The following is a legislative update from Rep. Sharon Steckman of Mason City –
Next week is “Funnel Week” which means that bills have to be passed out of committee by March 3 or they die. (Certain funding bills are exempt from this rule.) So work will intensify as there is quite a stack of bills in such committees as State Government and Education. Since I serve on both, I have been busy with subcommittee meetings. The subcommittee must pass a bill in order for it to proceed to the full committee for consideration. Then, it is up to majority party leadership to decide if the bill will be voted on by the whole committee by March 3, and therefore, be allowed to proceed to the chamber floor for debate.
The result of this process is that many bills that have been proposed never come to the floor for debate. The public can go to the legislative website (www.legis.iowa.gov) and follow a bill’s progress as long as they know the bill’s number.
Currently, there are 71 bills that have been assigned to the Education committee. As of the 22nd, five bills were actually passed out of committee. While that is probably a good thing, it also means that next week will be very busy as proponents of various ideas push to have them stay alive.
Some bills have been introduced that concern me greatly.
Four counties in Iowa have recently increased the minimum wage but there is a bill (HF 295) supported by the majority party that will roll these increases back. All of the surrounding states except Wisconsin have increased their minimum wage and the last time Iowa did was in 2008. If this bill passes, it will mean all counties and cities will have a $7.25 minimum wage. HF 295 (the pre-emption bill) also does not allow counties or cities to enact environmental standards higher than the state’s.
Another bill that concerns me is HSB 138 which removes the boards and licensing requirements for funeral directors, respiratory and massage therapists, mental health counselors, athletic trainers, speech pathologists, hearing aid specialists, social workers, marital and family therapists and several others. Why would this be a good idea?
Education Savings accounts are also being proposed. SF 29 will create a voucher program that allows students to receive state tax dollars to attend private, religious or home schools and will cost about $200 million per year. These children already receive help from the state that goes toward tuition, transportation and textbooks to the tune of about $52 million per year. An outside interest group has stated that this bill is their top priority to get done in the Iowa legislature this year.
These are just three examples. I look forward to the end of funnel week with the hope that common sense will prevail.
Bill Eliminating Iowa Worker’s Rights Signed into Law
In just over a week, Republicans at the State Capitol unraveled 40 years of teachers, firefighters, law enforcement, and other working Iowans having a voice in their own workplace.
After the bill was signed in to law on Friday, a lawsuit was filed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) challenging the constitutionality of the legislation because it does not treat all public workers the same.
Written behind closed doors without input from Iowa workers, House File 291 guts public sector collective bargaining rights and returns working Iowans to a system where the political party in power has the right to decide the fate of all public employees. Under the new law, teachers, nurses, and other working Iowans are prohibited from discussing workplace conditions and how their job is done.
Last week, Republicans ignored the thousands of Iowans who showed up to the Capitol to make their concerns heard and refused to listen to the people who contacted them through email, phone, and in person at packed legislative forums. After it passed on Thursday, Governor Branstad signed the bill the next morning in a private ceremony closed to the public, but open to corporate-backed special interest lobbyists.
As the bill was fast tracked by Republicans, many bargaining units across the state quickly negotiated and approved new agreements before the new law took effect. Now that the bill has been signed, any contracts that were being negotiated and not completed must start over under the new provisions of the bill.
@ Curries, Amanda knows all about people like you, the rednecks and other crude people, who don’t appreciate her diligent efforts on behalf of our teachers and other dedicated public employees. We are very fortunate to have a state Senator who looks out for our teachers, who educate our children. Btw, I have it on reliable authority that she isn’t running for re-election to her Senate seat. She apparently plans to run for county Recorder, as Colleen is stepping down. You may not like Amanda, but in one capacity or another, she will continue to serve the citizens of north Iowa.
ok so your saying Ragan chicken’s out, good. I guess we are crude redneck’s then if that is how you and Amanda, you think. STFU. Go, Stevie, beat her butt!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hahahahahahaha Ragan you old loser, ok.
Heard the same thing, on Ragan, Minert to. She don’t know how to do nothing but take our money dole it out to her people. Sick and tired of her and she tells lies to people. This does mean me, and I hear others. If Amanda don’t get out Stevie will toss her out and this will be with our votes, yes.
