s Economic Growth Committee, offered ways to revitalize rural Iowa and indicated her strong desire to focus on workforce training.

    “Extraordinary, bipartisan efforts need to be taken during the 2018 session to support efforts that will result in enough highly skilled workers in our small towns and rural communities to meet existing business demands throughout the state as well as create new business opportunity,” Hart wrote in her letter to Reynolds.

    Hart’s suggestions for reinvesting in rural Iowa and small towns include:

    • Ensuring safe, affordable housing for Iowa families.
    • Enhancing cultural and community attractions.
    • Access to reliable high-speed Internet.
    • Encouraging a regional approach to economic development that supports rural revitalization.

    Hart also expressed a willingness to work with Governor Reynolds on workforce training initiatives. She noted that in previous sessions, they had worked together to craft bipartisan solutions, such as keeping tuition affordable at Iowa’s universities and community colleges and funding an adult literacy program.

    “Like many Iowans, Senate Democrats remain concerned about funding cuts to Iowa universities and community colleges that were approved during the 2017 session,” Hart wrote. “Those cuts have a negative impact at a time when we need to invest more in Iowa’s current and future workforce training.”

     

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  • Senator Hart hosting Iowa Water Quality Summit in DeWitt

    Iowa Senate News Release

    Senator Hart hosting Iowa Water Quality Summit in DeWitt on Tuesday, August 1

    More information: www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/event/iowa-water-quality-summit/ and www.facebook.com/events/734488126736114

    Senator Rita Hart of Wheatland is hosting a non-partisan summit to discuss improving water quality in Iowa.

    The event will be from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, August 1, at Central DeWitt High School, 425 E. 11th Street, DeWitt. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and several organizations will have informational tables in the atrium.

    A number of local and statewide organizations will participate in the summit.

    “I invite the public to come and learn from the experts and begin to discuss the challenge of balancing the needs of the agricultural economy and wastewater management with the demand for clean water,” said Senator Hart.

     

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  • Republican no-shows for Tuition Task Force meeting hamper efforts to make college more affordable for Iowa students

    July 25, 2017

    The Board of Regents Tuition Task Force has canceled its July 27th meeting due to a lack of participation by Republican legislators and members of the Reynolds Administration.

    According to the Board of Regents’ web site, the task force was “established to facilitate public discussion regarding the issue of tuition at Iowa’s public universities.  The task force will examine the core issues and strategies central to the process of setting tuition at the three Regent Universities and welcomes input from legislative and business stakeholders, university representatives, and the public.”

    The July 27th meeting would have been the first of four public meetings on future tuition policy.  The Board of Regents announced the meeting was canceled due to lack of participation.  Confirmed participants included the members of the taskforce, Iowa Workforce Development, and Democratic members of the Iowa House and Senate.

    “I’m disappointed that Republican legislators, Governor Reynolds’ office, and other Reynolds state agencies failed to indicate any interest in participating in tomorrow’s Regents’ Tuition Task Force meeting,” said Senator Herman Quirmbach of Ames, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Education Committee.  “Republican legislators especially need to participate because their budget cuts to the state universities this year have caused steep tuition increases, more than double what the Board of Regents had initially planned.  These late increases have slammed Iowa’s college students and their parents.”

    The remaining meetings on student tuition and fees are scheduled to be held at college campuses when the majority of students won’t be there:  August 7 at the University of Northern Iowa; August 9 at Iowa State University; and, August 14 at the University of Iowa.

    “All the meetings should be rescheduled to days when students are actually on campus,” said Quirmbach.  “That way we can hear from the people we are counting on to be the next generation of Iowa innovators and leaders.  Student voices need to be heard—and listened to!”

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  • July 25 Senate informational meeting on Public Retirement Systems

    TUESDAY, JULY 25

    9:30 AM, Room 22, Iowa Capitol

    This meeting is open to the public and will be LIVESTREAMED at www.facebook.com/IowaSenateDemocrats

     

    Here is the agenda prepared by Sen. Charles Schneider
    (a West Des Moines Republican):

     

    PUBLIC RETIREMENT SYSTEMS SENATE INFORMATION MEETING

    Tuesday, July 25, 2017

    9:30 a.m. Room 22

    State Capitol, Des Moines, Iowa

     

    MEMBERS

    Charles Schneider, Chair                     Michael Breitbach

    Jeff Danielson                                        Mark S. Lofgren

    Matt McCoy

     

     

    9:30 a.m.         Introductions

     

    9:45 a.m.         Donna Mueller, CEO IPERS

    • Update on IPERS experience study
    • Unfunded liability issues

     

    10:45 a.m.       Len Gilroy and Anthony Randazzo, Pension Integrity Project at the Reason Foundation

    • Analysis of IPERS’ economic assumptions
    • Overview of the IPERS portfolio

     

    11:30   a.m.     Participant Discussion

    • Future Meetings and topics

     

    12:00   p.m.     Adjourn

     

  • Urge Gov Reynolds to let parents affected by individual health insurance crisis to buy hawk-i children’s health insurance

    Iowa Pediatrician Amy Shriver, MD, and State Senator Janet Peterson support allowing parents unable to buy insurance on the individual market to buy into hawk-i, Iowa’s children’s health insurance plan..

