Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • Iowa GOP doesn’t support fairness for workers

    Republicans haven’t shown up to support striking workers for one simple reason: They don’t support them

    Prepared remarks by Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls at today’s news conference:

    “This morning, Senator Joe Bolkcom announced that he will not seek reelection to the Senate while calling for Iowans to step up and run for the statehouse. Senator Bolkcom is a close friend, a dear colleague, and a relentless champion for a better Iowa. “Since he was first elected to public office nearly thirty years ago, Joe has provided outstanding service to his community and to our beloved state.

    “I know that choosing to bring his decades-long career in public service to an end was not easy, but I appreciate his decision and am grateful that he is encouraging a new generation of Iowans to get involved in state government. His experience, his hard work, and his commitment to the people of Iowa will be missed, and I wish him all my best. 

    “Changing gears, I’d like to speak to this week’s news about the ongoing UAW strike. First and foremost: Hard work deserves fair pay.

    “That’s why Democrats are fighting every day for all hard-working Iowans. That’s why our members have shown up to support striking UAW workers across the state.

    “We support the decision of the workers to negotiate for a better contract, and we will continue to advocate on their behalf as they fight for fair pay and benefits.

    “Now, where are the Republicans?

    “Republicans haven’t shown up to support striking workers for one simple reason: they don’t support them. Republicans have abandoned John Deere workers and all Iowans who are fighting for better jobs and better compensation.

    “The ongoing negotiations between UAW workers and John Deere executives are another sign that Iowa Republicans have stacked the deck against workers.

    “Corporations like Deere are raking in record profits by keeping wages low and passing off higher prices to farmers and consumers. Farmers are frustrated by John Deere’s strategy and business practices.  Working families are frustrated by what John Deere is doing.

    “Workers across Iowa are frustrated by Iowa Republicans. We’re frustrated about:

    • Stagnant wage growth and high prices while big corporations like John Deere make record-high profits;
    • Lack of respect for essential workers;
    • No progress on providing affordable, high-quality child care for children in working families;
    • No progress on providing paid family and medical leave for working families.

    “Iowans deserve better from their employers and from Republican politicians. Republicans have complete control of state government. Hard working Iowans are getting screwed by a one-two punch of low wages and higher prices. Republicans have let this happen on their watch; they’ve let prices spiral out of control while doing nothing to bolster paychecks.

    “Rather than offer any solutions to the problems I’ve just laid out, they’ve stoked one manufactured culture war fear after another – hoping folks won’t notice that Republicans have no solutions. Instead, Republicans, led by Senator Jack Whitver, are planning yet another tax cut for the wealthiest and most powerful people in Iowa.

    “That’s the difference between Republicans and Democrats. Senate Democrats believe we need an economy that works for hard-working Iowans, not the top 1%. Democrats will continue to fight and show up for workers and retirees who have earned a bigger paycheck and secure retirement.”

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  • Economy recovering thanks to Biden, Dems

    Response to today’s state revenue estimates by Senator Joe Bolkcom, ranking member, Senate Appropriations Committee:

    “President Biden and Congressional Democrats provided much-needed help to Iowa families and businesses through the American Rescue Plan, and by leading the fight against the pandemic.

    “Kim Reynolds and Jack Whitver want to give more tax cuts for the wealthiest few.

    “Iowa Senate Democrats support tax cuts for hard-working families, the Iowans who need and deserve the relief. We oppose more state handouts and sweetheart deals for Governor Reynolds’ financial donors and friends.”

  • Statement on the latest REC estimates

    Statement by State Senator Joe Bolkcom, ranking member on Senate Appropriations Committee

    “The latest revenue estimates are more confirmation that the American Rescue Plan will bring much needed relief to Iowa businesses, workers, schools, local governments and other sectors of the economy. Help is on the way and Iowans know it! 

    “While Governor Reynolds and the Republican-controlled Legislature have taken a hands-off approach to boosting economic opportunities to Iowans during the pandemic, Senate Democrats are ready to build on the American Rescue Plan. At the state level, we can do more to ensure more efficient distribution of vaccines, provide more support for Iowa businesses, and protect the rights of workers hit hard by the pandemic.”

