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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
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John Oliver tackles the mobile home park crisis
Mobile homes may seem like an affordable housing option, but large investment companies are making them less and less so.
On HBO’s Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver takes a deep dive into the problems home owners face in mobile home parks. Iowa must address these issues and reform our manufactured housing laws.
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Senate Dem Leader on Reynolds signing extreme abortion restrictions
IOWA SENATE NEWS
May 4, 2018“This new law is another dangerous example of politicians dictating health care decisions for Iowa women.
“In the past two years, Governor Reynolds and other the Republican-controlled Legislature have made our state more dangerous for Iowa women. Instead of improving health care access for women, Governor Reynolds and the Republican-controlled Legislature have pushed through policies that put more women at risk, including:
- Making it harder for women to prevent pregnancies by gutting Iowa’s highly successful family planning program.
- Supporting a privatized Medicaid system — which serves nearly half of all pregnant moms — that isn’t paying bills for providers across our state.
- Prohibiting many of the state’s most highly qualified providers from participating in their GOP Family Planning program while the families of Republican legislators could see whomever they chose under their taxpayer funded health insurance program.
- Cutting home visits for at-risk newborn babies and their mothers.
“This new law is extreme because it restricts the freedom of Iowa women and girls to care for their bodies, and it forces motherhood on Iowa women.
“This new law is dangerous.
“This new law is unconstitutional.”
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Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen spoke against SF 359, the nation’s most extreme anti-woman law during debate on May 2, 2018. -
What’s it like to be a Senate page?
By 2018 Senate Page Tali Tesar
My name is Tali Tesar. I’m an 18-year-old high school senior from Clear Lake, and I recently had the wonderful opportunity to serve as a page for the 2018 Iowa Senate session.
I have always been interested in politics, so I was thrilled when I discovered there is a way to get involved at a young age. I believe that it’s important to gain real-world experience in a career field before deciding to go into it, whether through a job shadow, internship or a paid work. I hoped being a page would help me figure out if politics is where I should be headed.
The experience solidified my conviction. It also helped me learn more than most people will ever know about the process, the people and the behind-the-scenes activity that goes into lawmaking.
Tali Tesar talks with Senator Ragan about her experience as a page at the Statehouse.Perhaps the most important lesson I learned is how crucial a role government plays in the lives of every citizen. From health care to education to taxes, legislators spend countless hours trying to do what is best for Iowans, especially those who are less privileged. It is incredibly empowering to witness that.
It was also exhilarating to feel that I was part of something bigger than myself, even though my responsibilities weren’t always exciting and often involved running around the Capitol on errands for senators. I will cherish fun memories with my fellow pages, watching emotional debates and spending some late nights on the job.
I head to Grinnell College to study political science in the fall with experience and connections that give me a head start. To any high school students interested in a career in politics or in becoming a more informed voter, working as a page is worth considering.
I’d be happy to answer questions about my experience and what you could expect from a semester as a page. Just send an email to ttesar18@gmail.com.
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Iowa Senators stand up for Iowa farmers and Iowa’s economy
Iowa State Senator Rita Hart of Clinton asks members of the Senate to sign a letter to President Trump, asking him to protect Iowa farmers, businesses and communities as he makes trade policy changes. Iowa State Senator Rita Hart of Clinton asks members of the Senate to sign a letter to President Trump, asking him to protect Iowa farmers, businesses and communities as he makes trade policy changes. Video of Senator Hart’s Statement to the Senate: https://youtu.be/6ZEUOGoKfnM IOWA SENATE NEWS
For Immediate Release: April 12, 2018Iowa Senators stand up for Iowa farmers and Iowa’s economy
“…proposed tariffs will have a negative impact on Iowa’s agricultural economy…”
DES MOINES – Twenty-one Iowa State Senators are asking President Donald Trump to protect Iowa farmers, businesses and communities as he makes trade policy changes.
The letter urges the President “to reconsider the economic costs and benefits of your plan to impose new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. It’s clear to most observers that the inevitable retaliation to proposed tariffs will have a negative impact on Iowa’s agricultural economy by causing other countries to levy burdensome tariffs against Iowa farm products.”
Senator Rita Hart of rural Wheatland wrote the letter and invited all Senators to sign it.
“My husband and I farm near Wheatland. We know firsthand that mistakes in trade policy can have severe consequences on Iowa farmers, small businesses and rural communities,” said Hart, the former chair of the Senate Economic Growth Committee.
The letter noted that “Iowa is the second largest agricultural export state, shipping $14 billion of products abroad last year.” It also drew attention to the fact that proposed U.S. tariffs increasing the cost of imported steel would also hurt Iowa manufacturers. The letter specially mentions Sukup Manufacturing in Sheffield, Iowa. The plant there has 600 Iowa employees and uses 1 million pounds of steel each week to make grain bins and dryers.
The letter was signed by every Democratic member of the Senate and by Independent Senator David Johnson.
