Legislative Session Reaches Halfway Point

This week marked the 50th day of the 100-day legislative session. The first funnel deadline has passed and the second funnel is coming up soon. Debate is picking up in both chambers as the House and Senate work to advance priority legislation.

Sales Tax Exemption
The past several years, I along with the late Paul Elmgreen have been working on a sales tax exemption for aircraft parts and service. The bill (HF 2573) worked its way through the Ways and Means committee on February 24th and passed out of the House on Thursday. Currently as it stands in the state of Iowa small aircraft when major maintenance is needed fly to neighboring states who already have a sales tax exemption for aircraft parts and services.  The goal of this bill is to help level the playing field and make Iowa’s small local airports and fixed base operators more competitive in providing repairs. This bill will especially have a positive impact on the repair facility in Monticello. The HF 2573 is now on its way to the Senate where they will quickly pass it and send it to the Governor for her signature.

Education: Supplemental State Aid
Also, this week, the House and Senate finalized K-12 funding for the upcoming school year. Iowa’s schools will receive almost $100 million in new money for the 2020-21 school year, with additional resources specifically targeted towards critical needs like rural school transportation costs and per pupil equity.

The agreement breaks down as follows:

Supplemental State Aid	$85.57 million
Rural Transportation	$7.65 million
Per Pupil Equity	$5.8 million
TOTAL	$99.02 million

With school funding settled, the House will continue working on additional ways to improve Iowa’s education system for students, parents, and teachers. The Education Committee has been working on bipartisan legislation to ensure the best learning environment for students by helping train teachers on strategies to deal with disruptive student behavior and make classrooms safe.

Since 2011, investment in Iowa’s schools has grown to an all-time high of nearly $3.4 billion annually, an increase of almost $1 BILLION over the last decade. K-12 funding makes up around 43% of Iowa’s budget, making it the top spending priority each year.

House Eases Requirement for Farmers Driving Their Own Trucks
On Tuesday, March 3, 2020, the Iowa House passed House File 2372 by a bipartisan vote of 79-19.  The bill amends the definition of ‘chauffeur’ in regards who is required to have a to exclude a farmer or his hired help  who is operating a farmer’s own truck that is licensed plated as farm trucks/’special farm registrations’ to transport the farmer’s own products or property to a destination no more than 100-miles from his farmland.  The bill was amended by the House to add language that the chauffeur exemption to driving farm-plated semi-trailers does not apply to person under 18-years of age.

Iowa faces a shortage of health care providers in many areas of the state. This includes primary care, specialty care, and mental health care. Easing this shortage and attracting health care providers, specifically to rural communities, has been one of House Republican’s top priorities over the last several sessions.

We can start to address a shortage of providers by keeping our best and brightest right here in the state. House File 2383 aims to do just that by requiring the University of Iowa Colleges of Medicine and Dentistry to prioritize Iowa students over out-of-state students. This legislation requires at least 75% of admitted students to be residents of Iowa or to have completed their undergrad here in the state.

House File 2383 will help Iowa retain health care professionals to practice here after graduation. Students with previous ties to the state are more likely to stay in Iowa, work in Iowa, pay taxes in Iowa, and raise their families in Iowa. There is no guarantee that students from New York or California will remain in the state following graduation.

In 2017, a small family-owned newspaper in western Iowa published a story about a local police officer’s inappropriate relationship with a teenager and other previous questionable actions. This story ultimately led to the resignation of the police officer, who was under threat of termination. The ex-officer then sued the paper for libel.

The newspaper ultimately won the lawsuit but was forced to incur thousands of dollars in legal fees, simply for exposing the truth.

These types of lawsuits, known as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP), are intended to silence bad press and suppress free speech by dragging people through costly and lengthy court fights.

House File 2339 provides individuals with a new avenue to have frivolous SLAPP lawsuits reviewed by a judge in a timely manner, so they can be dismissed early in the legal process. This legislation ensures that freedom of speech is protected and that when someone’s bad actions or misdeeds are brought to light, they are held accountable.

