January 29, 2010
This Week
Visitors to the Capitol this week
League of Women Voter’s legislative forum – Saturday
Legislature focuses on a fiscally responsible budget, key priorities
Power Fund is growing local economy
Protecting pets and pet owners
New bills would save lives on Iowa roads
This Week
The pace picked up considerably this week. Much work has gone into the Government Reorganization bill. It will likely be debated next week in the Senate.
I spent time this week on several issues. Yesterday in the Senate Commerce Committee, I managed HF 2075, which would require insurance companies to cover the routine health care costs associated with cancer clinical trials. It is legislation that has been worked on for the last three years. It finally passed this week in the Iowa House and will be taken up by the Senate next week. Congratulations to all the anti-cancer advocates that have pushed to make this happen. This legislation will enhance cancer research and patient outcomes.
I continued to participate in several meetings this week focused on tax credit reform.
I also participated in a meeting to get a progress report on the Iowa Flood Center from Witold Krajewski and Larry Weber. The Center is making terrific progress in developing the technical ability to help communities better prepare and plan for the next major floods. We will be working to maintain support for this important state resource.
Governor Culver released his budget this week.
I am really pleased to have Mary Shields from Iowa City as my Secretary this legislative session. Mary attended Regina High School and graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in French in 2009. She is doing a great job keeping me organized and managing all the bills and correspondence coming my way. She is getting a working knowledge of the legislative process and learning a lot.
Visitors to the Capitol this week
Jim Walters
Paul Deaton, Johnson County Board of Health
Janet Lyness, Johnson County Attorney
Larry Weber, IIHR Hydroscience and Engineering
Witold Krajewski, Director, Iowa Flood Center
Steve Spenler, Director, Johnson County Ambulance
Barrett Grough. United Electrical
Jennifer Marsh, United Electrical
Jon Weih, Kirkwood Community College
David Leshtz (Jan. 12)
League of Women Voter’s legislative forum – Saturday
The Johnson County League of Women Voters will host a legislative forum on Saturday, January 30, at 9:30-11:30 am at Emma Harvat Hall at City Hall, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City
If you can’t attend, the forum will be broadcast live on Iowa City Cable Channel 4. The forum is open to everyone.
Who would guess that central Iowa is home to the National Texting Champion? Kate Moore, 15, of Des Moines holds the title. She was at the Statehouse January 28 to share her story, and some pointers, with me. The good news is Kate doesn't plan to do any texting when she gets behind the wheel of a car, which studies show to be one of the most dangerous distractions for a driver. Several bills to reduce distracted driving and keep our roads safer will be considered in the Legislature this year.
Legislature focuses on a fiscally responsible budget, key priorities
Everything the Legislature will do this session is shaped by the deep, lingering national recession. Middle-class Iowans, small businesses and other employers have been hit hard. The state of Iowa is feeling the pinch too.
That’s why Republicans and Democrats at the Iowa Capitol are continuing to closely examine all state spending and tighten the state’s budget belt.
This includes:
** Rethinking and reorganizing how state government works.
** Saving taxpayers $60 million a year by approving an early retirement program.
** Considering reforms to corporate tax incentives, including cutting spending on tax breaks and ensuring more accountability for taxpayers.
All of these elements and more were included in a budget proposal outlined January 27 by Governor Culver. His plan responds to the concerns of Iowans who want a responsible state budget that focuses limited resources on creating good-paying jobs, maintaining a strong education system and ensuring quality health care for more Iowans.
In the coming weeks, legislators will examine the details of the Governor’s plan. As we move ahead with developing our own plan, I want to hear your suggestions for how we can best balance the state budget, provide essential services to Iowans, and lay the foundation for a strong recovery from the national recession.
Power Fund is growing local economy
Since its inception, the Iowa Power Fund Board has awarded more than $39 million to research, development and other projects to move the state forward in its quest for energy independence. The Legislature created the Iowa Power Fund in 2007 to expand Iowa’s renewable energy, alternative fuel, and clean technology industries.
Roya Stanley, director of the Office of Energy Independence, and Fred Hubbell, chair of Iowa Power Fund Board, recently met with Senate Economic Growth Committee members to report on the 28 projects that have received Power Fund grants. These projects have leveraged more than $202 million.
Among the projects receiving funding is one at the University of Iowa, the Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation & Novel Development project, which was awarded $3 million.
Projects like this all across Iowa are ensuring we remain a worldwide energy leader by encouraging the production of home-grown energy that can help our family farmers become more profitable, while strengthening our national security and reducing our dependence on foreign oil. For more on the Iowa Power Fund and the state Office of Energy Independence, go to www.energy.iowa.gov.
Protecting pets and pet owners
A bill designed to better protect pets and pet owners from irresponsible pet breeders is moving forward in the Legislature. I strongly support his effort.
Last fall the bipartisan Care of Animals in Commercial Enterprises Study Committee unanimously recommended that state inspectors begin inspecting USDA-licensed dog breeders in response to complaints.
