Week Three
This week was another busy one. There were many Iowa
City/Johnson County visitors at the Capitol this week.
This week I introduced legislation with 20 co-sponsors
to ensure that gift cards issued by retailers don’t
expire or have fees assessed to them. There
has been a lot of concern about the growing impact of
hidden fees and expiration dates on consumer gift cards.
This bill will ensure that gift cards receive full value
when consumers redeem them for products and services.
On Saturday I will be attending the annual meeting of
the Iowa Network for Community Agriculture in Cedar
Rapids.
A Typical Day
Someone recently asked me what a typical day looks like
at the Statehouse. There really is no such thing here, but
here is a rough approximation.
A typical day for me starts around 6 AM when I arrive
at the Statehouse. Early arrival provides the only
uninterrupted time to answer email, read the Press Citizen
on-line and prepare for the day’s activities. The
building begins to wake-up around 7 am with the start of
morning constituency group receptions. Typically two to
four groups are at the Capitol Monday-Thursday mornings. I
try to stop in to each of these to visit with any Iowa
City/Johnson County visitors.
The Senate gavels in at 8:45 am to start the day. This
is followed by appropriation sub-committee meetings that
meet from 10 am to noon Tuesday-Thursday. Lunch
is short. I eat in my office usually with the food I have
brought to the Capitol. There are frequently groups
hosting lunch hour receptions too. After lunch, standing
committees meet all afternoon.
Between receptions and meetings, there is the actual
business of legislating which includes talking to staff
and lobbyists, attending sub-committee meeting to discuss
bills, answering phone calls and email, assigning bills
and developing the agenda for the Ways and Means
committee, talking with colleagues about issues, attending
leadership meetings and caucusing with all my Senate
colleagues to plan and discuss our overall activities.
The topics also cover the waterfront. This week I was
in meetings with Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey
discussing our new farm to schools food program, a meeting
with Kevin Concannon and Dr. Allen Parks of the Department
of Human Services to discuss a new approach to mental
health crisis services, a subcommittee meeting to discuss
lower utility rates for low income Iowans, a
meeting with Jason Freidman of Iowa City and key
legislators working to develop a new microenterprise
development program for low income Iowans, three different
meetings discussing how to improve our state energy
efficiency programs and a couple of meetings to go over
the proposed universal health care legislation that will
soon be introduced.
Around 5 pm it is back to constituent group evening
receptions. This week each night had two to four different
groups hosting the Legislature around Des Moines. These
reception are frequently attended by Iowa City visitors.
As the session proceeds and debate increases, receptions
and events dwindle.
After evening receptions, I try to get home to rest up
and read any take-home bills and reports in preparation
for the next day. On Wednesday evening, a legislative
basketball game provides the one good opportunity to work
out during the week. It is also a great way to spend time
getting to know colleagues from the House.
Payday Lending Reform Still Needed
This week I did my first Point of Personal Privilege
(this is where any Senator can speak on the Senate floor
about any topic of interest) this session on the need for
the Legislature to address long overdue reform of the
abusive payday loan industry in Iowa. I
will soon introduce legislation lowering the interest rate
on these short term loans from 350 percent APR to 36
percent APR.
Listen to my point at http://www.iowasenatedemocrats.org/media/default.htm
Visitors This Week
 |
Sally Mason, President, University of Iowa |
|
Rebecca Neades, Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce |
|
Kristi Lohmeier, Outreach Coordinator, Iowa Policy
Project |
|
Karyl Bohnsack, Greater Iowa City Area Home Builders
Association |
|
Joan Tiemeyer, Greater Iowa City Area Home Builders
Association |
|
Al Dix, Hy-Vee, Store Manager, Iowa
City |
|
Bill Robertson, Hy-Vee, Store Manager, Iowa
City |
|
Scott Thompson, Hy-Vee, Store Manager, Iowa
City |
|
Tom Larkin, Senator Tom Harkin |
|
Bill Gerhard, President, State Building Trades
Association |
|
Art Schut, Executive Director, MECCA |
|
Christopher Squire, Chairman, Iowa Commission on
Tobacco Use and Control |
|
Ann Rhoades, University of Iowa, College of Nursing |
|
Kitty Buckwalter, Professor, University of Iowa,
College of Nursing |
|
Brian Kaskie, Assistant Professor, UI College of Public
Health |
|
Steve Spenler, Director, Johnson County Ambulance
Services |
|
Michael Kelly, Associate Professor, UI College of
Pharmacy |
|
Jason Friedman, Microenterprise Development Expert |
|
Jon Wieh, Kirkwood Community College |
|
Vicky Robrock, Transit Manager, Coralville |
Iowa’s Animal Fighting Law
This past week, the issue of strengthening Iowa’s
animal fighting law has been a topic of discussion. S.F.
