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Greetings!
Will there or won't there be a two year budget? Governor Branstad is insisting on a two year budget. Wednesday, the Senate had a press conference offering a compromise on the issue. The budget reform compromise calls for the Legislature to approve a full budget for the upcoming fiscal year and a 50 percent budget for the following fiscal year. Under this plan, the Legislature would take action during the 2012 session to determine the final funding level for the FY13 budget.
In another divisive move, Gov Branstad vetoed two sections (the EITC and bonus depreciation sections) of SF 209 yesterday. That bill made supplemental appropriations to cover the state's indigent defense bills, support for state agencies and tax provisions important to Republican and Democratic legislators. The deal took more than a month to hammer out in a House and Senate conference committee. It included a "taxpayer relief fund" to be filled by up to $60 million in surplus revenues, a "bonus depreciation" provision and an expansion of the earned income tax credit to help families earning up to $45,000 per year. House Republicans did not want the earned income tax credit expansion and wanted a larger bonus depreciation tax break. Senate Democrats initially opposed putting surpluses into a new fund designated for tax cut.
On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed an amendment to HF 645, the Education appropriations bill. The amendment strikes all the House bill language and appropriations and replaces it with the entire amendment. So, once again the House and Governor's proposal for preschool scholarships is taken out of the bill. The Senate also appropriates more dollars than the house for Early Childhood Iowa line items. (see chart from previous update)
On April 25th, we should see the Senate amendment to HF 649, HHS appropriations. We expect to see some changes to funding levels for many programs.
April 29th is the 110th day of legislative session - the last day that legislators are able to receive per diem. It is looking like we may be in session into May. There is even talk of a special session! I guess all we can do is wait and see what happens.
Have a nice weekend!
Stay in touch ~
Sheila
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Federal Update
|  Federal BudgetHouse GOP Budget Takes Trillions from Children and Families, Gives Trillions to Millionaires and Corporations The House Republican budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2012 and beyond, approved by the House last week, increases tax breaks for millionaires and corporations while slashing Medicaid, Medicare, and other programs vital to women and children. For more information on the House GOP Budget for FY 2012, check out what NWLC has prepared here. Also, see Carrie's article on the right for the contact information for your US Senators and Representative. Take time to email them or attend a town hall meeting and speak up on behalf of children and their families. |
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Bills of Interest
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SF 525 - Reorganizing the state mental health system in Human Services Committee. Update - passed Senate on 4/20.
SF 404 - -An act relating to health information technology. Passed Senate March 15th.
SF 295 - An Act relating to donation of newborn umbilical cord blood. Subcommittee, Bolkcom, Boettger, and Jochum. Passed Senate on March 14th.
SF 31 - An Act increasing the amount of the earned income tax credit and including retroactive applicability provisions. Passed out of subcommittee on 2/10.
SF 113 - pay day loan institutions - reducing interest rate to 36%. Passed Subcommittee 2/24. On to full Committee
SF 482 - makes proposed technical changes. Includes provisions on child care resource and referral agencies. Sent to Governor for signature. SF 508 - An Act relating to state and local financial matters by revising certain appropriations and appropriating federal funds made available from federal block grants and other non state sources, allocating portions of federal block -passed both Houses
HF 645 - An Act relating to the funding of, the operation of, and appropriation of moneys to the college student aid commission, the department for the blind, the department of education.
HF 649 - An Act relating to and making appropriations for health and human services and including other related provisions and appropriations, and including effective, retroactive, and applicability date provisions
NEW:
HF 626 - An Act relating to county and state responsibilities for mental health, mental retardation, and developmental disabilities services for adults and children, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions.
 Bills Signed By Governor:
HF 562 - an act relating to the child abuse registry. 4/6/11
HF 45 - An Act relating to public funding and regulatory matters and making, reducing, and transferring appropriations and revising fund amounts and including effective, retroactive, and other applicability date provision. 3/1/11. SF 209 - increases the state earned income tax credit, creates a new tax relief fund, coupling and bonus depreciation language. Governor vetoed portions of bill. 4/21. |
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Quote
"All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward."
Ellen Glasgow
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Child Health Update
by Carrie Fitzgerald
The Des Moines Register has run several editorials this week on health care issues. Today's editorial: America must honor promise to help poor focuses on the threat to Medicaid in terms of making it a block grant to states. Andie Dominick, the editorial writer, gathered background information from CFPC and the Iowa Fiscal Partnership's background piece on Medicaid block-grants.
As you know, last week the House of Representatives passed Representative Paul Ryan's budget resolution last week. The resolution passed 235-189, with no House Democrats supporting its passage. Just four House Republicans, none of them from Iowa opposed the bill
CFPC is working with our national partners on what the impact of this budget would be in Iowa.
See this sign-on letter to House leaders on holding children harmless in the budget. The letter was delivered to House leadership last week and includes the signatures of over a dozen Iowa groups.
More helpful information on what this budget would do to Medicaid and Medicare can be found here: Families USA budget report that looks at the impact on health care coverage
Also, see this report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Chairman Ryan Gets Nearly Two-Thirds of His Huge Budget Cuts From Programs for Lower-Income Americans
Please consider contacting your member of Congress while they are home on recess and talking with them about this bill, or send them an email: Congressman Boswell town hall meeting schedule Representative Braley Town Hall Meetings
Congressman King - contact information
Congressman Latham - contact information
Contact Representative Loebsack
Senator Grassley town hall meetings
Contact Senator Tom Harkin
As always, thank you for your interest and support on health care issues in Iowa.
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______________________ _______________________ Improving the Odds for Young ChildrenImproving the Odds for Young Children shines a spotlight on state variation in the policy commitment to low-income young children and families. The result is a unique, state-by-state picture of the population of young children and the policy choices that states make across a range of services. The project provides state-specific and national profiles that integrate data about an array of policies that affect early childhood development. These policies fall into three categories: health and nutrition, early care and learning, and parenting and economic supports. Descriptions of the policies and the research base for their effectiveness can be found in the User Guide to the State Early Childhood Profiles. Check out Iowa here.
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