Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • Senate Democratic Budget Leader on GOP budget gridlock & mismanagement

    Iowa Senate News Release
    Senate Democratic Leader Joe Bolkcom: (319) 330-9541
    For Immediate Release: April 17, 2018  

    Statement from Senate Democratic Budget Leader Joe Bolkcom
    on legislative Republicans’ budget gridlock and mismanagement

    “The gridlock between Senate Republicans, House Republicans and Governor Reynolds is making their budget mess even worse. The budget targets released today by Senate Republicans are more proof that the budget crisis is hurting Iowans.

    “In the 15 months that Republicans have controlled ALL of state government, they have borrowed more than $140 million and slashed more than $120 million in spending just to balance their budgets. If Iowa families managed their family budgets like this, they’d be forced to declare bankruptcy.

    “Governor Reynolds and the Republican-controlled legislature have created this budget mess by failing to keep their campaign promises to Iowans to raise family incomes by 25 percent and create 200,000 new Iowa jobs within four years.

    “Their misplaced priorities and mismanagement of taxpayer money is making life harder and reducing opportunities for Iowa families and their communities.”

    -end-

  • New steps to combat & prevent harassment in Iowa Senate

    Iowa Senate News Release
    Senator Janet Petersen: (515) 281-3901
    For Immediate Release: April 17, 2018  

    Statement from Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen 

    “After footing the bill for a $1.75 million settlement in Kirsten Anderson’s lawsuit against Senate Republicans, Iowa taxpayers expected more leadership from Senate Republicans on the issue of harassment at the Iowa Capitol. The Iowa Senate received a black eye because of the Kirsten Anderson case, the findings of an ‘internal review’ and related media coverage.

    “Senators are finally taking steps today to ensure the Iowa Senate will become a safe and healthy environment. Senate Democrats worked hard on these policy changes because we all have a legal, moral and business imperative to address this serious problem.

    “While updated policies are important, we must remember that policies were in place years ago to protect Kirsten Anderson. The problem was that Senate Republican leaders and staff chose to ignore existing policies and procedures. To make matters worse, they fired Kirsten Anderson seven hours after she filed a harassment complaint, and the perpetrators and those who retaliated against her were allowed to stay in the Iowa Senate on the taxpayers’ dime.

    “All Senators and staff have a high obligation to support and enforce these new policies, and to continue to strengthen the Senate’s harassment prevention policies and the Code of Ethics.  Otherwise, we are doing a disservice to Iowans.”

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    Background

    Senate Democrats have reached agreement with Senate Republicans on strengthening to the Senate’s Harassment Prevention Policy and the Senate’s Code of Ethics.

    Because of these changes, we will move ahead today with reforms that will ensure that:

    1. Victims of harassment will have a clear path to file complaints and have them investigated in a fair, impartial and confidential manner. This includes victims of sexual harassment and other forms of unlawful harassment (e.g., race, ethnicity, age, disability, gender identify, sexual orientation, etc.). Existing Senate policies in this area were inadequate, unclear and needed to be improved.
    2. Victims who step forward to file a complaint about harassment will be protected from retaliation or discrimination by anyone. The same protections will also be available for witnesses and others involved in any investigation. Existing Senate policies in this area were inadequate or non-existent.
    3. There will be a clear process for punishing any Senator, employee or anyone else who takes retaliatory action against someone who has filed a complaint. The same process will also protect witnesses and others involved in any investigation. Existing Senate policies were inadequate or non-existent in this area.
    4. There will be a clear process for disciplining any Senator, lobbyist, media employee or vendor who violates the anti-harassment policies. Existing Senate policies were inadequate or non-existent in this area.
    5. All Senators, staff, lobbyists and media will be required to attend training at least once every General Assembly regarding the Senate’s anti-harassment policies and complaint procedures. 
    6. The Senate Majority Leader, Senate President, Senate Minority Leader, Secretary of the Senate and other staff supervisors will be trained at least once every General Assembly on how to properly receive, investigate and, if warranted, to take corrective action. There was previously no requirement for this kind of training.