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FULL TEXT OF LETTER:
April 12, 2018
Dear President Trump:
Iowa’s prized humanitarian Norman Borlaug said: “Civilization as it is known today could not have evolved, nor can it survive, without an adequate food supply.”
Iowa has a rich history of feeding the world and we need to continue to feed the world without barriers. Iowa is the leading national producer of corn, soybeans, hogs, cattle, and eggs. Iowa is the second largest agricultural export state, shipping $14 billion of products abroad last year. And it’s important to note that 31 percent of farm income comes directly from exports.
For those reasons, we urge you to reconsider the economic costs and benefits of your plan to impose new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. It’s clear to most observers that the inevitable retaliation to proposed tariffs will have a negative impact on Iowa’s agricultural economy by causing other countries to levy burdensome tariffs against Iowa farm products.
Iowa farmers have already faced several years of low commodity prices.
Any reduction in demand would be devastating, making a bad situation worse.
The potential beef tariff threatens Iowa farmers, who have just gotten back into the Chinese market after a long absence. U.S. beef exports to China totaled more than 3,000 metric tons in the last half of 2017, valued at $31 million.
It’s worth noting that Iowa leads the nation in ethanol production, which results in 42,000 Iowa jobs. In addition, China imports about 60 percent of global soybean trade.
A trade war – even in the short term – creates the potential for a long-term loss of global market share because other countries will move quickly to fill the void if Iowa’s agriculture products become uncompetitive.
Manufacturing is the second largest driver of Iowa’s economy. The state economy is heavily dependent on the 3,000-plus factories across the state, many of whom are dependent on the farm economy. For example, the 600 employees of Sukup Manufacturing make iconic grain bins and dryers in rural Sheffield, Iowa, using 1 million pounds of steel each week.
We urge you, Mr. President, to reconsider this strategy because of the negative consequences on Iowans who farm, those who live in rural communities, and those whose livelihoods depend on products whose markets are threatened by a trade war with China.
Sincerely,
Senator Chaz Allen (D)
Senator Tony Bisignano (D)
Senator Joe Bolkcom (D)
Senator Nate Boulton (D)
Senator Tod R. Bowman (D)
Senator Jeff Danielson (D)
Senator William A. Dotzler Jr. (D)
Senator Robert E. Dvorsky (D)
Senator Rita Hart (D)
Senator Robert Hogg (D)
Senator Wally E. Horn (D)
Senator Pam Jochum (D)
Senator David Johnson (I)
Senator Kevin Kinney (D)
Senator Jim Lykam (D)
Senator Liz Mathis (D)
Senator Matt McCoy (D)
Senator Janet Petersen (D)
Senator Herman C. Quirmbach (D)
Senator Amanda Ragan (D)
Senator Rich Taylor (D) -
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.
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Restoring rights to working Iowans
Iowa Senate News Release
For immediate release: February 7, 2018
(Des Moines) State Senator Nate Boulton, the ranking member of the Senate Labor and Business Committee, is sponsoring two bills to restore rights to working Iowans.
“A year ago, Iowa Republicans took away rights and benefits from many Iowan workers,” Boulton said. “As a result, Iowa is now a less attractive state to work compared to other states. Hardworking people have choices. By passing this legislation, Iowa can show workers that Iowa is a state where we respect workers and that we are the right place to build a good future for their families.”
Senator Nate Boulton has proposed two bills, Senate File 2185 and Senate File 2186, to restore and improve the rights of Iowa workers.
“Iowa’s shortage of skilled workers is the number one reason our state doesn’t produce enough good paying jobs,” Boulton said. “We need to convince skilled Iowans to stay in Iowa and to attract skilled workers from other states. To do that, we must show working people that their voices will be heard, their needs will be considered, and that they will be respected in the workplace.”
Senate File 2185 would allow injured Iowa employees to choose their own doctors.
“Under current law, an injured Iowa worker receiving workers compensation must be treated by a doctor chosen by their employer,” Boulton said. “This is an obvious conflict of interest.”
Senate File 2186 restores the collective bargaining rights abruptly taken away from several hundred thousand Iowa workers last year. These rights were first approved in the early 1970s by Republican Governor Robert Ray and a Republican-controlled state legislature. Since that legislation is more than 40 years old, Boulton’s legislation expands those rights so teachers can bargain issues such as class size, so police and firefighters can negotiate on issues like safety equipment and so all workers can negotiate on health insurance.
“We need teachers, nurses, firefighters, corrections officers and other Iowa workers to have a say in the workplace,” Boulton said. “They should be able to point out problems and advocate for improvements.”
Boulton said approving his proposed legislation would be the first two steps towards improving Iowa’s national image in a way that would help grow the state’s economy.
For more information, contact Senator Boulton at 515-669-4259.
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2018 session poses threat to Iowa retirees
(Des Moines) Today, two Iowa Statehouse leaders expressed concern that the 2018 legislative session could bring sudden, unnecessary changes to Iowa’s pension system. The two said the changes would harm Iowa public employees and the communities where they live.
