Every Child Counts Newsletter
Legislative Update
March 27, 2009 |
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Legislative Term of the Week:
Point of Personal Privilege: A procedure that allows a member to make personal comments on any subject while a chamber is in session.
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Quote of the Week:
"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals." -Martin Luther King, Jr
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From NACCRRA : We CAN Do Better: 2009 Update examined state child care center licensing regulations and the oversight of those regulations. Iowa ranks 46th in oversight and 37th in Standards. Click here for the Iowa report. (pages 78-79) _________________ New Report from Iowa Policy Project
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| Greetings! |
| The pace really picked up this week at the Capitol. Leadership in both Chambers are still saying that the Legislature will adjourn early. The original date for adjournment was May 1st, now they are shooting for April 10th. Because of this new date, both Chambers moved up the second funnel date to the week of March 23rd. The original date for the second funnel week was April 10th. If you remember we just had our first funnel date a couple of weeks ago. This unofficial funnel date means that House bills are to be reported out of Senate committees and Senate bills out of House Committees by the end of this week.
The Governor is expected to release a new budget as of next week. He has 14 days from the REC estimate to issue a revised budget. Democratic leaders have now released revised targets for the Appropriations SubCommittees, moving $328 million under the Governor's original budget for 2010. Here are the targets:
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Governor 2009 |
Legislative 2009 |
Governor 2010 |
Legislative 2010 |
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Administration & Regulation |
$96.7 million |
$97.5 million |
$90.7 million |
$86.0 million |
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Agriculture & natural Resources |
$51.5 million |
$51.5 million |
$41.6 million |
$39.4 million |
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Economic Development |
$48.2 million |
$48.2 million |
$47.6 million |
$45.0 million |
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Education |
$1.270 Billion |
$1.270 Billion |
$969.3 million |
$909.8 million |
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Health & Human Services |
$1.270 Billion |
$1.224 Billion |
$1.490 Billion |
$1.367 Billion |
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Justice Systems |
$687.9 million |
$685.9 million |
$708.5 million |
$664.6 million |
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Standings |
$2.670 Billion |
$2.671 Billion |
$2.883 Billion |
$2.691 Billion |
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Total |
$6.095 Billion |
$6.049 Billion |
$6.231 Billion |
$5.803 Billion |
We expect to see the Education Appropriations bill on Monday and the HHS Appropriations bill sometime next week. The Education Approps Committee is scheduled to meet on Monday at 3:00. I haven't seen a date yet for the HHS Approps meeting.
Democrats also unveiled a tax plan on Thursday. The proposal under consideration calls for revamping the state's antiquated income tax system and funneling the money this change generates into middle-class tax cuts.
The Legislative Services Agency said the plan would reduce total income tax liability, on average, for those earning $125,000 or less. Taxes would go up, on average for those earning more. The average savings based on adjusted gross income would be:
Iowans who earn $0 to $10,000: -$3,86
$10,001 to $20,000: -22.15
$20,001 to $30,000: -$35.57
$30,001 to $40,000: -$35.28
$40,001 to $50,000: -$38.82
$50,001 to $60,000: -$39.87
$60,001 to $70,000: -$51.53
$70,001 to $80,000: -$58.84
$80,001 to $90,000: -$62.66
$90,001 to $100,000: -$58.82
$100,001 to $125,000: -$19.90
$125,001 to $150,000: $45.55
$150,001 to $175,000: $131.28
$175,0001 to $200,000: $199.06
$200,001 to $250,000: $261.44
$250,001 or more: $1,377.28
I expect it to be a very interesting next couple of weeks and I will do my best to keep you up to date as this historic Legislative session wraps up.
Enjoy the Update ~
Sheila |
| The Federal Update |
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More Early Childhood Hearings
Last week, Helen Blank, National Women's Law Center, and Danielle Ewen, Director of Child Care and Early Education at the Center for Law and Social Policy, had the opportunity to testify before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies on the essential role of Head Start and Early Head Start and the importance of investing in these programs. J.B. Pritzker, founder of the J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation, testified before the subcommittee about early care and education as well.
Download their testimony before the Committee:
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Bills
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 Early Childhood and School Readiness
HF 7- An Act establishing a parental involvement grant program and making an appropriation. Referred to Education. Subcommittee, Abdul-Samad, Bukta,and Sweeney. Subcommittee passed bill on 1/21. STATUS - Referred to Approps
HF 562 - STATE CHILD CARE ADVISORY COUNCIL -Requires one of the seven members of the Council on Human Services to be a member of the Child Care Advisory Council. Makes changes to the membership on the council, including that a slot for an unregistered child care home provider be for a "family, friend, and neighbor child care" provider. Identifies four additional slots for the advisory council (business, from nominees by the Chamber of Commerce executives, community empowerment office, and Iowa after-school alliance, the statewide preschool program for four-year-old children). Allows the council to advise the DHS on additional matters, including the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant and other funding sources. Requires the DHS to give the council various financial information. Requires the council to make reports to the DHS and the Governor. Introduced by Representative Petersen, et al. Passed House on 3/19. UPDATE - Passed Senate Human Resources Committee on 3/25.