Steckman’s one and only concern is how to get more money for her public school cronies and the teacher’s union that props her up.
No concern for us taxpayers at all. Shameful.
She sure eats at a lot of fancy restaurants. I think Stecky’s one of those fancy lib’s, you know, the rich ones who make a career out of things.
@ taxpayer, OMG, you must mean Sharon eats at the new Thai restaurant! Horrors! Doesn’t everybody know you cannot be a real Iowan if you eat at fancy places? OMG, OMG! Maybe Amanda also eats chinese food, or at the Prime ‘n Wine, OMG, OMG… this is jus sooooo un-American, right? You ignoramuses who think you can beat Sharon are wrong. She will win, especially if Barb Hovland runs again, as we have heard she will. Yes, you will probably get Mr. Harley Davidson in there next year, because of all the Neanderthals and bigoted hicks who populate Amanda’s Senate district. But that will be a shame, IMHO. People like you, tax, are why our country is failing. Go crawl under a rock with your guns and your bible, you foolish, low-class, Republitard jerk. Steckman and Ragan, for now, and forever.
There you have it folks. Now you know what Steckman and a retired fool from NIACC really think about Republicans and working people. That is exactly why they were beat in the last election and will be beat again in the next one.
I agree with your comment! We are just Bible toting 1st amendment gun nuts.
I want to know why tuition/education costs continue to rise when the consumer price index/inflation reveals basically zero inflation. That means the cost of doing business has not increased. So why should teachers continue to get pay increases during stagnant growth periods (last 9 years)? This idiot Steckman creates education problems. A vicious cycle. The same can be said about the medical industry. These two areas are consumers biggest drain on net income. Politicians who vote to approve a system of higher costs on these two items must GO! How dare you sling this BS into a BS pie. It still taste like BS. You idiot voters that fail to realize this is what is occurring can stay away from the ballot box cause you are probably not a contributor to the economy but a drain on it. I don’t care who originated it or is responsible for passing it but the recent bill diminishing collective bargaining rights was exactly the right thing to do. You are too stupid to remove the politics and see this mess for what it really is. Less kids in classes but more money to run the system. How stupid are you?
Great question’s. I will bet you never get a answer.
When you are in denial of the TRUTH you put your ignorance into play hopeing someone will believe your lies and deceit. Nice try! But I voted for Trump and honesty – not your corrupt so called democratic crap party.
Ignorance at its best in these comments
Still playing to her base. The spend sisters had their wings clipped and just can’t understand it.
No amount of education would have helped that ignorant & cowardly old goat.
More TRASH gone!
Trashy Democrat TROLL gone again.
Steckman won’t ever understand it, because she is unbeatable. But Amanda will get schooled next year, wait and see. She will learn her lesson when she gets her butt beat.
@ Curries, I think your right. Heard the other day Stevie Minert will run against this know-it-all bitch. Shes so scared the Demo’s have called a special meeting next week about it. About time to knock Amanda back to that kitchen on Monroe where she belongs. Ragan should of never got in, shes nothing but a professional politician. its time to throw her ass out.
Everyone is beatable at some time.
Funnel is right! !% sales tax goes to schools – $10,000 per year per student government/state funded – hell did you know the school boards can raise your property taxes whenever they wish ? Kids are dummied down with political correctness BS. Parents should have a voice in when and where their children go to school and not the fkn government establishment – Unions are against this because they are making millions off the largest union in America – That’s right dummy – the teachers government union along with the public servant sector unions which are bankrupting most states. Did you know Trump has cut the national DEBT by 12 BILLION dollars in his first month in office -Obummer increased it by 200 BILLION his first phony month in office. Government is corrupt and it will take TRUMP and company years to uncorrupt it. Foooy to you PHONY democrats and turncoat traitor republican elected officals. 2018 will be your corrupt election demise. BE GONE !
Where do you get your facts. I heard just the opposite.
Steckman has been a total waste. Bought and paid for with union money. She hasn’t accomplished anything since she was first elected. All she knows how to do is spend money.
Hey Steckman, are you ever going to represent anybody other then the the teachers? It is always all about money for schools.
How about reducing Iowa income taxes for a change and worrying about the po’folks? We spend enough on our schools. The school systems in Iowa need to reduce their spending and become effecient.