  • Investigation needed into misuse of federal COVID funds

    Iowa Senate News Release
    September 16, 2020

    Key Democratic Legislators call for investigations into misuse of federal COVID funds

    Key Democratic legislators are calling for investigations into reports that Governor Reynolds diverted nearly $450,000 to pay her staff instead of using the funds for COVID-19 relief efforts. 

    “At a time when the number of jobless Iowans is through the roof and many Iowa businesses are hurting because of the pandemic, Iowa taxpayers should have confidence that federal COVID relief funds are being used only to help them,” said Sen. Joe Bolkcom, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

    “Instead of using funds that are desperately needed to provide relief to hard-working Iowans and closed or struggling businesses hurt by the pandemic, the Governor is diverting the relief funding for other purposes.  That’s not right.”

    A report by Bleeding Heartland uncovered public documents showing that Reynolds directed that $448,449 in funding received through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act were used to cover salaries and benefits for staff already working in her office.

    The diversion is even more puzzling because the Legislature approved and the Governor signed legislation to appropriate more than $4.6 million to cover the cost of running the Governor’s office – including salaries and benefits – over the past two years. 

    “We need to find out what the Governor did with the extra money. The intent of the federal aid was not to allow the Governor to set up a slush fund,” Bolkcom said. “We also need to find out if this diversion is continuing.”

    For the past six months, none of the documents released to the public and legislators contained any information about this diversion of funds.

    “Instead of transparency by the Governor and her staff, they are hiding the ball from Iowa taxpayers,” Bolkcom said.

    Democratic Senators called for a three-pronged effort to investigate this misuse of public funds:

    • First, Senator Claire Celsi of West Des Moines, Ranking Member of the Administration and Regulation Budget Subcommittee, will request that the State Auditor immediately investigate the diversion of funds. The Subcommittee appropriated $2,303,954 for the Governor’s office during Fiscal Year 2020 (July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020) and $2,315,344 for Fiscal Year 2021 (July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021).
    • Second, Senator Tony Bisignano,  Ranking Member of the Government Oversight Committee, will request that the Oversight Committee convene to allow Republican and Democratic lawmakers to question the Governor, the Director of the Department of Management and other key officials with knowledge of this diversion.
    • Third, federal officials in U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO) will be contacted to investigate whether paying existing staff is an appropriate use of COVID relief funds.

    END

  • New budget estimates mean we must focus on real solutions

    Iowa Senate News Release
    May 29, 2020

    Statement from Sen. Joe Bolkcom, Ranking Member of Senate Appropriations Committee

    “Iowans have sacrificed a lot during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Businesses have closed, workers have been laid off, and too many Iowans have been sickened or killed by this horrible disease.

    “Because of their sacrifices, Iowans deserve to have their state leaders focus on solutions and maintaining key priorities when the Legislature reconvenes next week. This is a health care crisis and an economic crisis.

    “Based on the updated revenue estimates, the Governor and legislators must strategically use available resources– including federal funds and the state’s rainy-day fund – to protect key priorities: education, health care and employment security.

    “We also need to press our federal delegation to provide continued assistance to Iowans who are hurting.

    “Let’s get to work!”

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  • Mental Health System Under Threat

    Plan by Gov. Reynolds and Farm Bureau jeopardizes Iowa’s mental health system

    By State Sen. Joe Bolkcom, Iowa City (Senate District 43)

    I have been working for the last three weeks to draw attention to Governor Reynolds’ proposal to undermine stable, core funding of our local mental health system.

    I understand that every major business organization will support this deal, but I was shocked this week to learn that NAMI Iowa has endorsed Governor Reynolds’ destructive proposal. Why is NAMI Iowa joining Governor Reynolds and the Iowa Farm Bureau to hurt our mental health care providers and people that need their services? I don’t understand.