On Thursday the Ways and Means committee passed 3 bills relating to childcare in Iowa. The goal of these bill is to help provide affordable childcare for our young families in Iowa. As session proceeds, the House will continue to work on policies that will help to provide quality and affordable childcare in the state of Iowa.

There has been a growing concern through Iowa, especially in rural counties and communities, about the access to emergency medical services.  A common misconception is that emergency medical services are considered an essential service under the Iowa Code.  They are not.  However, it is currently an option for counties to choose to make it an essential service.  Under current law, county supervisors may offer for voter approval a local option income surtax or an ad valorem property tax.  Additionally, if it is considered an essential service, it has to be re-approved every five years.

House Study Bill 631/HF 2434 makes significant changes to the emergency medical services chapter (IA Code 422D).  The first change that it makes allows the county board of supervisors to declare EMS an essential service without calling for an election to approve this decision.  EMS advocates believe that this will greatly reduce the burden and cost of declaring EMS an essential service.

This bill also gets rid of the five-year sunset that required the voters to re-approve emergency medical services.  This gives the voters the option to end EMS as an essential service only under a reverse referendum.  EMS advocates have complained that they are uncomfortable purchasing equipment if after only five years the service could not be renewed.

A new requirement under this bill is that a county that adopts EMS as an essential service shall create an EMS Advisory Council to develop how the EMS program will be structured and work throughout the county.  Current law only allows counties to enter into 28E agreements with other counties.  This bill removes that barrier and allows counties to enter into 28E agreements with other entities besides just counties.

Currently, in the Health and Human Services Budget there is $303,000 that is appropriated to the Emergency Medical Services Fund.  The money is divided equally amongst the counties. Also, Iowa Code 422D.6(3) lays out an enumerated list of items that these funds could be spent on. This bill changes that to include any operational cost.

In addition to the above-mentioned changes to emergency medical services, House Study Bill 508/House File 2224 appropriates the revenue from sports wagering (estimated between $2-3 million) to the Emergency Medical Services Trust Fund.

On Thursday the Ways and Means committee passed 3 bills relating to childcare in Iowa. The goal of these bill is to help provide affordable childcare for our young families in Iowa. As session proceeds, the House will continue to work on policies that will help to provide quality and affordable childcare in the state of Iowa.

 

Forum Schedule:

Friday February 28 @ 9am

Monticello Golf Club with Governor Reynolds

Friday February 28 @ Noon

Monticello City Chambers

Friday March 6 @ 10am

Manchester Farm Bureau Office

The Legislature’s first funnel was this week, which means our focus has been narrowed to bills that have a better chance of being debated on the floor and signed into law.

 

What is the funnel? It’s a deadline when House bills are required to pass at least one House committee to remain eligible for discussion and vice versa for the Senate. If a bill fails to advance through a committee, it is considered “dead” for the session and is tabled. Oftentimes, a bill is not moved forward because it lacks support or needs improvement over the interim. The funnel does not apply to Appropriations or Ways & Means bills.

I have chosen a couple of legislative priorities that remain alive following the first funnel.

 

Child Care Access and Affordability

(House Files 2041, 2083, 2171, 2175, 2270, 2271, and 2424)

The House has introduced a wide-ranging package of legislation this session to improve access to affordable child care for families. Several committees have advanced common sense solutions to make child care more affordable for families, increase access to providers, incentivize employers to offer and expand child care to their employees, and address the “cliff effect” by easing Iowans off of government child care assistance programs. House leadership is also continuing to work with the Senate to expand eligibility of the child care tax credit program by doubling the household income threshold.

 

World-Class Schools

(House File 2243 and 2245 and House Study Bill 598)

In addition to providing Iowa’s K-12 schools with record investment this year, the House has been looking for additional ways to make our schools better for students, teachers, and parents. Building on previous efforts, lawmakers continued to bring down rural school transportation costs and reduce per pupil inequity by an additional $10 per student this session. Members from both parties have also worked together on legislation to help educators deal with disruptive behavior in the classroom to keep students and staff safe as well as get students the support they need. We look forward to working with Governor Reynolds on her school safety initiative jointly headed by the Departments of Public Safety and Education.