State action is needed because the USDA doesn’t have enough inspectors to get the job done. House Study Bill 604 solves that problem by modestly and responsibly raising fees on pet breeders—currently just $20 a year—to fund state inspectors from the Iowa Department of Agriculture.
Iowa has more than 20,000 dogs in breeding operations, making our state home to the nation’s third largest dog breeding industry. Yet we still haven’t followed the lead of our neighbors—Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska—which already provide state inspection of USDA-licensed breeders.
This new legislation will:
** Empower state agriculture inspectors to investigate complaints at Iowa’s federally licensed facilities.
** Increase penalties for unlicensed facilities and violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act
**Require continuing education for breeders with violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.
** Increase enforcement of uncollected sales tax on the sale of dogs and cats.
By cracking down on the bad actors in the industry, we’ll help responsible breeders and protect pet owners by making sure all companion animals raised in Iowa are healthy and safe.
Review the provisions of the bill at http://tiny.cc/HSB604.
Graduates of Iowa's community colleges are very likely to stay in Iowa, contributing to our communities and helping improve the quality of Iowa's workforce. They are especially important now in helping unemployed workers upgrade their skills for jobs being created in Iowa's wind and renewable energy industries. On January 28, community college students and Jon Weih from Kirkwood visited with Senator Bob Dvorsky and I at the Statehouse.
New bills would save lives on Iowa roads
Cracking down on unsafe driving
On January 26, the Senate Transportation Committee heard testimony about the dangers of distracted driving from Colonel Pat Hoye, chief of the Iowa State Patrol, and researchers from the University of Iowa and the National Safety Council.
Their presentations confirmed what is increasingly clear to all who use our roads: distracted driving has become a dangerous epidemic.
Studies show texting to be the most dangerous distraction because it requires both eyes and hands. Texting while driving can increase the chance of a crash by as much as 23 times and can impair drivers in the same way alcohol does.
At any given moment, 11 percent of drivers on the road are using a cell phone, and about 1 percent are texting or sending e-mail.
This session, we’ll consider a number of distracted driving bills that range from texting bans to bans on all cell phone use while driving in an effort to keep Iowa roads safe for all.
Helping young drivers become safer drivers
Did you know that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for Iowa teens? By helping teens develop good driving habits, we can save lives.
The House and Senate Transportation committees recently heard from researchers at the University of Iowa and the University of North Carolina about strengthening our driver licensing system to better protect young drivers.
The researchers’ recommendations are included in a new bill (SSB 3071) that would:
** Restrict the number of passengers in teen cars. Teens are twice as likely to have an accident with two passengers as they are with one passenger and three times as likely to have an accident with three passengers. Under the bill, intermediate license holders could have only one passenger who is under 21 and not a sibling or member of the same household. The passenger restriction would also apply to school licenses.
** Limit driving without a parent after 11 p.m. Accidents among 16 and 17 year olds go up approximately 300 percent between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Under the legislation, parents could sign a waiver for the teen to drive to work or school-related activities after 11 p.m.
** Extend the length of time for supervised driving. Right now, Iowa teens must hold an intermediate license for six months. Our new bill would increase the time to 12 months so that young drivers can get experience in all seasons and road conditions. Imagine driving in Iowa’s recent blizzard conditions if you had only been taught to drive during the summer!
North Carolina experienced a 38-percent reduction in accidents for 16 year olds and a 20-percent reduction for 17 year olds when it adopted these measures. Nighttime accidents were reduced by 66 percent over the course of four years. Accidents with multiple passengers were cut in half.
While there are some who think we should only address the budget this year, I believe we should consider legislation that will save lives as well. Remember, we all share the roads.
To review the bill, go to http://tiny.cc/SSB3071.
Enhancing penalties for running red lights
The Senate Judiciary Committee recently passed SF 2109, which increases penalties for drivers who kill or seriously injure someone while running a red light.
The current penalty for running a red light is a $35 fine. Under the proposed legislation, if a driver runs a red light and someone is seriously injured as a result, the driver will be subject to a fine of up to $500 and/or suspension of driving privileges for up to 90 days. If someone dies as a result of a driver running a red light, the fine can be up to $1,000 and suspension of driving privileges for up to 180 days.
Read the full bill at http://tiny.cc/SF2109.
How to Contact Me
Joe Bolkcom
728 2nd Avenue
Iowa City, IA 52245
319.337.6280
joe.bolkcom@legis.state.ia.us
joe@joebolkcom.org
www.joebolkcom.org
www.senate.iowa.gov/bolkcom
www.legis.state.ia.us
About The Networker
The Networker provides brief summaries of some of the things that I am working on, the work of the General Assembly, and political perspectives on issues. I also use it to announce meetings and how to find useful information about state government.
Additional information
Senator Joe Bolkcom is an Assistant Majority Leader and chair of the Ways & Means Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations, Commerce, Environment & Energy Independence, Human Resources, and Natural Resources committees.