    State Sen. Joe Bolkcom is interviewed Feb. 12 on the Governor’s plan to shift the tax burden onto seniors and low-income Iowans, while undermining stable funding for Iowa’s adult mental health system.

    Here are some details about the Governor’s plan.

    While the main thrust of Governor Reynolds’ tax shift proposal is to give another massive tax cut to wealthy Iowans that will drain hundreds of millions from state priorities, she also proposes to do great damage to our mental health system.

    The Governor’s plan is a disaster. It cuts $80 million in stable, predictable local funding from our mental health system, and replaces it with unpredictable and insufficient state appropriations.

    The strength of our adult system is that it was created and is financially supported by local elected officials, families and mental health providers. It is the backbone of our mental health system. The reason it exists today is that it has NOT had to rely on annually begging the Legislature for resources over the past 50 years. It is successful because local elected officials are accountable for making it work.

    More state control of the system will result in less stable funding, less local accountability for results and more broken promises. Why would the Governor, who says she cares about mental health, propose to take away much of its most secure financial support?

    Because the Iowa Farm Bureau told her too. It has been a Farm Bureau priority for 30 years. Why should Farm Bureau members have to pay for mental health services? “What do social services like mental health have to do with farm fields,” they ask.

    I investigated who pays the dedicated county mental health property tax levy that funds our local providers. Implied in Farm Bureau’s complaint is that they are paying more than their fair share for local mental health services. For the record, agricultural property accounts for 18 percent of the total statewide contribution for our local mental health services. Apparently, they want to pay zero.

    So the Governor and the Farm Bureau want to destroy the most reliable source of funding for our mental health system because Farm Bureau does not want to pay their fair share for mental health services. I don’t understand why NAMI Iowa agrees?

    I wish I had more faith in Iowa state government to keep its word. I don’t aim to be mean, but just look at the GOP’s major health care initiatives over the past five years to see how Republican control of our health care has been amazingly ineffective.  

    Everyone but Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans still agree that privatizing Medicaid has been a costly disaster. Governor Reynolds’ and Republican’s closure of two state mental health facilities (Clarinda and Mt. Pleasant) resulted in premature death for several vulnerable Iowans and significantly reduced much needed mental health beds.

    The GOP gutted Iowa’s successful family planning programs that have led to a documented maternal mortality crisis and dangerous outcomes for pregnant moms and their babies.

    The GOP’s medical cannabis program is the worst, most bureaucratic, unworkable program in the nation.

    And now the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the Reynolds’ Administration for its operation of two state resource centers (Glenwood and Woodward) for our most vulnerable intellectually disabled and mental health patients, following an unusual number of recent deaths and serious violations of federal law.

    More state control over Iowa’s local mental health system will lead to serious decline. Please speak up NOW if you care about maintaining and improving Iowa’s mental health system.

  • Watch Dec. 14 Manufactured Housing Reform Hearing

    Below are links to the Facebook live stream taken at the Manufactured Housing Reform Meeting.

    LIVE VIDEOS

    Part 1 facebook.com/IowaSenateDemocrats/videos/2642283802527093/

    Part 2 facebook.com/IowaSenateDemocrats/videos/548923872626380/

  • Private management of UI utility system raises concerns

    Statement by Senator Joe Bolkcom on proposed privatized management of University utility system

    This elaborate, 50-year creative borrowing scheme is the result of the failure over the last decade by the Iowa Legislature and Governor Reynolds to adequately fund our public universities.

    The University of Iowa and Iowa Board of Regents are moving at breakneck speed toward approving a proposed University of Iowa’s plan to privatize management of the institution’s electricity and water systems in exchange for a $1 billion-dollar (my guesstimate because it’s still a secret) payment.

    Like a hedge fund, the University of Iowa will invest this borrowed money in the markets, in hopes of realizing large capital gains to both payback the borrowed money to the investors and realize a financial gain to fund the University. Like a home mortgage, every dollar that the University receives in an upfront payment will have to be paid back with interest over the next 50-years.