2014 was introduced this session to strengthen the animal
fighting law in Iowa so that an individual who even
watches an animal fighting can be charged as a class
“D” felon. In the wake of the Michael Vick case, I am
very concerned about dog-fighting in Iowa.
S.F. 2014 and it’s companion bill in the House, H.F.
2005, would give law enforcement officials another tool to
help crack down on this activity.
Spectators at animal fights are knowing participants
who finance and support animal fighting. While Iowa
penalizes animal fighting as a felony offense, being a
spectator carries a much lower penalty. Raising the
penalties for knowing spectators is critical.
Animal fighting is violent, inhumane, and is often
associated with other illegal activities. I believe Iowa
needs strong laws to crack down on animal fighting. I will
support this legislation.
Steve Spenler, the director of Johnson County Ambulance
Service, was at the Iowa Statehouse on Thursday to talk
with legislators about the needs of Iowa’s EMS
professionals. Iowa’s professional and volunteer EMS
workers provide essential services to thousands of Iowans
each year. (01/31/08) Left to Right: Steve and Spenler and
Senator Joe Bolkcom. Credit: Rusty
Martin.
JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee
Meeting – Tuesday
The JCCOG Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee will
be meeting on Tuesday February 5, in the Iowa City
Planning and Community Development Conference Room (2nd
Floor of City Hall) at 4:00 pm.
The tentative agenda includes a discussion of future
Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee agenda items,
research into use of railroad right-of-way for trail
construction, updating the urbanized area trails map for
spring 2008, an update on Iowa City’s Bicycle Friendly
Communities application, an update on bicycle and
pedestrian counts on the regional trail system, an update
on FY09-FY10 JCCOG Transportation Enhancement Program
funding allocations, and an update on Johnson County
Trails Advisory Committee activities. For more
information, please contact Kent Ralston at (319) 356-5253
or kent-ralston@iowa-city.org
.
Beware of Costly Rapid Tax-Refund Loans
When you file your tax returns this season, I encourage
you to avoid Refund Anticipation Loans. These
are loans borrowed against your expected tax refund. You
may have money in your pocket a few days sooner, but
you’ll have to pay extremely high fees to borrow your
own money.
According to the Consumer Federation of America and the
National Consumer Law Center , interest on Refund
Anticipation Loans can range from about 40 percent to more
than 700 percent (Annual Percentage Rate). That’s
a lot to pay for an advance of just a few days.
While a Refund Anticipation Loan gets your refund to
you in 1 to 4 days, you can have your money in as little
as 7 days by e-filing and having your refund deposited
directly into your bank account.
A list of “Volunteer Income Tax Assistance” sites
and a list of “Tax Counseling for the Elderly” sites
is available at www.IowaAttorneyGeneral.org
. For more information, contact the Attorney General's
Consumer Protection Division at toll free 888-777-4590.
*
Interim Reports Issued
Several legislative committees met during the 2007
Interim. This week their reports were issued by the
Legislative Services Agency. You can view the reports
electronically or print them by accessing the interim
committees' Internet pages by clicking on any of the
links below and then clicking on the “Additional
Information” link:
Animal Feeding of Distillers Dried Grains Study
Committee http://www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/Committees/Committee.aspx?id=220
Legislative Commission on Affordable Health Care
Plans for Small Businesses and Families http://www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/Committees/Committee.aspx?id=208
Skilled Worker Shortage Study Committee http://www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/Committees/Committee.aspx?id=219
State Prison System Planning Study Committee
http://www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/Committees/Committee.aspx?id=214
TIME-21 Transportation Funding Study Committee
http://www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/Committees/Committee.aspx?id=210
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.iowasenatedemocrats.org
www.legis.state.ia.us