  • Statement on election of new Senate Republican Leaders 

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release:  March 14, 2018 

     

    Statement from Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen 

    “Congratulations to Senator Whitver and Senator Schneider on being selected the new leaders of the Senate Republicans.

    “In the wake of Senator Dix’s resignation, Senators Whitver and Schneider have an obligation to finally get it right and change a culture at the Iowa Capitol that is currently putting lobbyists, special interests, and political arrogance ahead of the interests of Iowa families.

    “Senators Whitver and Schneider should finally take responsibility for the sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation against former Senate Republican staffer Kirsten Anderson by Republican Senators and staff. After footing the bill for a $1.75 million settlement in Kirsten Anderson’s lawsuit against Senate Republicans, Iowa taxpayers deserve nothing less.

    “Iowa taxpayers’ dollars should have never been used as a slush fund to cover the cost of sexual harassment by Senate Republicans. Senators Whitver and Schneider should turn over all campaign funds raised by Senator Dix to begin to cover the costs of the illegal behavior by their caucus.”

    -end-

  • Statement on resignation of Senate Republican Leader 

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release:  March 12, 2018 

    Statement from Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen
    on resignation of Senate Republican Leader 

    “With Senator Dix’s resignation, Republican Senators have an opportunity to finally get it right and change a culture at the Iowa Capitol that puts lobbyists, special interests, and political arrogance ahead of the interests of Iowa families.

    “Republican Senators have an obligation to elect a new leader who will take responsibility for the sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation against former Senate Republican staffer Kirsten Anderson by Republican Senators and staff. After footing the bill for a $1.75 million settlement in Kirsten Anderson’s lawsuit against Senate Republicans, Iowa taxpayers deserve nothing less.

    “It is shameful that the only person fired in this whole scandal was the victim. No Republican Senators or staff were punished for their wrongdoing in this case. And many staffers have reported that they are still afraid to report harassment at the Capitol.

    “There is a reckoning in our country on the issue of harassment in the workplace. The new Senate Republican leader should be someone who will hold Republican Senators and staff accountable for their actions in the Kirsten Anderson case and take steps immediately to address this issue.”

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  • Statement on Senate Republican Leader Bill Dix

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release:  March 12, 2018 

    Statement from Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen on Senate Republican Leader Bill Dix

    “The video posted on Iowa Starting Line is a serious matter for Senate Republican Leader Bill Dix to discuss with his family, his fellow Senate Republicans and Governor Reynolds.

    “Because this involves Senator Dix and a lobbyist, there will be questions about the impact of this relationship on legislation.

    “This incident follows Senator Dix’s failure to take any responsibility for the $1.75 million settlement that resulted from the sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation against former Senate Republican staffer Kirsten Anderson by Republican Senators and staff.”

    -end-

  • 3 Senate Republican tax plan claims that don’t add up

    • Claim #1: “Iowans are getting a $1,000 average tax cut.”
      • This claim only counts the Iowans who are getting a tax cut under the proposal. It ignores the nearly one-third of Iowans who either get no benefit or will actually see a tax increase.
      • Over 20 percent of Iowans – one out of five – with incomes over $30,000 will see an average tax increase of nearly $1,000 with this legislation.
      • On average, Iowans with incomes under $250,000 will receive a tax cut of less than $500 – less than half of what Republicans claim.
    • Claim #2: “This bill gets rid of giveaways to internet companies like Google and Facebook.”
      • The bill specifically says the changes don’t apply to companies already doing business in Iowa. That means Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Apple are still eligible to receive tax incentives under the program.
    • Claim #3: “This bill cuts back on tax credits.”
      • The only credits that are eliminated immediately are the solar energy system tax credit and the ethanol promotion tax credit.
        • The solar system tax credit has been successfully used by Iowa businesses and farmers to save money in their operation as they try to remain competitive. This credit has also helped support businesses employing over 700 across the state.
      • The bill does make minor changes to the state’s research activities credit program, but those changes are essentially just to restore the program to what its intent was under reforms passed by Democrats in 2010.
      • The bill cuts back the High Quality Jobs program and says it will be repealed in the future. We have seen in the past that these sunsets can easily be ignored.
      • Also, the overall business tax incentive cap remains the same. This means the state can replace one tax giveaway program with another in the future.
    • The bill cuts corporate income taxes by more than 50 percent. However, those cuts would go almost exclusively to Iowa largest corporations. Half of Iowa’s smaller corporations will actually see a tax increase.
    • Cuts in state spending on many programs will result in an increase in property taxes.
      • More school districts will be subject to the “budget guarantee” and will rely on property tax increases to balance their budgets. Public safety and mental health service shortfalls will fall back onto local governments who are reliant on property taxes. And Senate Republicans have already started the process to get rid of the commercial property tax backfill, shifting even more costs for local services onto property taxpayers.