    Exotic and possibly risky financing with international investors’ money is the latest plan by Governor Reynolds, the Board of Regents and university leaders to support educating our Iowa college students. The plan relies on the performance of the markets to succeed. If for some reason the University can’t pay back the money, Iowa taxpayers will.

    This elaborate, 50-year creative borrowing scheme is the result of the failure over the last decade by the Iowa Legislature and Governor Reynolds to adequately fund our public universities.

    Except for handful of legislative leaders and the Governor’s office, Iowans have been left in the dark about the financial details of this deal. The assets of the University of Iowa belong to Iowa taxpayers not any board or unelected administrator. We have not privatized the University of Iowa yet! Iowans deserve a far more transparent process and a timely sharing of the financial details of such a complicated long-term deal.

    Iowans will have no opportunity to express their views on the final details of borrowing plan. At the Board of Regents meeting next week, they will reveal the successful bidder and the amount of the deal moments before they vote to approve the contract. Their agenda does not allow for any public input.

    Taxpayers deserve some straight answers to basic questions before the Board of Regents rubber-stamps the deal. Some of the questions include:

    • Who is the company and what is their expertise and experience operating both a power plant and drinking water system?
    • Where is the money coming from?
    • How much money will need to be paid back?
    • Who is financially responsible if the plan fails?
    • Why does the University of Iowa continue to pay all the costs of staff, fuel and capital improvements to operate the utility systems?
    • Why have Iowan’s been left in the dark?

    This is no way to run a public university. This is not a long-term solution to fund higher education. Iowa taxpayers and University of Iowa faculty, staff and students deserve better.

  • 2020 Session Must Fix Iowa’s Medical Cannabis Program

    (Des Moines)  Improved health care for tens of thousands of Iowans depends on passing major reforms of Iowa’s medical cannabis program during the 2020 session according to two legislative leaders on this issue.

    At a statehouse news conference today, Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City and Representative John Forbes of Urbandale listed reasons why the 2020 session will determine whether Iowa’s struggling medical cannabis program is able to improve.

    “Time is running out.  Recreational cannabis sales in Illinois will soon be undercutting Iowa’s legal, regulated medical cannabis businesses,” said Senator Bolkcom.  “As that program expands, it threatens the goal of making affordable, regulated medicines available to Iowans regardless of where they live.”

    For the last six years, legislators have debated various efforts to establish a working medical cannabis program. 

    “Iowa’s state government has so far failed to meet the needs of Iowans,” said Representative Forbes, an Urbandale pharmacist.  “Today, less than 4,000 Iowans have managed to become approved to legally purchase medicines made from cannabis.  That’s far less than the number that could be helped and not nearly enough to create a viable system.  The vast majority of all Americans live in states that have successfully created regulated, affordable, sustainable medical cannabis programs.  Why not Iowa?”

    In 2019, the Iowa House and Senate overwhelmingly approved major reforms to Iowa’s medical cannabis program.  The reforms would have expanded the number of conditions and made other changes that would have made Iowa’s program more similar to successful programs in other states.  After the session ended, Governor Reynolds unexpectedly vetoed that legislation.  Republicans, who control both chambers, unanimously refused to override Reynold’s veto.

    “Eliminating Iowa’s current 3% cap on the level of THC is very important for some patients with severe medical conditions,” said Representative Forbes.  “Adopting the standard of a 25 grams/90 days purchase cap would provide effective, affordable medication and put Iowa in line with what other states have done.””

    “When faced with serious, life threatening medical conditions, Iowans want better choices than opiods and other potentially dangerous drugs,” said Bolkcom.  “In just the first half of 2019, Iowa doctors wrote 850,000 prescriptions for narcotics.  Why are we preventing Iowans from having access to less dangerous alternatives?”

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    Representative John Forbes and Senator Joe Bolkcom argue for reforms to Iowa’s “worst in the nation” medical cannabis program in a news conference at the Iowa Statehouse on Friday, November 15, 2019.