 

Access to Affordable Health Care

(House Files 2192, 2197, 2253, 2383, 2463 and House Study Bill 685)

The House has also been looking for ways increase access to high quality and affordable health care. Committees have advanced several pieces of legislation that provide more transparency and reduce the cost of prescription drugs, increase access to health services, and attract and retain more health care professionals to our state.

 

Rural Emergency Medical Services

(House Files 2224, 2280, and 2434)

One of the most basic functions of government is ensuring citizens have the ability to call for help when its necessary. This includes police and fire, but often forgotten are Emergency Medical Services (EMS) like paramedics, EMTs, and first responders. The legislature is committed to assisting local governments offer these services to their residents. Legislation passed through committee this year gives counties the ability to make long-term investment in EMS programs and infrastructure while also proposing additional funding to local EMS. Additionally, with many towns relying on volunteer fire and EMS departments, the House wants to ensure that small communities are able to attract qualified individuals. That’s why we are working to double the volunteer EMS tax credit and show our support to individuals who put their lives on the line to protect us and keep us safe when it counts most.

 

Expanding High-Speed Internet to Underserved Areas

(House Files 2023, 2107, 2213, 2242, and 2459)

The legislature also made the expansion of high-speed broadband to underserved parts of the state a top priority this session. Reliable internet has become a necessity in today’s economy and both employers and workers are depending on a steady connection to conduct business online or work from home. To help expedite this expansion, the Commerce committee has passed multiple bills to improve internet access and bring faster speeds to Iowa’s rural communities.

 

News From District 96

Floor Debate
The House held its first floor debate of the session this week, passing three critical pieces of legislation to support Iowa’s K-12 schools and victims of significant flooding across the state.

Last spring, much of the state was devastated by significant flooding, particularly in southwest Iowa and eastern Iowa around the Quad Cities. The Legislature acted quickly last session, providing $25 million in flood recovery aid: $15 million for immediate flood relief and $10 million in housing tax credits to rebuild homes.

Since the Legislature adjourned last year, it has become clear that additional support is needed to help these communities recover.

This week, the House passed a supplemental appropriation bill that will provide impacted communities with an additional $21 million for flood recovery. Legislators worked closely with the Flood Mitigation Board to identify critical projects that need investment before more flooding occurs this spring.

License Exemption for Farm Special Registration Vehicles
Also, this week the Iowa House Agriculture Committee passed House Study bill 530 by a by-partisan 17-aye to 6-nay vote.   The bill amends the definition of ‘chauffer’ in the Code to exclude a farmer or his hired help who operate a farmer owned truck tractor and are hauling the farmer’s own product or property to a destination no more than 100-miles from farmland owned or operated by the farmer.  Under these conditions, the individual no longer needs a chauffeur license.

The measure was amended in committee to further stipulate that this exception only applies when the farmer or his hired help is driving the farmers’ trucks that are licensed plated as farm trucks/Special Farm Registrations to transport the farmer’s own products or property to a destination no more than 100-miles from his farmland.

Keeping Health Care Professionals in Iowa
On Tuesday, the House Human Resources Committee passed House File 2115 to require the University of Iowa medical and dental schools to have 75% of their admitted students be from the state of Iowa. This work builds on legislation passed last year to require state-funded medical residencies to prioritize Iowans in the application process by looking closer at those that are originally from Iowa, went to undergrad in Iowa, or graduated medical school in Iowa.

Supporting Emergency Medical Service
Last week the House Ways and Means Committee passed House File 2280 by a vote of 24-1. The bill increases the Volunteer Fire Fighter and Volunteer Emergency Medical Services Personnel Member Credit and the Reserve Peace Officer Credit from $100 to $200. The bill makes the increase in the tax credit available this tax year.

House File 2280 is currently on the House Ways and Means Calendar and is eligible for consideration by the full chamber. House File 2280 is just one of several initiatives we are putting forth this session to support our volunteer EMS workers. These volunteers make Iowa a safer place to work and live and deserve this honor.

This week I had the privilege of welcoming students from  JCSHYC (Jones County Safe and Healthy Youth Coalition), Maquoketa Valley, and West Delaware the to the Iowa House of Representatives.  The groups were visiting the Capitol to bring awareness to the dangers of smoking, vaping and underage drinking.

