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News from Every Child Counts
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3/23/12
On March 22nd, the Governor signed legislation that changes terminology references to mental retardation in the Iowa Code. SF2247 calls for replacing the words "mental retardation" and "mentally retarded" with "intellectual disability" throughout state laws. The change would be consistent with a 2008 amendment to the Iowa Constitution to modernize language. The legislation is part of a national campaign (www.r-word.org) to "Spread the word to end the word" in hopes of ending the use of the "r word."
HF 2435 (HHS budget bill) is still waiting to be brought up for debate in the House. There are lots of rumors floating around as to why it has been sitting for so long without debate. The Senate may decide to go ahead and introduce their own bill instead of waiting for the House to send one over.
HF 2380 (education reform) was debated last week. There was an amendment offered by House Democrats to increase the number of instructional hours in preschool from 10 to 15 hours that passed but there was no additional funding included for this. There were around 40 amendments offered by Democrats and the Republicans did accept several of them. Some of the items included in the bill are:
-Providing a path to allow for competency-based learning programs where students progress at their own pace,
meeting proficiency when they are ready.
-Assessments (including kindergarten) for student achievement, including creating value-added measurements to track a student's growth and progress, not just focusing on where they are at any one particular point in time.
-Providing support to teachers by freeing principles to lead with school administration managers and allowing principals to annually evaluate teachers, giving them support to improve.
-Ensuring high-quality teachers
-Bringing additional innovation to the classroom and the district
-Retention of 3rd graders
We are hearing that the Senate does not plan to take up the House bill and will move their own reform bill (SF 2284) sometime in the next couple of weeks. The bill is currently in the Appropriations Committee so it is still alive. Then the question is whether or not the House will take up the Senate bill once it passes the Senate (assuming it does pass). There will need to be some kind of an agreement between leadership in both Chambers and the Governor so a bill can be passed eventually before April 17th (the 100th and last day of session).
Both chambers and parties continue to discuss mental health reform. SF 2312 passed the Senate on 3/12. The House passed an amended version of SF 2312 out of Committee on 3/22. The House added a mechanism similar to the school aid formula in order to provide stable funding (according to the House) for MHDS services over the long term. The big difference between the two Chambers is funding.
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is still being held hostage. After passing (for the third time in two years) unanimously in the Senate a few weeks ago, the House is yet to bring it up for discussion.
The EITC is recognized across the political spectrum as an effective strategy for preventing thousands of working Iowans from falling into poverty. This is one of the many reasons why it is so incomprehensible that the Governor vetoed it twice last year and the House won't bring it up for debate this year. We will continue to push House Leadership and the Governor to give hard working Iowans a much deserved tax break!!!!
We attended a subcommittee last week on a bill that would eliminate the refundability of the Research Activities Credit. This credit provides millions of dollars to corporations that may already not owe any income taxes to begin with. The credit is to help do research that they should already be doing because it is in the best interest of their corporation.The lobbyists for the big corporations and associations (with big corporations as members) showed up in full force against this bill. They stated that they would up and leave Iowa if these checks were no longer available to them. This credit has very little research (no pun intended) that it actually makes a difference to these corporations. Also, until very recently, the credit was confidential - the public couldn't even find out who received the checks from our state government. One particular recipient, received a check for 11 million dollars. They also reported around 2.7 billion (yes billion) in net income. Do they really need a check for 11 million when we continue to cut education funding? That 11 million could go a long way for a line item in the education budget.........
I guess my point is - why do we continue to give huge amounts of dollars with little accountability to a few companies that make huge profits but our state can't commit to even debating a bill which would help 266,557 children-37 percent of all children in Iowa and their families that make less than $45,000 a year?On that note, we will wrap this up and wish you a nice weekend!
Sincerely,
Sheila Hansen & Danielle Oswald-Thole
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US House Budget Chairman Ryan
Releases Budget for 2013
 House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's budget plan would get at least 62 percent of its $5.3 trillion in nondefense budget cuts over ten years (relative to a continuation of current policies) from programs that serve people of limited means. This stands a core principle of President Obama's fiscal commission on its head and violates basic principles of fairness. Not much has changed on this front from Chairman Ryan's fiscal year 2012 budget plan released a year ago. Read the rest of the article from our friends at Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
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Bills of Interest
 Quality Early Care and Education HF 2380 (ed reform) - A study bill for an act relating to programs and activities under the purview of the department of education, the state board of education, the board of educational examiners, school districts, and accredited nonpublic schools; and providing for the retention of certain fees and for the use of certain funds. Update - 3/13 Passed House, 53 -46 . Sent to Senate.SF 2219 - A bill for an act relating to the continuation of the Iowa early intervention block grant program and including effective date provisions. Passed Education Committee on 2/15. This bill deals with class size and literacy programs (not Early ACCESS). Passed Senate 26-24 on 2/27. Update - Passed House Appropriations with amendment. Read Fiscal Note for good explanation of House intentions for this bill.