    Bottom line:

    • Contrary to the claims of Senate Republicans, their tax plan is NOT fair to many Iowans, it does NOT make Iowa more competitive with other states, and it certainly does NOT take into account the ongoing budget crisis.
    • Iowans understand that the tax plan offered by Senate Republicans must be viewed in light of disastrous tax-cut plans approved in Kansas and Oklahoma, which have resulted in massive cuts to education, public safety and other vital services.
    • Iowans also see that this plan by Iowa Senate Republicans will further hamper efforts to train more Iowans for the jobs of tomorrow, to increase family income and to help create more opportunities for our children and grandchildren.

  • Nonpartisan analysis confirms GOP tax plan is ‘fiscally irresponsible’

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release:  February 27, 2018

     

    Bill is scheduled to be debated in the Iowa Senate
    on Wednesday, Feb. 28

    DES MOINES — Senator Pam Jochum of Dubuque, the lead Democrat in the Iowa Senate on tax issues, responded today to the release of a nonpartisan analysis of a tax plan released by Senate Republicans:

    “The tax plan recently released by Iowa Senate Republicans is more fiscally irresponsible than many Iowans imagined, according to a nonpartisan analysis released today.

    “Contrary to the claims of Senate Republicans, their tax plan is NOT fair to many Iowans, it does NOT make Iowa more competitive with other states, and it certainly does NOT take into account the ongoing budget crisis.

    “Iowans understand that the tax plan offered by Senate Republicans must be viewed in light of disastrous tax-cut plans approved in Kansas and Oklahoma, which have resulted in massive cuts to education, public safety and other vital services.

    “Iowans also see that the plan by Iowa Senate Republicans will further hamper efforts to train more Iowans for the jobs of tomorrow, to increase family incomes and to help create more opportunities for our children and grandchildren.”

     – End –

     

    The nonpartisan fiscal analysis is available here:  https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/FN/925227.pdf

  • Iowa tax bill needs closer look


    Last week, Republicans who control the Iowa Senate came out with a 130-page, $1 billion tax plan. Much like what happens in Washington D.C., we’ve seen no spreadsheets to give us a sense of the financial impact the proposal will have on Iowans and our state.

    In addition, most Iowans have no idea what’s in SF 2383 because it’s being rushed through before taxpayers can get up to speed and have their say.

    This proposal could wreck Iowa’s economy the way a similar plan wrecked Kansas. Forbes describes the ongoing crisis Kansas has faced in recent years because of fiscal mismanagement.

    WATCH – Democratic state senators speak out on the extreme Kansas-style tax plan being proposed for Iowa.

    Democrats in the Iowa Senate are willing to work on a bipartisan tax plan that:

    • Is fair to all Iowans.
    • Takes into account our current budget situation.
    • Reins in corporate tax credits that don’t work or are too expensive.
    • Makes Iowa’s tax laws easier to understand.

    SF 2383 is expected to come up for a vote by the full Senate this week.

    If you’re concerned, please contact your state senator. Call the Senate switchboard at 515-281-3371 or get your senator’s email and phone number at www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find.

  • Senate Democrat responds to Senate GOP tax plan

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release:  February 21, 2018

     

    DES MOINES — Senator Pam Jochum of Dubuque, the lead Democrat in the Iowa Senate on tax issues, responded to a tax plan released today by Senate Republicans.