SF 414 - An Act providing for a pilot project supporting high=quality child care for low=income children. Introduced by Senator Bolkcom. Referred to Human Resources. Subcommittee, Bolkcom (C), Boettger , Schmitz . Passed Senate. UPDATE - passed House Human Resources Committee on 3/25.
HF 703 - An Act relating to preschool support provided through school ready children grants under the community empowerment initiative. UPDATE - passed House. Referred to Senate Education Committee. Subcommittee, Schmitz, Appel, and Boettger
HF 754 -(formerly HF 419) - An Act relating to regulation of child care by the department of human services by providing for licensing of child development homes, establishing a regulatory fee and appropriating the fee proceeds, making penalties applicable, and providing effective dates. Subcommittee, Mascher, Petersen and Soderberg. Passed Human Resources Committee. UPDATE - Referred to Appropriations Committee.
HF 739 (formerly HF 565) - An Act providing for a state research and development prekindergarten through grade twelve school. Passed out of Education Committee on 3/11. STATUS- Referred to Appropriations. Subcommittee, Cohoon, Huseman, and Wenthe
HF 576 - An Act relating to the criteria used for selection of school districts for participation in the statewide preschool program for four=year=old children and providing effective and applicability dates Child Well-being and Development
SF 389- An Act relating to health care, health care providers, and health care coverage, providing for appropriations, providing penalties, and providing retroactive and other effective dates. Has many divisions. The purpose of the chapter is to ensure that all children and all other Iowans in the state have affordable, quality health care coverage, and to decrease health care costs and health care coverage costs. Passed Senate. UPDATE - Passed House Human Resources Committee with MAJOR Amendments to divisions other than the divisions dealing with children.
HF 382 - A study bill relating to the public health system by providing for the voluntary accreditation of certain public health agencies, the adoption of Iowa public health standards, the establishment of an accreditation data collection system, creating a fund, and providing for a penalty and an effective date. 1-29-09. Passed House Human Resources Committee. UPDATE - Referred to Appropriations.
HF 588 - An Act creating an excise tax on paint, primer, and speciality finish and directing moneys to fund the childhood lead poisoning prevention program. Introduced, referred to Ways & Means
Family Economic Success
An Act relating to individual development accounts available to certain persons with low income and providing effective and applicability date provisions. Passed House. UPDATE: Senate Human Resources Committees on 3/25.
HF 636- STATE CHILD & DEPENDENT CARE CREDIT (Sands) Increases the income level before the state child & dependent care credit ends to $50,000, and increases the other income thresholds. UPDATE - Passed out of Ways and Means Subcommittee on 3/25.
SSB 1307 -A study bill for an act relating to the regulation of delayed deposit service businesses. Referred to Ways and Means. Subcommittee: Stewart, Bolkcom, Feenstra UPDATE: Passed Senate Ways and Means Committee on 3/25.
Other Bills of Interest
SF 137 - An Act providing that wage discrimination is an unfair employment
practice under the Iowa civil rights Act and providing an enhanced remedy. UPDATE - House passed but with an amendment so it will have to return to the Senate. The Senate approved the bill originally 32-18
SF 264 - A study bill for an act concerning the appointment of members to local boards, commissions, committees, and councils. UPDATE - Passed House on 3/18.
HF 769 - (formerly HSB 268) - ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS (Education) Requires the state universities and community colleges to develop a statewide articulation system for an associate or bachelor of applied science. Requires the Regents to accept up to 80 hours of credit from a community college transfer. Requires the agreement to include the general education courses needed and a guarantee that an associates degree from a community college is fully transferable. Requires an appeal process and annual reviews. UPDATE - passed House. Referred to Senate Education Committee.
Bills Signed by the Governor
An Act relating to disaster assistance by providing a jumpstart
housing assistance program, disaster aid individual assistance grants, and community disaster grants, making appropriations, and providing effective and retroactive applicability dates. Signed by Governor Culver on 2/2.
SF 101- Establishing a shaken baby syndrome prevention program in the department of public health. Signed by Governor on 3/5. |
| Legislative Forums |
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Please take the time to attend a community forum in your area. Legislators hold these forums during the legislative session so they can hear from their constituents back home. They realize that it isn't always feasible to travel to the State Capitol to visit with them, so they want you to share your thoughts and views on issues during these forums. It is a great opportunity to get to know them and hear their views on issues, also.
March 28th
Aurora
Rep. Ficken
9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Aurora Library
401 Woodruff Street
Des Moines
Rep. Janet Petersen
9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Northwest Community Center
5110 Franklin Avenue
Davenport
Scott County legislators
10:30 AM
3"" floor of the Rogalski Center, St. Ambrose University Campus
518 West Locust Street
Fort Dodge
Webster Co. Area Legislators
8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
ICCC Career Education Building, Rooms 108 and 110
Maquoketa
Rep. Schueller
9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Maquoketa City Hall
201 East Pleasant Street
Oskaloosa
8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Rep. Palmer
Smokey Row
109 South Market Street
Iowa City
Johnson Co. Legislators
9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Emma Harvat Hall
Iowa City | |
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