March 5, 2010

Week Eight
Visitors to the Capitol this week
Iowa Senate takes another step toward ensuring accessible, affordable health care
Protecting education and Iowans’ other key priorities
Senate moves to protect families threatened by domestic violence
First-in-the-nation reforms protect Iowa elections and voters
New protections for credit card users
Compeer “Sound of Friendship” concert – Saturday

Week Eight

What a week. This week marked another legislative funnel. Many bills have died and some remain on life support. We are scheduled to adjourn on March 31. Here is an article from the Des Moines Register today on what is likely dead for the session.

The Senate took up the latest round of health care legislation this week. Senate File 2356 was a modest attempt to prepare for federal reform. Unfortunately, we did not make much progress. An amendment was approved that stripped out provisions that would have allowed families between 200 and 300 percent of poverty to buy into the state Medicaid program once federal financial help arrives. Unfortunately, these working families will continue to be thrown to the private health insurance market that is both unaffordable and broken. It would have created important public health insurance reform. The bill does improve funding to the UIHC for the Iowa Care program and begins to establish a basic statewide Iowa Care provider network.

View some of the debate at Video: Clips from Senate debate on health care. See the bill details below.

Last week, I reported that the Senate passed SF 2316, a bill to prevent future flood damage to communities and farms by better managing our flood plains. The very modest bill squeaked by on a vote of 26-20. Senator Rob Hogg (D-Cedar Rapids) has championed this effort in response to the 2008 Iowa floods. This week the bill was pronounced dead in the Iowa House. See who opposed the bill. As we continue to struggle with 2008 flood recovery and with spring flooding predicted throughout Iowa, this is an amazingly short-sighted defeat.

Next week we will introduce corporate tax credit reform legislation.

Visitors to the Capitol this week

Tim Krumm, Attorney.
Bill Sueppel Jr., Attorney.
Lonny Pulkrabek, Johnson County Sheriff.
Janelle Rettig, Johnson County Supervisor.
Pat Harney, Johnson County Supervisor.
Sally Stutsman, Johnson County Supervisor.
Rod Sullivan, Johnson County Supervisor.
Doug Beardsley, Director, Johnson County Department of Public Health.
R. J. Moore, Johnson County Planning Department.
Bill Greasel, Johnson County Assessor.

Iowa Senate takes another step toward ensuring accessible, affordable health care

On March 1, the Iowa Senate approved the next step in state efforts to make health care more affordable and accessible to all Iowans.

The legislation:
** Creates a Regional Provider Network so more Iowans in need can receive primary care closer to home.

** Establishes an Iowa Exchange, an information clearinghouse that makes it easier for individuals and small business employees to compare insurance plans using transparent, standardized information that includes data on quality.

** Helps rural hospitals by requiring that they finally be reimbursed for emergency services and other uncompensated care when the IowaCare program is expanded. Ultimately, this will protect health care facilities and jobs in rural communities.

** Establishes guidelines for using potential federal health care funding.

Protecting education and Iowans’ other key priorities

The Senate moved this week to protect key priorities by investing an additional $51.2 million in public safety, education and public health.

Legislation approved this week includes an additional $30 million for three state universities and an additional $6 million for community colleges for the current fiscal year.

At the same time, we are continuing to develop next year’s education spending plan, which will be even tighter due to the lingering national recession. Though cuts must be made in all areas of state government, we will continue to invest as much as possible in increasing student achievement and other key priorities.

I’m disappointed with the cuts in education spending because I believe educational opportunity is essential for a successful future for Iowa’s children and for our state as a whole.

When the national economy begins to improve, I’ll push hard to restore education funding. Great local schools and colleges are necessary for Iowa to build a strong, diversified economy that creates more good-paying jobs.

Senate moves to protect families threatened by domestic violence

Since 1995, guns have been used in more than half of all Iowa murders involving domestic abuse. Fifty-four percent of women killed by an intimate partner were shot; 50 percent of men killed by an intimate partner were shot; and 57 percent of children and bystanders killed in domestic violence attacks were shot.

Recently, the Iowa Senate acted to protect families by making these types of tragedies involving guns and domestic abuse less likely. On a bipartisan vote, the Iowa Senate approved SF 2357, conforming Iowa law to federal law. I supported this legislation.

Here are the main provisions of the SF 2357:

** It prohibits a person from possessing a firearm if they have a domestic abuse protective order against them or have a criminal conviction for domestic abuse.

** A person will be disqualified from possessing a firearm only after they’ve had notice of a hearing and the opportunity to be heard. A temporary order prohibiting the possession of firearms may not be issued.

** Mere acquaintances cannot seek a civil domestic abuse protective order. The law allows only a limited group of persons to apply for civil domestic abuse protective orders. For example, the parties must be married, living together, have a minor child together or have a lengthy romantic relationship.

** The civil domestic abuse protective order lasts for one year only. The order could be extended, but only after there has been notice and another hearing.

** Either party may petition the court to terminate the protective order.

** When a civil domestic abuse protective order expires, an individual regains the right to possess firearms.

** Any temporary protective order issued by the court must include notice to the defendant that he or she might lose their right to possess firearms.

** A person who has lost the right to possess firearms may sell or transfer their firearms to another person. Otherwise, firearms will be held by the county sheriff or a local law enforcement agency.

Read the full bill at http://tiny.cc/SF2357.

For more information, go to the Iowa Attorney General’s Web site at http://tiny.cc/IowaAG_guns_DV.

First-in-the-nation reforms protect Iowa elections and voters

The Iowa Senate voted March 1 to make our state the first in the nation to protect elections from unregulated cash from big corporations and shadowy organizations.

Iowa is known as a place where all citizens decide who’s elected, not just the wealthy and powerful. But the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC threatened change that reputation.

By ruling that corporations and unions have the same political free speech rights as you and I, the U.S. Supreme Court effectively erased all rules and limits on corporate spending in political campaigns.

Iowa’s reputation for elections that focus on issues that matter to hard-working families is now at risk. In response, we are strengthening our laws to prevent a flood of anonymous, negative advertisements funded by big corporations.

Senate File 2354, which passed the Senate 49-1, will ensure that Iowans have a clearer picture of how big corporations attempt to influence our elections. It will require a corporation to:

** Add “paid for by” statements—including the name of the corporation or union—on all published and electronic communications.

** Have authorization from its board of directors (or similar leadership body) before spending money to advocate for or against a candidate.

** File regular electronic reports with the Campaign Finance Disclosure Board and also report within 48 hours of making of an independent expenditure.

** Not share an advertising firm or consultant with a candidate or ballot issue committee that benefits from the corporation’s independent expenditures.

I supported this legislation. The legislation now goes to the Iowa House.

New protections for credit card users

A new federal law expands consumer protections to Iowans who use credit cards. Here are some important aspects of the law:

** Card issuers may not increase rates retroactively on existing balances, unless you are 60 days late on a payment.

** Card issuers may not raise your interest rate if you are late paying on another company’s bill.

** Card companies must provide more billing information, including how long it would take to pay off your balance if you only make minimum payments.

** Credit card companies must give you 45 days notice of any significant changes in your card terms.

** The interest rate on a new card cannot be increased in the first 12 months unless an introductory rate has expired or if you have a variable interest rate card.

** Credit cards will not be as available to persons under 21.

** Companies may no longer offer free items to students to get them to sign up for a card on or around a campus or at college-sponsored events

Compeer “Sound of Friendship” concert – Saturday, March 6th

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.