News from District 96

As Ways and Means Chair, I am responsible for reviewing all tax legislation. In the Governor’s Condition of the State address she proposed implementing an additional 1-cent sales tax will increase Iowa’s revenue by $540 million, enabling the following:

• Create additional tax relief, improving Iowa’s competitive position and allowing Iowa families to keep more of what they earn.
• Fully fund the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, further improving Iowa’s water quality and quality of life.
• Fully fund Iowa’s Regional Mental Health System, ensuring that every Iowan has the opportunity to be healthy and well.

Governor Reynolds has made a commitment to reducing taxes to ensure that hardworking Iowans are able to keep more of their hard-earned dollars. To carry out this, she has proposed a plan to cut individual income tax by 10 percent on average and by lowering the highest tax rate from 8.5 percent to 5.5 percent. The bill will also reduce property taxes by lowering the county mental health levy statewide by $77.1 million. The State will replace these dollars through appropriations funded by the 1-cent tax increase, which will allow for an overall increase for mental health funding in Iowa. We will also broaden the number of items that are sales tax exempt to include diapers and feminine hygiene products.

The bill also includes Early Childhood Development and Child and Dependent Care tax credits by doubling the maximum net income amount for eligibility from $45,000 to $90,000. This part of the legislation is very similar to a bill that the House passed last session but stalled in the Senate.

In 2010, Iowans voted to amend the constitution and create the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund with the purpose of “protecting and enhancing water quality and natural areas in this state.” To date, the trust has remained unfunded. By raising the sales tax, the amendment will dedicate 3/8 of the proposed 1-cent sales tax and provide the necessary, sustainable funding for the trust.

The fund will allocate $99.5 million to water quality efforts. This funding will strengthen Iowa’s nutrient management reduction plan. $52.3 million of the fund will be dedicated to the improvement of conservation and recreation in Iowa.

Adjustments to Iowa Code Chapter 461 are proposed to acknowledge the nutrient reduction strategy as the foundation of the state’s water quality efforts and ensure periodic reviews of the code are conducted to comply with the most current evidence-based practices and policies.

This bill is currently undergoing the legislative process, and if you would like to read further you can find the bill on the legislative website by searching for HSB 657. Also if you have any question or comments relating to HSB 657 please feel free to email me at Lee.Hein@legis.iowa.gov.

 

News  from District 96

This week, the announced a K-12 funding package for the 2020-21 school year that will provide schools with additional resources that they can depend on. Additionally, the plan will take into account many of the challenges that school boards and administrators have brought to lawmakers and targets additional dollars to address these problems.

The plan offered by the House will provide schools with an additional $108 million next school year, bringing total state investment in Iowa’s K-12 system to nearly $3.4 billion per year.

The details of the plan include:

•    $94.7 million for Supplemental State Aid (SSA), building upon the House Majority ’s strong commitment to K-12 schools over the last decade.
•    $7.25 million to reduce transportation costs for rural schools and ensure no school spends more than the statewide average. This will ensure that more dollars make their way into the classroom rather than being spent to bus students to and from school.
•    $5.8 million in equity funding to further reduce the cost per pupil gap by $10 per student. This continues to reduce a long-time inequity that has existed in the school funding formula since the 1970s.

The House plan provides
the same amount of SSA as Governor Reynolds while providing additional dollars for rural school transportation costs and per pupil equity. Currently, Iowa pays $6,880 per pupil per year, and with the proposed Supplemental State Aid package the state will increase funding to $7,062 per pupil per year. 

The K-12 House proposal fits within the state budget and provides schools with a reasonable increase that they can depend on. The House Majority has made it a priority to follow through on the commitments that have been made to schools and will continue to do so this year. 

 Since 2011, Iowa has added almost 3,500 new teachers to Iowa classrooms. This is a stark contrast compared to   2010 when the state lost nearly 1,000 educators due to budget mismanagement and a 10% cut to schools. The House has also worked hard to lower class sizes in the state of Iowa. According to Condition of Education Report, the student-teacher ratio has declined to 13.04 per student. This ratio has declined every year since 2011, even while enrollment has grown steadily overtime. Iowa teacher pay continued to rise with the average salary coming in at $59,220. According to the report, the gap has been reduced significantly in recent years. Additionally, third party studies say that Iowa’s teacher pay ranks among the highest in the country. 

