Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • Statement on latest revenue estimates

    IA SEN NEWS
    Oct. 16, 2018

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

    “The fiscal mismanagement by Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans is like a slow train wreck for everyday Iowans.

    “Their smoke-and-mirrors shell game won’t erase the fact that the Governor and Republican-controlled Legislature have made job training and higher education unaffordable for thousands of Iowans, reduced protections for seniors and other vulnerable Iowans, and made health care less accessible for thousands of Iowans over the past two years.

    “It’s no wonder that Iowans are clamoring for new leadership that will put their needs ahead of the self-interest of Wall Street corporations, special interests and millionaires. It’s time to put Iowans first again.”

    — end  —

  • Proposal to close UI Labor Center is “latest gut punch” to Iowa workers

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release:  July 10, 2018  

     

    Senator Joe Bolkcom statement on University of Iowa’s announcement of center closures and furloughs

    “I am disappointed in the news about the center closures and furloughs.

    “I am deeply disappointed at the proposed closure the UI Labor Center. This proposal is the latest gut punch to Iowa workers and their families. This is a terrible time to even consider closing the UI Labor Center.

    “Since 1950, the Labor Center has helped make Iowa a better place to live and do business. It has helped workers and Iowa employers meet the changing workforce needs of the state. As an interdisciplinary educational and research center, it has helped educate students and advance the public’s understanding of work during a time of rapid change.

    “It has also has leveraged its state appropriation in securing competitive federal grants for the university.

    “While there is no doubt that the University of Iowa is under financial pressure because of the bad budget priorities of Governor Reynolds and the Republican Legislature, I hope that President Harreld will change his mind and reconsider this ill-advised decision that would only worsen Iowa’s efforts to build a strong, modern economy that rewards hard work.”

    -end-

     

     

  • More Medicaid mess: Iowans lose access to dental care

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release:  June 29, 2018  

    Statement from Sen. Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City
    on latest evidence that Medicaid privatization is a disaster 

    “The Medicaid privatization disaster just got much, much worse with the decision by the University of Iowa’s College of Dentistry to stop taking new adult Medicaid patients starting July 1.

    “Oral health is the number one unmet need in Iowa adults. The College of Dentistry has stepped up to meet this need by being the provider of dental care to more than 8,000 adult Medicaid patients.

    “The decision by Governor Reynolds and her profit-making, out-of-state MCOs to lower reimbursements, delay payments and create mounds of red tape has made it extremely difficult for dentists and the College of Dentistry to continue to serve patients in need of dental care.

    “Governor Reynolds, Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver and House Speaker Linda Upmeyer need to show leadership by pulling the plug on a privatization effort that has failed Medicaid members, health care providers and taxpayers.”

    – end –

  • Iowans still paying price for GOP’s budget crisis and broken promises

    Iowa Senate News Release
    State Senator Joe Bolkcom: (319) 330-9541
    For Immediate Release: April 26, 2018  

     

    Statement on action today in Senate Appropriations Committee
    by Senator Joe Bolkcom, Senate Budget Committee’s Ranking Member

    “The budget package being approved today by Senate Republicans is more bad news for Iowa families, seniors, students and communities.

    “The ongoing budget crisis in Iowa is the result of the failure of Governor Reynolds and the Republican-controlled Legislature to keep two campaign promises:

    • Raising family incomes by 25 percent
    • Creating 200,000 new Iowa jobs within four years

    “As a result of their broken promises, Statehouse Republicans have implemented policies that have pushed down incomes, destroyed jobs, cut critical services and piled up state debt.

    “Republicans are downgrading our K12 schools and making higher education and job training less accessible and less affordable for working Iowa.

    “They have turned Iowa’s respected, state-run Medicaid safety net into a national disaster, and they continue to shower big corporations with tax cuts and tax credits.

    “In the 16 months that Republicans have controlled ALL of state government, they have borrowed more than $140 million and slashed $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.

    “Senate Democrats are ready to work with Republicans to restore fiscal stability and pass a budget that reflect Iowa values. That means investing more in job-creation efforts and reining in the fastest growing part of the state budget:  tax breaks for big corporations.”

    -end-

     

     

     

  • 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-

  • Statehouse Republicans ‘still have a giant budget mess on their hands’

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release: March 9, 2018

      

    Statement by Senator Joe Bolkcom on updated revenue estimates

    “You can’t put lipstick on a pig. No matter how Statehouse Republicans try to spin it, they still have a giant budget mess on their hands.

    “Here’s the truth:

    • Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans have NO agreement on how to balance the current year’s budget.
    • Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans have NO plan for balancing next year’s budget.
    • Statehouse Republicans have put $144 million on the state’s credit card in an attempt to balance FY17 budget.
    • Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans are moving a bloated tax plan that gives most of the benefits to millionaires and big corporations.
    • Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans are laying the groundwork to break a promise to Iowans that will result in higher property taxes.

    “What’s to blame? An agenda by Governor Reynolds and legislative Republicans that includes grossly under-funding our local schools; turning Iowa’s respected, state-run Medicaid safety net into a national disaster; weakening the rights of workers and driving down wages; and showering out-of-state corporations with an all-you-can-eat buffet of tax cuts and tax credits.

    “Senate Democrats still stand ready to work with legislative Republicans and the Governor on a mid-course correction that will restore fiscal stability to our state budget by investing in our schools and job-creation initiatives, and taking a serious look at out-of-control spending on tax credits.”