    Key reforms for Iowa’s “Worst in the Nation” Medical Cannabis Program

    • Eliminate the 3% THC cap and adopt a 25 grams/90 days purchase cap to provide effective, affordable medicine.
    • Add additional chronic conditions, including PTSD. (See the list from SF 506, the legislation overwhelmingly approved last year by the Iowa House and Senate.)
    • Allow twelve more dispensaries, particularly in small towns and rural Iowa.
    • Allow other practitioners, such as PAs, ARNPs and podiatrists, to certify medical conditions.
    • Revise the membership of the Advisory Board to include at least three medical cannabis patients.
    • Eliminate the Iowa Department of Transportation from the cannabis card process and allow IDPH to issue cards directly. Lower the cost to apply for a card to $25.
    • Eliminate the Iowa Board of Medicine from the process of getting approval for new conditions and cannabis products.
    • Add additional chronic conditions, including PTSD. (See the list from SF 506, the legislation overwhelmingly approved last year by the Iowa House and Senate.)

    Additional Conditions for Iowa’s Medical Cannabis Program

    Stop forcing sick Iowans to come to the Capitol and beg legislators for treatment options that could help them.

    Instead, Iowa should simply adopt the conditions covered by most other states.  That would mean adding the conditions listed below.

    • Glaucoma
    • Hepatitis C
    • Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
    • Post-traumatic stress disorder
    • Tourette’s syndrome
    • Muscular dystrophy
    • Huntington’s disease
    • Alzheimer’s disease
    • Complex regional pain syndrome, type I and II
    • Rheumatoid arthritis
    • Polyarteritis nodosa

  • Iowa needs better medical cannabis program that meets patient needs

    Statement by Senator Joe Bolkcom
    Iowa Medical Cannabidiol Board Meeting
    August 2, 2019

    Members of Iowa Medical Cannabidiol Board, with all due respect.  It’s time to face facts.

    Between the misguided actions of the Governor, the Republican controlled legislature and this Board, you have created the nation’s worst medical cannabis program.

    Residents of 32 other states — the majority of all Americans — have much better access to affordable, effective medicines made from cannabis.

    In Iowa, the medicine is too expensive and not potent enough to help most people. Getting approved as a patient is cumbersome and bureaucratic. There are only five dispensaries, none located in rural Iowa.

    After five long years, only 3,300 sick Iowans have been able to cut through the red tape to legally obtain medical cannabis. More than 70 percent of these patients suffer from intractable, severe and chronic pain.

    Patients want the choice of medical cannabis when they are faced with serious, life threatening medical conditions.

    Sadly, a few short months ago this board derailed very modest improvements supported by 137 Iowa legislators that would have helped these patients suffering from intractable pain.

    Meanwhile, Iowa remains awash in powerful, highly addictive narcotic pain pills.  It’s astonishing that in the first six months of 2019, Iowa doctors wrote 850 thousand narcotic prescriptions for 307 thousand Iowans. More than half were prescribed addictive opioids like fentanyl.

    So follow this. There are more than 300 thousand sick Iowans taking narcotic pain pills while only 3,300 patients have been able to access safer, medicines made from cannabis.

    When are we going to start protecting Iowans from deadly, drug company opioids?

    The board’s misplaced obsession with THC has clouded your ability to actually help people. THC is medicine and Iowa patients are capable of managing it.

    This is NOT about having a party, it’s about helping people that are dying and sick.

    Earlier this year Illinois ended marijuana prohibition.

    On January 1, adults 21 years of age and older will be able to legally buy products made with marijuana.

    The good news is that Iowa medical cannabis patients will have much easier access (albeit illegally) to less expensive, far more effective medicines closer than Colorado.

    The bad news is that this could put Iowa medical cannabis companies out of business.

    These companies that have invested millions are all losing money now and they will lose much more as their patients take their business to Illinois.

    Like it or not, without thoughtful and immediate improvements to Iowa law, Illinois businesses will become major suppliers of medicine to Iowa patients.

    This mess is Governor Reynolds, the Republican legislature’s and yours to fix.

    It won’t happen until you start listening to patients and put their needs first.

    Thank you.