    July 24, 2017  (Des Moines)  Today at the Iowa Statehouse, a state senator and an Iowa pediatrician proposed a plan to protect more than 11,000 Iowa children from losing health insurance on January 1 of next year.   The children’s parents are among those who would lose all access to health insurance if the individual market in Iowa collapses or the policies in the individual market are not affordable.

    “There is a very real possibility that 72,000 Iowans could be without health insurance next year.  Governor Reynolds should immediately ask the Trump Administration to allow Iowa families to purchase health insurance for their children through hawk-i, Iowa’s children’s health insurance program,” said State Senator Janet Petersen of Des Moines.  “This is a simple, affordable and straightforward solution that would give thousands of Iowa families the certainty that health care will at least be there for their children.”

    Hawk-i provides health and dental insurance to children aged 18 and under from lower income families.  Parents pay premiums on a sliding scale and the rest of the costs are picked up by the state and federal government.  The program was established with strong bipartisan support in 1999.  Iowa’s program has earned widespread praise for providing high quality care, being easy to use, and having low administrative costs.

    Under the proposal, Iowa families unable to purchase health insurance elsewhere could buy insurance for their children through hawk-i.  Parents would pay the full cost of the premiums, which are expected to be affordable due to the relatively low cost of insuring children.

    “We already collect premiums based on a family’s ability to pay,” said Petersen. “We aren’t asking for additional federal or state dollars to make this plan happen.  All we need is the federal government’s permission to allow Iowa parents to buy into hawk-i.”

    Dr. Amy Shriver, a Des Moines pediatrician, said: “Access to healthcare, including oral care, is essential to children’s healthy development and future success.  Children learn best when they are healthy and safe. Children need regular, preventive well-child checkups.”

    Petersen’s experience with these issues includes her past service on the hawk-i Board of Directors and years of experience working with insurance issues as a leading member of the Iowa Senate’s Commerce Committee.

    “Iowa families on the individual market are small business owners, self-employed, or work for organizations that don’t offer group plans. They are just a few short months away from losing their health insurance and are without affordable alternatives.  With no sign of a viable solution coming from Congress, we need Governor Reynolds to act,” said Petersen.  “Governor Reynolds, please ease these parents’ fears.  Use your power to push for a solution Iowans can actually afford – especially for our kids.”


    Summary: Keeping Iowa’s Kids Insured

    Background:

    • Iowa has consistently ranked in the top states in the country for children’s access to health care and dental care.
    • Iowa’s Children’s Health Insurance Program provides coverage to over 60,000 children.
    • The covered services under hawk-i are approximately equivalent to the benefit package of the state’s largest HMO at the time the program was initiated.
    • Providing medical care through health insurance that includes essential health benefits is less costly, produces better results, and helps prevent unnecessary, costly visits to emergency rooms.

    The threat to health care coverage for more than 11,000 Iowa children:

    • It is possible that Iowa will have no insurance plans available in the 2018 individual market. Wellmark and Aetna have already dropped out.  Medica intends to stay in the marketplace and has requested a 43% rate increase.  There is no guarantee Medica will not back out later.
    • Iowa’s Insurance Commissioner has responded to the problems with the individual market by with a “Stop Gap Proposal” that is pending with CMS. The “Stop Gap Proposal” would use the federal funding that today provides ACA subsidies and cost sharing reductions to allow Iowans to purchase a public option plan, similar to a silver level ACA plan.  This plan will be available for purchase to all Iowans, some with a subsidy.  Families earning more than over 400% of the federal poverty level would not be eligible for a subsidy.
    • Both options under the “Stop Gap Proposal” will be very expensive. With Medica’s premiums going up 43%, many families will not be able to afford the plans, even if they get a subsidy.  can only buy into the program in January and must stay in all year to remain eligible.