This week I had the opportunity to welcome some constituents to the State House to discuss their legislative priorities. I was able to get a picture with both a group of  superintendents/school board members from West Delaware and Western Dubuque. We also welcomed a group of students from the Anamosa FFA Chapter. 

News from District 96

With the start of every legislative session, I receive a lot of questions about how the process works and what it is like being a legislator. For this week’s newsletter, I thought I would share some of the most commonly asked questions and answers.

 

What is your weekly schedule?

I try to leave for Des Moines around 7:00 am on Mondays. I try to get in a few meetings before we gavel in at 1pm. Then we have rounds of committee blocks throughout the afternoon. During the evening, we try to catch up with constituents and prep for the day ahead.

 

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays bring a lot of constituent meetings, subcommittee meetings and committee meetings. I try to at the Capitol around 7:00am. We will leave in the evening to meet up with constituents, grab dinner or read up on legislation that will be discussed in the coming weeks. Most legislators head home Thursday afternoon.

 

Fridays usually give me time to catch up on all the things I missed back home.  Usually there are forums, and meetings to attend.  Saturday is spent at the farm helping with things that need to be done in preparation for the spring.

 

How long are you in session?

Members of the House are elected to two year terms. The first year is “limited” to 110 days, the second session to 100 days. This is not a hard cut off, but legislators do not receive per diem for any days in session beyond the 110/100 day allotment.

 

What do you get paid?

Members of the House and Senate receive a yearly salary of $25,000. Members are eligible for certain benefits (health care, IPERS). During session, members receive mileage (once a week, regardless of the number of trips made) and per diem expenses. Each member is provided with $300 per month for constituency expenses such as stationary, postage, mileage outside of session, certificates, etc.

 

What do you do when you are not in session/ do you get the summer and fall off? 

The government never stops getting in people’s way, the mail is still delivered and time does not stop with the fall of the gavel on the last day of session. I check my email most every day and try to respond in a timely fashion.  Summer is county fair and parade season and when fall approaches constituents and groups want to meet to discuss issues important to them and thoughts for the upcoming session.

 

Constituents are welcome to contact us at any time. We do not punch out with the fall of the gavel. It is important for us to be accessible and responsive to constituents. I try to stay engaged and in-tune with what constituents need.

 

Where do legislators stay while in Des Moines? 

A lot of legislators live close enough to Des Moines that they can drive in and home every night. That is not practical with my commute. Those of us living further away work with hotels, extended stays, snow birds, roommates, friends and family for accommodations during session.  I and three other legislators rent a home from a couple who spend the winter with their daughter in Florida.  With session lasting about four months, with long days, short nights, we have very little down time.

 

 

How are the Speaker and committee chairs chosen?

The Speaker is elected by members of their caucus, informally and formally by the members of the House. Committee Chairs are selected by the Speaker.

 

What committees do you sit on?

I am the chair of the Ways and Means Committee; this committee works with all matters relating to taxes and fees. In addition to this appointment I also sit on the Agriculture and Environmental Protection Committee

 

 

Do you have staff? 

Each legislator is permitted one part-time clerk for the 100 or 110 days of session. During the interim we are a staff of ourselves.

 

New House Leadership

This year the Iowa House elected new leadership following the resignation of former Speaker Linda Upmeyer. The Republican majority selected Representative Pat Grassley from New Hartford to be the Speaker of the House for the 2020 Legislative Session, and with new leadership comes new legislative priorities.

In his speech to the legislative body Speaker Grassley called upon the chamber to decrease childcare costs for families, improve access to providers, and create an off-ramp for Iowans who want to advance in their careers and phase out their need for government assistance. He stated that, “This is an issue that impacts each of our districts where both parties in this chamber can work together to find solutions.”

