The following is a legislative update from Democratic Rep. Sharon Steckman, serving her sixth term in the Iowa House, representing District 53 – the middle-third of Cerro Gordo county – in the Iowa Legislature:
Because this is funnel week, the schedule of subcommittee and committee meetings is crazy for today and Thursday, so I am writing most of this before going to my Wednesday Education meeting that will start at 1:00 and end who knows when. We have fourteen bills on the agenda. I will fill you in on what happens for the remainder of this week in my next newsletter.
On Thursday, I will have caucus, two bills in Natural Resources, two additional bills in Education (excited to say that one of them is mine), and the final State government meeting with eight bills to consider including the 1700 page realignment bill (which has 60 amendments to discuss).
I invite you to shadow me on February 28 and March 1 to give you an idea of what has been happening this week.
Tuesday began with the great opportunity to visit with students and teachers from NIACC who were here for Community College Day. I arranged for someone to take them to the Dome which is quite an experience! Natural Resources committee came next and we passed HF 449 relating to disabled persons being eligible to hunt with a crossbow.
Next, I went to State Government where we passed HF 265 dealing with midwifery – what they were authorized to do – especially with prescribing and administering drugs. After that, I worked with a subcommittee that dealt with part pf the Governor’s “realignment bill”. We proposed an amendment that would improve some of the language dealing with community colleges.
I then had the opportunity to talk with Kelli Gerdes from Mason City who was visiting the Capitol for Iowa Public Health Day.
Taking advantage of a few minutes available, I did a brief review of all bills assigned to Education (65 as of now, (a RECORD NUMBER), looking at where each of them was in the process to help determine what was likely to survive the first funnel. They have to be passed out of committee by the end of the week. I also touched base with other members who had served on subcommittees for the bills that are or will be on the agendas over the next two days.
Late afternoon, I was saddened by the release of HJR 8, a bill that proposes an Iowa Constitutional amendment that would end gay marriage in Iowa. I could not help but remember the Iowa Supreme Court decision that happened during my very first session in the legislature that legalized gay marriage in Iowa and how proud I was of my state! I also thought about all of the positive phone calls, texts and social media posts from Iowans living out of state that I received.
I then enjoyed a great tension-reliever – went out to dinner and conversation with members of my caucus. We try to do that once per week. It helps! I am honored to work with such dedicated public servants.
This morning (Wednesday), I attended several Education subcommittee meetings for bills that will then be voted on in the full committee this afternoon…a very short time lag between the sub and the committee passage. I expect today’s meeting to run late into the evening.
While this week has been super busy, it is also very representative of the pace of this year’s session. It remains to be seen how much Iowa will be changed by what is done in this 90th Assembly.
First Legislative Deadline: Listening and Leading with Iowa Values
The Iowa Legislature hit the half-way mark of the 2023 session this week. It’s also the first legislative deadline, known as the “funnel”, which helps narrow down the number of bills eligible for debate as lawmakers approach adjournment in April.
With a host of divisive bills brought up by the Governor this year, Iowans have been strongly engaged this session on a host of issues like vouchers and reproductive freedom. The common theme heard by state lawmakers thus far: Iowans are exhausted and fed up with all the politics at the State Capitol.
Democratic lawmakers remain committed to listening to Iowans and working hard to improve lives. That means putting aside politics, leading with Iowa values, and listening through our disagreements to do what’s best for Iowans.
Here are just a few priorities, from the People Over Politics agenda Iowa House Democrats will be working on as we approach the midway point of session:
Lowering costs for Iowans
Investing in public schools
Protecting reproductive freedom
Legalizing marijuana
Look for a complete wrap-up of what bills were cut and what is moving forward, in next week’s newsletter.
Make Iowa a Welcoming Place for All
Iowa lawmakers should be working to protect kids and make Iowa a welcoming place where people want to raise their family.
Instead, GOP lawmakers have sponsored a record 29 different anti-LGBTQ+ bills this year, that only makes Iowa unwelcoming.