    The Iowa Senate Democrats’ Expanded hawk-i Proposal: Making sure more than 11,000 kids have health care

    • More than 11,000 Iowa children receive their insurance coverage through an individual market plan purchased by their parents. They will not have access to health care if their parents cannot afford to buy a Medica or Stop Gap plan or the plans are not available.
    • In order to keep children insured, it is proposed to allow parents to buy into the hawk-i plan for their children ages 18 and below. It could also cover children up to age 26 as all private plans must currently do.
    • Expanded hawk-i would be available to families with incomes above 300% of the federal poverty level. (Those below 300% are already eligible for hawk-i.)

    Conclusion: Governor Reynolds should ask CMS for emergency approval to allow Iowa parents with incomes over 300% of the federal poverty level to purchase, without subsidy, hawk-i coverage for their children.  These families may be without any other options in Iowa in 2018.

  • Senator Bowman outlines bipartisan opportunities to improve Iowa education in letter to Governor Reynolds

    State Senator Tod Bowman of Maquoketa has outlined bipartisan opportunities to improve Iowa education in a letter to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.  Bowman, the only active teacher in the Iowa Senate, offered education proposals that would benefit Iowa students and help strengthen Iowa’s economy. 

    “Improving education is essential to Iowa’s economic growth.  Businesses in our state consistently report that Iowa’s shortage of skilled workers holds our economy back,” Bowman said.  “In order to build the high skill, high wage economy we need, we must invest in our students, our teachers, and our schools.”

    By focusing preschool, early literacy, and local school funding, Bowman’s letter lays the groundwork for giving Iowa students the best start possible.

    “Improving education is not a partisan issue,” said Bowman.  “The students in our local schools are not Democrats or Republicans.  They are Iowa’s future workers, innovators, business owners, and community leaders.”

    Bowman’s specific suggestions in the letter to Governor Reynolds include:

    • Eliminating waiting lists for preschool and ensuring quality early learning environments are available for every child.
    • Investing in Iowa schools to ensure student success.
    • Ensuring transportation equity in all of Iowa’s schools, including those in rural communities and those with higher than average transportation costs.
    • Making early literacy a priority ensuring every child the skill of reading.
    • Improving civic education and encouraging local schools to enhance their efforts to equip students with the knowledge and skills to participate effectively in our democracy.
    • Further improving STEM education and utilizing STEM as a tool for economic and employee development.

    “Taking steps to improve education is our ticket to bringing more high skill, high wage jobs to Iowa,” Bowman said.  “By working in a bipartisan way, we can make major improvements in Iowa’s education, improvements that will make our economy stronger and more diverse.”

     

     

    Text of Letter:

    Honorable Kim Reynolds
    Governor
    State Capitol
    Des Moines IA 50319

     

    Dear Governor Reynolds:

    Congratulations on your new role as Iowa’s 43rd Governor.  During your inaugural speech, you signaled interest in working together to make Iowa a better place.  Economic prosperity and fiscal responsibility are usually seen when the Governor and legislators work in a bipartisan way to make smart investments in Iowa and Iowans.

    As the only active teacher in the Iowa Senate, I hope that we can work together to increase educational opportunities for all Iowa students to be successful.  I believe we should focus on these areas of policy to enhance student achievement:

    • Preschool:  There are waiting lists in our largest cities and lack of programs in our smallest communities.  We can and must work together both in policy, partnerships and funding to make sure quality early learning environments are available for every child that wants to attend.
    • School Funding Investments:  Funding for education should not be a partisan issue.  Our path to a high skill, high wage economy for our state depends on the quality of our local schools.  Even during tight budget times, we must prioritize how we invest in our children’s education.
    • Student and Transportation Equity:  There must be a bipartisan effort to create greater equity among school districts with consistent per-pupil school spending and provide equality for Iowa’s rural schools with dedicated transportation funding to school districts with higher than average transportation costs.
    • Early Literacy: I was supportive of reversing the strict Third Grade Retention legislation this past session but I know we both agree we need to continue our efforts.  There isn’t a child in Iowa that should grow up without the skill of reading because their economic prosperity depends on a quality education built on reading and learning.
    • Civic Education: Encourage local schools to enhance their civic education efforts to equip students with the knowledge and skills to participate effectively in our representative democracy.
    • STEM: You have assisted Iowa’s effort to become a recognized leader in STEM. We must do more. That includes aggressively using STEM as a tool for economic and employee development, and expanding the opportunities for all students throughout our state.

    I look forward to working with you during this interim and during the 2018 session.

    Sincerely,

    Senator Tod Bowman

     

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  • Governor should urge Ernst, Grassley to oppose health care harmful changes

    July 18, 2017

    The top two Democratic State Senators on the Iowa Senate’s healthcare budget and policy committees are urging Governor Kim Reynolds to contact U.S. Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley about the threat that healthcare legislation pending in the U.S. Senate poses to Iowa families, health care providers and rural communities.