 

The Governor’s Condition of the State Address

On Tuesday, January 14 Governor Kim Reynolds laid out her legislative priorities for 2020 legislative session in her annual Condition of the State Address. Her speech outlined several legislative priorities such as; state licensing reform with the goal of decreasing red tape, expansion of the Employer Innovation Fund, and the need to reform the state constitution to allow for the restoration of voting rights for convicted felons who have served their time.

 

In her address the Governor rolled out a new initiative called the Invest Iowa Act which will strive to cut income taxes, create a sustainable funding source for our mental health system, reduce the burden on property taxpayers, and fund the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust. She stated that, “These changes will make our vision a reality. It’s an investment in our future. And it’s an investment in those who are our future.”

The Governor also made it a priority to discuss the need for increased funding for child care. Governor Reynolds outlined that for some it is an affordability issue, but it is simply a problem of reasonable access to child care providers.

 

News from District 96

The first week of this legislative session was similar to most.  The House and Senate heard from Governor Kim Reynolds, Acting Chief Justice Wiggins, and Major General Ben Corell. This year I along with 5 other legislators had the privilege of escorting the Governor from her office to the house chamber.

In my second session as the chair of the Ways and Means Committee we have hit the ground running with our first meeting being on the second day of the legislative session. This committee looks in to all matters relating to taxation and plays a vital role in the legislation that will be passed this session.

If you would like to discuss an issue feel free to come to one of my forums or send me an email.  It is an honor to serve as your State Representative for another term in the Iowa House.

Upcoming Forums:

January 31^st Noon Jones Co Economic Forum

@ Lawrence Community Center in Anamosa

 

February 7^th Delaware Co Farm Bureau Forum 10am

@Delaware County Farm Bureau Office

House Majority Completes Focused Tax Agenda

The House tackled quite a Ways and Means agenda this year. From tax code updates to property tax transparency—it has been a busy session.

One of the early bills was Senate File 220. That bill provided section 179 expensing with a maximum deduction of $70,000 for corporations, financial institutions, and partnerships and limited liability companies taxed as corporations. The investment limitation in the bill is set at $280,000. With the passage of Senate File 220—these entities are allowed the same deductions and subject to the same limits as individuals.

Another piece of legislation handled this year was an omnibus bill. That bill did a myriad of things including:

• Extending the Targeted Jobs Withholding Tax Credit pilot for two years until June 30, 2021.
• Clarified the manufacturing exemption for manufacturers who engage in construction contracts.
• Provides the department with the authority to audit or examine all taxes collected or administered by the department.

Finally—a property tax transparency bill was passed. The legislation created a process that starts with a local government receiving the new assessments. Based on these new values—all levies are adjusted up or down to represent a rate that would bring in the same amount of tax revenue as the prior year. This is the “effective rate.” The local government can then decide if this is the correct amount of tax to levy or if more or less is necessary.

Next the local government needs to publish notice and have a hearing on what the levies will be. The hearing will then take place and a resolution on the new levies will be passed. If the proposed levies bring in tax revenue that constitutes an increase of two percent or less—a resolution by a majority must pass. If the proposed levies bring in tax revenue that constitute an increase of more than two percent—a resolution by 2/3 majority must pass. After the resolution on the new levies has passed—the local government needs to publish notice of the budget they intend to pass and have a hearing on that budget. They can then pass a resolution for their budget as they do in current law. All information from the notices needs to be published on all local government websites and social media presences. Because of the new process—the date to certify budgets is moved from March 15 to March 31.

There were concerns brought forward by constituents and legislators that somehow this bill would affect IPERS.  The IPERS board, as a result of these concerns, released a statement regarding the property tax bill, SF634, “We have received many questions regarding recently passed property tax bill, Senate File 634. This bill does not alter the employers’ obligation to pay the employer portion of IPERS’ contributions as established annually under Iowa Code Section 97B.11. This bill does not affect a member’s or retiree’s pension.”

Empower Rural Iowa Legislation Encourages Rural Broadband and Housing

House File 772 passed the Iowa House this week. The legislation was in response to meetings that took place last year in Iowa’s small towns and rural counties.