    Although the proposal from the Senate Republicans leaves many unanswered questions, Jochum provided this initial response:

    “The tax plan offered by Senate Republicans today must be viewed in light of disastrous tax-cut plans approved in Kansas and Oklahoma, which have resulted in massive cuts to education, public safety and other vital services. In fact, Kansas abandoned failed trickle-down tax cuts and Oklahoma’s Republican Governor is actually proposing higher taxes to dig her state out a fiscal mess.”

    Today, Jochum renewed her offer to work in a bipartisan manner on a tax plan that meets these principles:

    • Tax reform must be fair. Iowa’s tax system has a number of tax brackets in an attempt make the income tax system progressive so that those with lower incomes pay at lower rates. However, according to the Iowa Policy Project, when all state and local taxes are accounted for, Iowa’s lowest income earners pay the largest portion of their income in taxes. Changes to Iowa’s tax system should address this situation and not make this problem worse.

     

    • Tax reform must make Iowa’s tax code more transparent so Iowa can show its true competitiveness to the nation. Iowa’s tax code has become a confusing collection of credits, deductions and exemptions that has left the state with high tax rates that do not accurately reflect the cost of living and doing business in Iowa. Our tax rates appear to be among the highest in the nation — but according to the Tax Foundation, the amount paid by Iowans through our tax system ranks Iowa in the middle of the pack.

     

    • Tax reform needs to take into account our current budget situation. We just completed a legislative session where funding was slashed for nearly every part of state government, and there is no sign the situation will be improving next year. We must not repeat the mistakes of Kansas, which passed massive tax cuts that have resulted in a continual budget crisis where schools are underfunded and has forced the state to balance the budget by stealing from road funds and raising other taxes.

     

    • Tax reform needs to examine corporate tax credits. We have cut state funding for vital state programs that serve some of our youngest and most vulnerable Iowans. So far corporate tax credits have been exempt from these cuts. We must determine if these corporate tax credits a good return on the investment and benefit Iowans, not just those few businesses.

     

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  • Perpetrators must pay for bad behavior – not Iowa taxpayers

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release: January 24, 2018

     

    DES MOINES — A group of Senators introduced legislation today to ensure that state employees – not all Iowa taxpayers – would be financially responsible for egregious and illegal workplace behavior.

    “Iowans are disgusted by the harassment, discrimination and retaliation against Kirsten Anderson and other legislative staff by some Republican Senators and staff members,” said Senator Tod Bowman of Maquoketa, the legislation’s main sponsor. “Most Iowans can’t believe they’re on the hook for $1.75 million because of the misconduct and mismanagement of some Republican Senators. Especially in a tight budget year, this money should be put towards our kids’ education, job training programs or mental health care. Taxpayers expect more from their leaders.”

    The legislation is proposed in the wake of a jury decision last year to award $2.25 million to former Senate Republican staffer Kirsten Anderson in a sexual harassment lawsuit she brought against Iowa Senate Republicans. Anderson was fired in May 2013, just seven hours after filing a complaint alleging a sexually hostile work environment. Subsequently, Anderson agreed to a reduced award of $1.75 million to avoid a lengthy appeal process.

    Under current law, Iowa taxpayers must pay for such awards, and there’s no recourse for state officials to recoup that money from offending state employees.

    The legislation introduced today – which is sponsored by all 20 Democratic State Senators and independent Senator David Johnson – would allow the plaintiff to receive an award from the state but would require the Iowa Attorney General to recover the amount of the award from offending state employees.

    The legislation applies to state employment cases, which includes hostile work environment cases involving sexual harassment, race, religion, age or disability.

    “This proposed legislation is part of the national conversation about preventing sexual harassment in the workplace,” Bowman said. “We must send a message to legislators and other state employees who harass their co-workers or subordinates that their conduct will not be tolerated and that they will be held responsible for their illegal behavior.”

    “This legislation is another important step in our efforts to improve the workplace culture in the Iowa Senate and our commitment to making sure the Statehouse is a safe and healthy environment.”

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