After 14 years of marriage equality, one of the bills introduced just this week would ban gay marriage in the State of Iowa. Other anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced:
– book bans that deny kids opportunities to learn about themselves
– forcing teachers to “out’ students to their parents, potentially putting students in danger
– taking away the ability of parents to make healthcare decisions for their child
– censor public schools from providing age appropriate and research-based information, as well as talking about LGBTQ+ families
– stripping away civil rights protections for some of our fellow Iowans
– vouchers that strike right at the heart of our storied history of strong public schools
These ideas and the headlines being pushed out of the Statehouse this year are doing the exact opposite of making Iowa a welcoming place for all. It isn’t just about keeping the next generation in Iowa, but the unwelcoming message also makes it more difficult for Iowa to attract workers when we’re facing a shortage of skilled workers.
House Democrats are committed to erasing the hate and are working to protect Iowa kids. Sign our petition now at bit.ly/3mgOhkk to tell Iowa GOP lawmakers we won’t go back and that marriage equality is here to stay.
Majority Party Cuts Food Assistance for Kids, Seniors
Currently, 300,000 Iowans are facing food insecurity, and one-third of that number are children. Food banks across the state have seen a massive influx of people needing food assistance, many who have never had to utilize these services before.
Instead of making sure Iowans have basic needs, like food, nearly 40 members of the Majority Party have sponsored a bill that would actually take away food from some of Iowa’s most vulnerable population, including children and seniors.
House File 3, which passed the Health and Human Services committee this week, has several provisions that restrict access to not only food, but also medical services. The bill would kick people off the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by implementing an asset limit. This means that if a family has two vehicles used to get to and from work, one of those vehicles could count against the asset limit. Vehicles are often essential towards maintaining employment, especially in the rural parts of the state.
By including this asset test, the Majority Party is discouraging people from establishing a savings account for emergencies and would actually be keeping Iowans in poverty, not helping them out of it.
While lawmakers supporting the proposal claim it is to balance the state budget, SNAP is 100% federally funded, with a 50-50 cost share program for administration. Also, the number of Iowans using the SNAP benefits is at a 14-year low.
More people could get access to food by raising the federal poverty level from 160% to 200%, and have access to better healthcare by extending Medicaid postpartum care to one year. House Democrats support these initiatives and believe that lawmakers should be working together to protect Iowa kids this session, not punishing those who need food or health care.
Eminent Domain Changes Advances in the House; Future Uncertain
Changes to the regulation and siting of carbon pipelines were passed by the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee this week.
House File 368 requires landowners of at least 90% of the miles affected by a carbon pipeline route to agree to easements before a pipeline company can consider asking to use eminent domain, which is the ability to condemn land for just compensation, to complete the project. A permit for a carbon pipeline cannot be issued until all pipeline rules for safety are updated and the pipeline company has obtained all other applicable federal, state, and local permits. The bill also expands on damages that a landowner can recover from a pipeline company if the pipeline impacts the land.
Proponents of the bill believe that this legislation strikes a balance between land owner rights and eminent domain use. Some opponents of the bill are concerned the bill does not go far enough, and others are concerned that the bill still does not have sufficient protections for the environment.
While the bill now goes to the House Floor for consideration by the full House, its future is uncertain. The Governor and Senate GOP leaders have said there will be no changes to Iowa’s current eminent domain laws this year.
Firearms Bill Restricts Private Business Property Rights
This week, the House Public Safety Committee could consider legislation stating government and private business owners must allow their employees to carry, transport, or possess concealed firearms in their locked personal vehicle while on the premises, such as daycares.
The bill also allows parents to keep a firearm in their vehicle while on school property when picking up or dropping off their student; permits authorized school bus drivers to keep weapons or ammunition in the school’s vehicle’s passenger compartment while transporting students; and prohibits community colleges and state universities from banning firearms in vehicles on campus property.
Similar legislation has been introduced during previous sessions, but has never passed due to concerns over private property rights and increased insurance costs. HSB 173 would require insurance companies to provide liability insurance to schools having firearms on the premises, which will increase property taxes to offset public schools’ increased insurance costs.
Last year, Iowa House Democrats voted against legislation that allowed guns in schools and promoted background checks.
Thank you for doing your job. Too bad the Majority party doesn’t listen to all their constituents rather than just a few. Let’s hope passing bills just because they can will come back to bite them in the butt.