SF 2321 (formerly SSB 3172)- A study bill for 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, and the state board of regents, and providing effective date provisions. Update - 3/19 Passed Senate 26-24. Referred to House Approps. Committee amendment filed on 3/22 Read amendment H-8327.
SF 2284 (ed reform)- A bill for an act relating to programs and activities under the purview of the department of education, the state board of education, the board of educational examiners, the state board of regents, school districts, and accredited nonpublic schools; and providing for the retention of certain fees and for the use of certain funds. Update - assigned to approps. Subcommittee, Schoenjahn, Boettger, Dvorsky, Hogg, and Kettering. Fiscal Note can be read here.
Child Health and Well-Being
HF 2226 - A study bill relating to child abuse reports and disposition data. Passed House - currently assigned to Senate Human Resources Committee
HF 2283 -An Act relating to the Iowa health information network, providing for fees, and including effective date provisions. Update - Passed out of Subcommittee on 3/22. Companion bill is SF 2166 - see fiscal note.
SF 2225- A bill for an act relating to child abuse by prohibiting retaliation for reporting, providing for implementation of reporting policies at postsecondary institutions, requiring planning for training requirements, and providing for the distribution of information on child sexual abuse, and providing a remedy. Mandatory reporting task force created. Update - Passed both Chambers - heading to Governor for signature.
HF 2368 - An Act providing for the issuance of a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth, providing for a fee, and including effective date provisions. Update - Passed both Chambers - heading to Governor for signature.SF 2119 -An Act relating to the sealing and expungement of child abuse registry information . Passed HR Committee 2/2. SF 2315 - An Act relating to redesign of publicly funded mental health and disability services.. Update - Passed Senate on 3/12. Passed House Approps Committee with amendment on 3/22. Headed to House floor for debate.
HF 2390 - A bill for an act relating to obscene material, commercial sexual activity, and human trafficking, and providing penalties and making penalties applicable. Passed House on 3/8. Update - currently in Senate but deferred.
Child and Family Economic Success
SF 2161 (Formerly SSB 3116) - An Act relating to the amount of the earned income tax credit. Increasing credit from 7% to 13%. Passed full Senate on 48-0 on 2/15. SF 2024 - An Act relating to workforce training programs in community colleges and making appropriations. Passed Senate 26 - 22 on 2/22. HF 2287- A bill for an act creating a tracking and reporting system for certain tax credits awarded by the economic development authority. Referred to Ways and MeansSSB 3192- A study bill for an act making the research activities tax credits nonrefundable and including effective date and applicability provisions. Update - subcommittee held- bill will probably not proceedSigned by Governor: SF 2247- A study bill relating to terminology changes in Iowa Code references to mental retardation. Signed 3/22/12.
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"Sorry, we are too busy mopping the floor to turn off the faucet." - Office Graffiti
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Building Budgets: Iowa Keeps Falling Behind
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In Education Funding ...
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Iowa's community colleges can count less on state support than they did 10 years ago, shifting costs to students and parents also trying to make ends meet.
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Get timely updates from the Child and Family Policy Center:
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How is state policy affecting the families around you?
Tell us about it! Sheila Hansen
Every Child Counts
Director
Danielle Oswald-Thole
Every Child Counts Outreach Coordinator and Policy Advocate
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Every Child Counts helps us do what's good for Iowa kids
and families.
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Health Care Update
Happy Birthday - The Affordable Care Act turns two on March 23, 2012 "The Affordable Care Act gives hardworking families in Iowa the security they deserve. The new health care law forces insurance companies to play by the rules, prohibiting them from dropping your coverage if you get sick, billing you into bankruptcy because of an annual or lifetime limit, or, soon, discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition."
Highlights of the Affordable Care Act include...
Read here for the full article: Two Years Later: The Benefits of the Affordable Care Act for Iowa
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Legislative Forums
Many of you can't make it to the State Capitol in Des Moines - that doesn't mean you can't have some face to face time with your state legislator.
Legislators host forums in their districts throughout the session. They get a chance to update constituents on the issues and listen to concerns from constituents .
House Republican Forums (it appears the House Republican forum schedule has not been updated in sometime - you have to click on member name and then click on forums)
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 Pre-K, K Absences Foretell Trouble Ahead; Head Start Students Shine
Poor attendance in preschool and kindergarten can predict chronic absenteeism and faltering academic performance in later grades, according to an analysis released this week by the Baltimore Education Research Consortium. The study followed three cohorts of Baltimore students over time to assess the effects of chronic absence, defined as missing more than one-ninth of school days.Researchers also looked at the type of early education experience children had. Students who had attended Head Start showed the highest attendance rates in Kindergarten.
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