The bill is divided into two parts—broadband grants and workforce housing tax credits. Current law requires the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) to administer a broadband grant program to make awards to communications service providers that reduce or eliminate targeted service areas by installing broadband infrastructure at specific minimum speeds. House File 772 repeals the specific download/upload speeds and instead references the federal telecommunications act for applicable speeds. The bill also provides that the competitive grants awarded by the OCIO should be awarded based on the following new considerations in addition to those in current law:

• Need in the particular area (including whether it is rural).
• Applicant’s total budget, including local or federal match, any funding obligations shared between public and private entities, and the percentage of funding provided directly from the applicant.
• Relative download and upload speeds of proposed projects for all applicants.
• Specific product attributes.

The bill specifically states that of all considerations for grant awards (both current and new), the most weight is to be given to the first three listed above. The bill extends the sunset of the OCIO broadband grant program from July 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025.

The second part of House File 772 relates to the workforce housing tax credit program administered by the Economic Development Authority already in current law. The bill increases the program cap from $20.0 million to $25.0 million per fiscal year. This money is directed to increase the incentive for small cities $5.0 million to $10 million.  Current law states that the authority may accept applications on a continuous basis. The bill changes the process to require the authority to review and score the applications on a competitive basis.  House File 772 provides that for fiscal year 2020, all money allocated to this program will be used to clear the waiting list for small cities.

News from House District 96

We are working hard to wrap up in Des Moines.  It has been a busy session for me serving my first year as Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.  We had to work in bipartisan ways to move Iowa forward in the right direction.  There were also times when we had to make a strong stand for what we believed in.

The Ways and Means committee was able to support young farmers, provide transparency to local property tax payers, and make needed tweaks to last year’s tax reform.  I look forward to next session to continue this important work.

I look forward to visiting with people from across the district about their thoughts and concerns.   It has been an honor to be the voice for the constituents of Iowa House District 96 this session.

Keeping Iowa Safe

Public Safety is frequently one of the top things that Iowans identify as something the Legislature needs to address.  The House Majority has taken this topic seriously, passing many bills this session that will keep students, motorists, and senior citizens safe across our state.

Whether it’s through policy or in the budget, I will continue to make public safety a priority and ensure that Iowans are protected.

Improving School Safety

One of the biggest priorities this session was extending the school infrastructure tax, known as SAVE. This provides schools with significant resources to make building improvements and ensure safe, modern classrooms. We included a provision in the bill that prioritizes upgrades like secure entrances, security cameras, and other safety enhancements, before using SAVE funds on athletic facilities.

We also passed legislation that protects students from known predators who move from school to school. House File 637 is an important school safety bill that requires administrators to report employee misconduct in a timely way.

Empowering Students on College Campuses

In recent years, the number of assaults and rapes on college campuses in Iowa is increasing. Additionally, a climate survey of students at the University of Iowa showed that more than 1 in 5 female undergraduates say they were raped during their time at UI. This is a serious problem that requires serious solutions.

Just this week the House passed a bipartisan bill that provides students with more tools to protect themselves on campus. The legislation prevents Iowa’s public universities and community colleges from implementing a policy that bans the carrying of a stun gun for personal protection. In a situation where seconds matter but law enforcement is minutes away, the use of this device could be the difference between life or death.

Safe Roads and Highways

Another bill passed this session, Senate File 113, holds repeat drunk drivers accountable and keeps them off the roads to make our highways safer. This bill clarifies that a person convicted with three or more OWIs can be charged as a habitual offender and face stiffer penalties. Drunk driving is not only irresponsible, but it puts those who wish to travel safely on our roads and highways at risk.

This year’s legislation builds on successful efforts from previous years to crack down on drunk and distracted driving and hold individuals accountable for their actions.

Protecting Seniors and Vulnerable Iowans

The House passed several pieces of legislation this session to protect seniors and other vulnerable Iowans in a number of ways. House File 731 updates Iowa’s mandatory reporter law to better protect dependent adults from abuse through more frequent and streamlined training. House File 323 ensures a person can be found guilty of dependent adult abuse even if they didn’t personally profit from the abuse. Finally, House File 569 ensures that an individual who intentionally shames, degrades, humiliates, or harms the personal dignity of a dependent adult is held accountable.