February 26, 2010

Week Seven
Legislative Forum - Saturday.
Visitors to the Capitol this week.
Texting ban will improve safety on Iowa roadways.
Puppy mill legislation heads to Governor.
Ensuring safety for crime victims in their homes.
Compeer “Sound of Friendship” concert – March 6.

Week Seven

This week I received several emails describing the impact of outrageous rates increases for Iowa customers of Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance. On Thursday, the Senate and House Commerce Committees met in joint session to hear from Iowa Insurance Commissioner Susan Voss and representatives from Blue Cross Blue Shield to discuss their twenty-two percent increase for 80,000 Iowa customers. The hearing room was packed with both legislators and health care industry lobbyists.

Blue Cross Blue Shield representatives blamed the increases on Iowa aging and obese population. Both are clearly factors in increasing costs. But this does not explain their exorbitant administrative costs. The insurer collects $3 billion dollars in premiums annually. Their administration costs are almost 10 percent. That represents about $300 million dollars. They are also in the process of building a massive new $250 million headquarters. The state needs to do a better job of regulating this industry and duplication and ineffective health care services.

We need a public health insurance option more than ever. Over the past four years I have spent hours and hours in meeting after meeting of finger pointing by legions of highly paid health care lobbyists lamenting how the system is not working, while opposing ALL meaningful reforms. The Iowa Senate is locked in a debate right now over a health care bill that is getting watered down by health insurance agents and insurance companies that oppose a framework to provide a public health insurance option to low income working Iowans that can’t afford high priced private insurance.

All this while Congress and the President fiddle.

We debated the ban on texting while driving this week. The Senate strengthened the House version of the bill by not only banning writing and sending a text message but also reading text messages when driving. I supported this bill. More details below.

The budget committees all continued to work on various state spending decisions this week. We will begin voting out bills next week.

On Thursday the Senate passed SF 2316, a bill to prevent future flood damages to communities and farms by better managing our flood plains. The bill squeaked by on a voted of 26-20. Senator Rob Hogg (D-Cedar Rapids) has championed this effort in response to the 2008 Iowa floods. The bill is opposed by Iowa cities and the Iowa Farm Bureau. I strongly support this legislation.

On Wednesday, the bicycle safety bill, SF 117, was voted out of the House Human Resources Committee on a partisan vote with all Democrats voting for bike safety and all Republicans voting against it. The bill now goes to the House floor. I hope.

Legislative Forum - Saturday

The Johnson County League of Women Voters will host a legislative forum on Saturday, February 27, at 9:30-11:30AM at the Coralville City Council Chambers. The meeting with also be televised live on Cable Channel 4.

As part of the Underage Drinking Prevention Day at the Hill, I met with students from City High. They discussed HF 2381, which allows hard liquor in gas stations, and a proposal for increased consequences for “social hosts” who let minors consume alcohol on their property. The students are all proponents of reducing underage drinking as well as participants in Students against Destructive Decisions, a group that advocates smart decision-making and personal growth for students.

Visitors to the Capitol this week

Betty Kelly, Johnson County AARP.
Mary Pat Lease, Johnson County AARP.
Bruce Teague, Johnson County AARP.
Dane Moore, AFSCME.
Mark Braun, University of Iowa.
Tim Krumm, Attorney.
Bill Sueppel Jr., Attorney.
Joan Cook, Retired Senior Volunteer Program.
Tom Cilek.
Jim Faucett, Mayor, Coralville.
Mary Audia.
Pat Harney, Johnson County Supervisor.
Chuck Peters, The Gazette.
Frank Cheng.
Nancy Quellhorst, Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce.
Rebecca Neades, Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce.
Bruce Maurer.
Stacey Cyphert, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Joshua Schamberger, Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
John Marshall, Realtor, Iowa City Area Association of Realtors.
Kay Seery, Iowa City Area Association of Realtors.
Mark Kamps, Realtor, Iowa City Area Association of Realtors.
Sorry if I missed you.

Governor Chet Culver sign House File 2075 into law on February 23. With the Governor’s signature, health care policies will be required to provide coverage benefits for routine patient costs incurred for cancer treatment in an approved clinical trial to the same extent that the policy covers other conditions. Many health insurers already cover these costs, but policies differ and in some cases, coverage has been denied.

Texting ban will improve safety on Iowa roadways

Iowa streets and highways will be safer for all drivers because of a texting ban approved this week by the Iowa Senate.

House File 2456 would make it illegal to read, write or send a text-based message unless the vehicle is stopped and off the roadway. The use of GPS devices will still be permitted.

At any given moment, 1 percent of drivers on the road are texting. Those drivers can be as much as 23 times more likely to crash, putting everyone on the road at risk.

For one year after the law goes into effect, officers will issue warnings to violators while the Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety step up efforts to educate the public about the dangers of texting while driving.

After the law is in effect for a year, those caught texting while driving will be subject to a $100 ticket. There are also heightened penalties if someone is killed or seriously injured.

After passing the Iowa Senate and House in different forms, the legislation now returns to the House.

Puppy mill legislation heads to Governor

House File 2280, legislation that will better protect pets and pet owners from irresponsible pet breeders, won final approval February 22 in the Iowa Senate.

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 long overdue because the USDA just doesn’t have enough inspectors to get the job done. Iowa has more than 20,000 dogs in breeding operations, making our state home to the nation’s third largest dog breeding industry.

The bill approved by the Legislature modestly and responsibly raises fees to fund state inspectors from the Iowa Department of Agriculture. The last time fees were raised was 1988.

Nonprofits, such as pounds, shelters and research facilities, will pay $75 per year. Commercial establishments, including breeders, dealers and pet shops, will pay $175 per year. The fees are expected to generate $335,000 per year.

This new legislation will:
** Empower state agriculture inspectors to investigate complaints at Iowa’s federally licensed facilities.

** Increase enforcement of uncollected sales tax on the sale of dogs and cats.

** Require continuing education for breeders with violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.

** Increase fines for unlicensed facilities and violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.

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 complete provisions of the bill at http://tiny.cc/HF2280.

Ensuring safety for crime victims in their homes

The Senate recently passed Senate File 2330, making it illegal to require landlords to evict victims of domestic violence who call the police in an emergency.

Currently, many city and county ordinances contain a specified crime property ordinance provision, which some local authorities have used to require landlords to evict victims of domestic violence who call the police.

This is just wrong. Calling the police can be the first proactive step a victim takes to get out of a domestic violence situation. But victims who fear eviction may not call for the help they desperately need.

In addition, evictions make finding new housing more difficult. In fact, almost half of all homeless persons in Iowa are women and their children who have experienced domestic violence.

This legislation will provide greater safety and peace of mind to Iowa families dealing with abuse.

Compeer “Sound of Friendship” concert – March 6

The Compeer Program, which matches community volunteers with people being treated for a mental illness, will hold its 7th annual “Sound of Friendship” concert on Sunday, March 6. The concert will be held at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church at 7:00 p.m. and will feature performances by Dan Moore, Kol Shira, and the Pan American Steel Drum Band. All proceeds benefit the Compeer Program. For more information, email compeer@meimhc.org.