“IPERS and Iowa’s other public pension plans are secure, strong, and sustainable. Some current legislative proposals to change IPERS could break the promise we have made to hard working Iowans since 1953,” said Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald. “The retirement contributions Iowa workers have made to these funds have been invested well and the benefits are reasonable. There is no need to make the type of changes Governor Reynolds and Senate Republicans are talking about.”
“Last year, Iowa made national news when state Republicans tore up long established collective bargaining laws in a little over a week,” said Senator Matt McCoy of Des Moines, a member of the Iowa Legislature’s Public Retirement Systems Committee and a nonvoting member of the IPERS Investment Board. “Legislation to blow up IPERS, Senate File 45, was introduced last year. It could be voted on during the 2018 session. Just last July, the Senate’s second ranking Republican, Senator Charles Schneider, brought in a right-wing think tank to tell Iowans to replace our successful, stable retirement systems like IPERS with more risky Wall Street-based schemes.”
Senate File 45 would begin to dismantle IPERS and other Iowa public retirement programs by preventing new Iowa workers from joining the programs on or after July 1, 2019. The existing retirement programs would be replaced by more risky defined contribution plans run by Wall Street traders instead of Iowa’s current non-profit managers.
In 2017, Governor Reynolds said several times that she supported a task force to propose changes to IPERS. She later dropped that idea but continued to express support for privatizing IPERS, including supporting the July meeting sponsored by Senator Schneider and the Reason Foundation
“Families, neighbors, and communities see the impact when money from IPERS is reinvested all throughout Iowa. These proposed changes, from the same legislators who earlier this year gutted collective bargaining rights for hardworking Iowans, could destabilize IPERS and negatively impact every community in Iowa,” said Treasurer Fitzgerald.
“Given how Republicans have been governing, every Iowan affected directly or indirectly by IPERS will be holding their breath until the 2018 session adjourns,” McCoy said.
On December 18, the Iowa Legislature’s “Public Retirement Systems Committee” will evaluates Iowa’s public retirement systems, including Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System (IPERS), the Municipal Fire and Police Retirement System of Iowa (Iowa Code chapter 411), the Department of Public Safety Peace Officers’ Retirement System (PORS), and the Judicial Retirement System.
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Links to news reports on Governor Reynolds’ support for changing Iowa’s public retirement systems
Reynolds: Iowa task force will study IPERS changes
Mason City Globe Gazette 1/26/17
globegazette.com/news/iowa/reynolds-iowa-task-force-will-study-ipers-changes/article_211d1ad4-4030-580a-ba5b-3414f63826e9.html
Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds told a group in Scott County on Thursday a task force will be formed to study the possibility of long-term changes to IPERS, the retirement system for public employees in the state.Branstad calls IPERS’ changes ‘prudent’ to shore up statewide pension fund
Des Moines Register, 3/27/17
www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/27/branstad-calls-ipers-changes-prudent-shore-up-statewide-pension-fund/99686464/
Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, who are both Republicans, have said that commitments already made to state and local government workers will be honored, but a state task force will review possible long-term changes to Iowa public employees’ pension programs. Among key changes that will be studied will be whether to offer a 401(k)-style plan.Reynolds backs IPERS study, but task force is dropped
Des Moines Register, July 18, 2017
www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2017/07/18/reynolds-backs-ipers-study-but-task-force-dropped/487913001/
Reynolds noted that Sen. Charles Schneider, R-West Des Moines, is currently heading an interim committee’s study of Iowa’s public employees’ pension funds. The work is being conducted in cooperation with the Reason Foundation, a Los Angeles-based libertarian think tank.
“I support his efforts in doing that,” Reynolds said.PDF of Senate File 45: wwww.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/87/SF45.pdf
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Nov 7th Livestream: Reynolds Admin to defend “the nation’s worst state Medicaid privatization effort”
Statement by Senator Joe Bolkcom, Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee and member of the Medicaid Assistance Advisory Council
“On Tuesday, November 7, Iowa Department of Human Services Director Jerry Foxhoven will have the unenviable job of defending the nation’s worse state Medicaid privatization effort.(The meeting will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/IowaSenateDemocrats/)
“On behalf of the Reynolds Administration, Director Foxhoven will explain how the interests of 215,000 medically vulnerable Iowans will be protected when they are re-assigned to a new MCO within the next 30 days.
“He will also attempt to explain why Iowa taxpayers should invest $60 million more state dollars in Iowa’s failed Medicaid privatization project.
“This is the last 2017 meeting of the full membership of the Medicaid Assistance Advisory Council. The council is the largest and most comprehensive meeting of Iowans appointed to represent the interests of Iowa families and Iowa health care providers.”*
“I encourage members of Iowa’s news media to attend and report on how Iowa plans to start fixing the nation’s worse state Medicaid privatization effort.”
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*Complete list of members: https://dhs.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/SFY17-18_MAAC_Members_Current_9.pdf