    The joint letter notes that Iowa Democrats and Republicans worked together in 2011 to “expand Medicaid to cover 150,000 working Iowans who did not earn enough to purchase insurance on the open market.”

    The successful Iowa Medicaid expansion has improved healthcare for thousands of Iowans, reduced costly charity care at rural and urban hospitals, and saved Iowa health care jobs.

    The State Senators warned Reynolds that the proposal currently being debated in the U.S. Senate would devastate Iowa’s success.  They wrote:

    “The cost of unpaid charity care in Iowa could again reach the billion-dollar-a-year level it had reached before the Medicaid expansion.  This would increase the price of health insurance generally and be especially harmful to hospitals and health care providers in Iowa’s rural communities.  If Medicaid is cut significantly, rural health care providers could be forced to close.  That would have a devastating effect on patient access to health care and would be a major blow to the continued viability of Iowa’s small towns.

    “In addition, some 72,000 Iowans on the individual market may soon be unable to buy health insurance at any price. You’ve stated that your administration is working on a stop-gap proposal to fix this problem for 2018.  We want to remind you of the urgent need to resolve this issue as soon as possible.  Iowa’s U.S. Senators must work with the Trump Administration to immediately eliminate the health care insecurity haunting these Iowa families.”

    In the letter, Senators Ragan and Mathis also urged the Governor  to “stand up for Iowa the way other Republican and Democratic Governors have stood up for their states.”  As examples, the senators cited statements by the Republican Governors of Nevada, Ohio, and Vermont that are critical of the proposal before the U.S. Senate.

    The senators ended their letter by stating:

    “Governor Reynolds, we urge you to speak up in defense of Iowa families, Iowa health care providers, Iowa jobs, and the state budget.  Specifically, we urge you to contact Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst as soon as possible.  Encourage them to speak out publicly against health care changes that would devastate Iowans and the Iowa economy.”

     

    Text of the letter is below

    July 18, 2017

    Dear Governor Reynolds,

    We write to urge you to join other Republican and Democratic Governors in speaking out against the healthcare bill currently being debated in the US Senate.

    In 2011, with bipartisan support and the participation of Governor Branstad and yourself, the Iowa Legislature voted to expand Medicaid to cover 150,000 working Iowans who did not earn enough to purchase insurance on the open market.

    Iowa’s Medicaid expansion improved the health of working Iowans, reduced the cost of charity care at Iowa’s hospitals, and increased the number of health care jobs across Iowa.   The state of Iowa will pay no more than 10 percent of the overall cost.  The benefits to Iowans are obvious and continue even though Medicaid has been privatized.

    Governor Reynolds, we know you are certainly aware that the United States Senate is debating legislation that would negatively affect Medicaid expansion.  The cost of unpaid charity care in Iowa could again reach the billion-dollar-a-year level it had reached before the Medicaid expansion.  This would increase the price of health insurance generally and be especially harmful to hospitals and health care providers in Iowa’s rural communities.  If Medicaid is cut significantly, rural health care providers could be forced to close.  That would have a devastating effect on patient access to health care and would be a major blow to the continued viability of Iowa’s small towns.

    In addition, some 72,000 Iowans on the individual market may soon be unable to buy health insurance at any price. You’ve stated that your administration is working on a stop-gap proposal to fix this problem for 2018.  We want to remind you of the urgent need to resolve this issue as soon as possible.  Iowa’s U.S. Senators must work with the Trump Administration to immediately eliminate the health care insecurity haunting these Iowa families.

    That’s why we ask you to stand up for Iowa the way other Republican and Democratic Governors have stood up for their states. Here are a few examples:

    Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has said Medicaid expansion has been “a winner for the people of our state.”

    Ohio Governor John Kasich has said that he has “deep concerns with the details of the U.S. Senate’s plan to fix America’s health care system and the resources needed to help our most vulnerable.”

    Vermont Governor Phil Scott said this about the Republican Senate changes to Medicaid: “Even a small tweak could have a devastating impact on us as a state.”

    Governor Reynolds, we urge you to speak up in defense of Iowa families, Iowa health care providers, Iowa jobs, and the state budget.  Specifically, we urge you to contact Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst as soon as possible.  Encourage them to speak out publicly against health care changes that would devastate Iowans and the Iowa economy.

    Sincerely,

    Senator Amanda Ragan of Mason City
    Ranking Member, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee

    Senator Liz Mathis of Robins
    Ranking Member, Human Resources Committee

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