    -end-

  • Lawmakers Unveil “Putting Iowans First” Plan

    IOWA LEGISLATURE NEWS
    Thursday, January 25, 2018

     

    Focus On Improving Lives for Everyday Iowans

    DES MOINES – Democratic lawmakers outlined their new plan today called Putting Iowans First.  The plan was developed by lawmakers to keep the 2018 session focused on improving the lives of everyday Iowans.

    “Iowans don’t ask for much. They just want a decent paying job and the chance to lead a happy, healthy life. But we know today that too many Iowans who are working hard are just struggling to get by. Stagnant wages, rising health care costs, and fewer dollars going to job training and public education are hurting Iowa families,” said House Democratic Leader Mark Smith.

    “Democrats believe it’s time to get back to the basics—to help improve Iowans’ everyday lives and give each of us opportunities to get ahead. Our Putting Iowans First plan focuses on better paying jobs, a great education, and affordable health care. Democrats believe that Iowa values include investing in Iowans. It’s a mistake to believe that the state can cut its way to prosperity,” said Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen.

    The Putting Iowans First plan has four parts:

    1. Better-Paying Jobs
    2. A Revitalization of Small Towns and Rural Areas
    3. The Best Education in the Country
    4. A Quality of Life that Makes Iowa the #1 Best Place to Live

    “It’s time to say goodbye to the back room deals and corporate tax giveaways. Our Putting Iowans First plan will bring the focus of our government back to improving the lives of everyday Iowans,” added Smith. “That means affordable job training and new recreational opportunities in rural areas. It means increasing the use of renewable fuels and investing in our public schools again to produce a highly skilled workforce. It also means expanding access to affordable health care.”

    The full plan can be found at http://iowansfirst.com.

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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.”

    – end –

     

  • Senators introduce bill to end privatized Medicaid

    All 20 Democrats and the one Independent in the Iowa Senate have introduced SF 2058, a bill to end privatized Medicaid and put Iowans back in control of a state-run system that provides affordable health care to more than 560,000 citizens.

    Since April 2016, when Iowa Medicaid was turned over to out-of-state companies, constituents have complained about the obstacles they face getting care and services.

    Hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers – especially in Iowa’s small towns and rural areas – agree that the privatized system is not working. They aren’t being properly reimbursed for the care they provide. They face red tape and bureaucratic nightmares. Many are in financial jeopardy, and some have even been forced to close their doors.

    The state keeps giving private, out-of-state companies more of your tax dollars to run Medicaid. In fact, Governor Reynolds just agreed to give them another $130 million. Yet things continue to get worse.

    This is not how health care for sick, injured and disabled Iowans is supposed to work. Privatized Medicaid is not saving taxpayer dollars. Iowans are not getting healthier. The entire system is in shambles.

    For the health and safety of our citizens, let’s put Iowans back in control of Medicaid.

  • Democrats call on Statehouse Republicans to ‘put Iowans back in control of Medicaid’

    Iowa Senate News Release
    For Immediate Release: December 15, 2017

     

    DES MOINES — Iowa’s Democratic state legislators are asking Governor Kim Reynolds and Republican lawmakers to work together during the 2018 session to end Iowa’s failed Medicaid privatization experiment.

    “We do our best work when we work in a bipartisan fashion” to expand access to affordable health care for many Iowans, Democratic legislators wrote in a letter emailed today to the Governor and every Republican lawmaker.

    “For the past 20 months, constituents of all ages have been bombarding Governor Reynolds and Republican and Democratic legislators with real problems caused by Medicaid privatization,” Democrats wrote. “There is clear evidence that Iowans have died as a result of life-sustaining services being cut off to extremely vulnerable individuals.”

    The letter also stresses the “financial jeopardy” that Medicaid privatization has imposed on hospitals, nursing homes and other Iowa health care providers, especially in Iowa’s small towns and rural areas.

    Democratic lawmakers noted that “privatization is not saving money for Iowa’s taxpayers, and it is not resulting in healthier Iowans. Under Medicaid privatization, the state of Iowa keeps giving the private, out-of-state companies more and more money, while giving Iowa taxpayers less and less.”

    Medicaid is a health care safety net that is administered by the states and funded through a federal-state partnership. Roughly 70 percent of Medicaid expenses are for the care of our very poor elderly and severely disabled Iowans. In 2015, the Branstad/Reynolds Administration announced that the state employees running the program would be replaced by for-profit Medicaid managers.

    Despite widespread opposition and repeated delays, large, out-of-state companies took over care of the majority of Iowans receiving Medicaid services on April 1, 2016. As of today, three of the four companies initially hired to manage the program have abandoned the project. When AmeriHealth Caritas quit the state last month, the health care of 215,000 Iowans was disrupted.

    Governor Reynolds has promised that more managed care organizations are being recruited to replace those that left.

    In today’s letter, Democratic lawmakers propose a different approach: “When Connecticut realized its privatized Medicaid was not working, state leaders made the decision to go back to a publicly managed Medicaid system. Connecticut is now seeing much better results with their new model. They are saving money and improving care.”

    The letter concludes with this plea:

    “More than ever before, we all know that privatized Medicaid is not working for Iowa. For the health and safety of so many, will you work with us to put Iowans back in control of Medicaid? We can and should do better for Iowans. Watching our health care system collapse is not an option.”

     

    -end-