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News from Every Child Counts
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4/27/12
The week ended with the Legislature yet to finish. The House went home on Wednesday and the Senate went home Thursday. The House did pass SF 2338 before heading home. This is the government efficiencies bill.
The Senate Appropriations Committee passed HF 2465 (standings bill) with a strike after amendment (S5236) before they went home for the weekend. The Senate restores the $1.2 million cut the House passed to the At Risk Children (Shared Visions) line item. There is also some language on preschool admin rates (see bottom of p. 6 of amendment). This will head back to House and eventually a conference committee.
SF 2284 (education reform) is currently in conference committee. The committee did meet a couple of times this week. The Committee spent time discussing items they could agree on and putting aside those they can't, including 3rd grade retention. The House has it in their bill but the Senate does not. The Governor is still pushing for 3rd grade retention.
SF 2315 (mental health reform) passed the House on 4/24. The bill will provide for the state's takeover of county Medicaid expenditures within the system.
Regions The bill moves the delivery of mental health and disability services for adults away from an individual county delivery system to a regional delivery system. Overall, the county system is very similar to the regional system, just on a larger scale. The regions must consist of at least three contiguous counties. Core Services One of the other concerns with the current system is the varied level of services across Iowa. The bill sets a statewide standard for eligibility of services for adults and a minimum level of core services for adults with mental illness, intellectual disability, and brain injury. 150% FPL Funding Part of the plan would also have the State of Iowa assume the costs of county administered Medicaid approved mental health and disability services. Currently, counties pay the non-federal share of the total costs, and spend $231 million on Medicaid approved services. The bill now goes back to the Senate for consideration of the House changes. The primary concerns relate to the property tax levy issue and funding SF 2336 (HHS budget) passed the House with a strike all amendment last week and is now in Conference committee. There is a Notes on Bills and Amendments (NOBA) document which has the House/Senate differences. There are several key differences - too many to note here - please take time to read the NOBA. Here are a few though: - The Senate increases child care provider reimbursement rates by 4%. House does not.
- The House specifies that Medicaid funds are not to be used for abortions even in cases of incest and rape.
- The Senate appropriates an additional 7 million for child care assistance. House does not.
- The Senate has an increase of $600,000 for FaDSS. The House does not.
- The House eliminates funding for hawk-i outreach. The Senate restores the dollars.
These are just a few of the key differences. Your representative in the House needs to hear from you. Please take the time to email or call (home number) them and tell them to support the Senate version of the HHS budget bill!! A frustrating part of the rhetoric is that Republicans are blaming Democrats for the overtime. Saying that Democrats want to spend more than the House does. Well, when you cut programs for no reason at all other than to say we are spending less then the Democrats, then it is true.
There is plenty of finger pointing to go around! However, the most vulnerable people in our state are at risk and the spending that the Democrats offer is not too far off from what our Republican Governor offered in his budget and we would still have a balanced budget with our slush funds full AND the most at risk would have access to the needed services.
Each party is stating this is about priorities. Readers of this newsletter can figure out which budget reflects vulnerable children and their families as their priority. We try really hard to be non-partisan in our work and in our newsletters but sometimes one party or another makes it hard at one time or another - this is one of those times!
Again - your legislator needs to hear from you!
We have heard that the session could be over as soon as the middle of next week or not until the middle of May. I have jury duty in the month of May and Danielle has jury duty the first week of May (what are the odds?). We plan to be there (at the Capitol) until the end though!!
Hope you have a nice weekend!!!
Sheila Hansen & Danielle Oswald-Thole
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 More on the House Budget! The House federal fiscal year 2013 budget resolutions requires congressional committees with jurisdiction over critical investments in children to make deep budget cuts. The House Agriculture Committee, which has jurisdiction over investments in child nutrition, passed the required budget "reconciliation" legislation in April. This fact sheet, part of a series on the House budget, summarizes the resulting harm to investments in children. |
Bills of Interest
 Quality Early Care and Education
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. Currently on House Calendar for debate. Fiscal Note
SF 2321- 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. Conference Committee. Senate- Schoenjahn, Chair; Quirmbach, Horn, Hamerlinck, and McKinley. House- Dolecheck, Jorgensen, Cownie, Winckler, and Willems
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. Fiscal Note can be read here. Conference Committee. Senate - Quirmbach, Schoenjahn, Bowman, Hammerlinck, Boettger. House - Mascher, Steckman, Dolecheck, Chambers and Forristall.
Child Health and Well-Being
SF 2315 - An Act relating to redesign of publicly funded mental health and disability services.. Update - Passed House on 4/24.Passed Senate earlier. Now back to Senate for 2nd time.
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. Subcommittee held- bill will probably not proceed Signed by Governor: SF 2325- A bill for an act relating to the income tax checkoffs for the child abuse prevention program fund and the veterans trust fund and volunteer fire fighter preparedness fund, and including retroactive applicability provisions. Signed 4/19/12.
HF 2226 - A study bill relating to child abuse reports and disposition data. Signed 4/12/12. SF 2318- A bill for an act relating to the Iowa health information network, providing for fees, and including effective date provisions. Signed 4/12/12.HF 2390- A bill for an act relating to obscene material, commercial sexual activity, and human trafficking, and providing penalties and making penalties applicable. Signed 4/4/12. 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. Signed 3/26/12.
SF 2247- A study bill relating to terminology changes in Iowa Code references to mental retardation. Signed 3/22/12. 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. Signed 3/30/12
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"All too many of those who live in affluent America ignore those who exist in poor America; in doing so, the affluent Americans will eventually have to face themselves with the question that (Adolph) Eichman chose to ignore: How responsible am I for the well-being of my fellows?" MLK
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Iowa's Investments in a Child's First 2,000 Days
Early Childhood Education: Opportunities in Economic Development
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Iowa's approach to economic development has been badly skewed in favor of expensive subsidies aimed at short-term job gains instead of long-term investments in our economy. According to many economists, including Nobel Laureate James Heckman, the most effective investments states can make from a benefit-cost perspective are during the first 2,000 days of a child's life. Read Iowa Students: Increasingly on Their Own or download 5-page PDF.You can also read the press release here. 
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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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A donation to
Every Child Counts helps us do what's good for Iowa kids
and families.
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Health Care Update
Iowa Adverse Childhood Experiences Summit - June 11, 2012You are invited
to the Iowa
ACEs Summit
to learn about often
overlooked root causes of
adult disease and disability
and innovative solutions
for reversing Iowa's trends.
12:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Sheraton West DM Hotel
1800 50th Street
West Des Moines, IowaFor more information, click here.
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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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MISSION READINESS:
Press Conference
Retired military members from Iowa are fighting
The non-profit "Mission: Readiness" is taking its message across the nation.
The group sites statistics showing 75-percent of young Americans can't serve.
They says that's because they ca
three requirements: Either they have a criminal record, the can't pass a basic exam or they're not fit.
Retired Iowa General Douglas Pierce says 1 in 7 Iowan don't graduate high school on time.
Of those who do graduate, 19-percent score too low on the basic test to qualify.
Gen. Pierce says, "By providing high quality early education in Iowa, we can ensure more likely to finish high school stay away from crime, enter the work force with options including a job in the military if they choose to pursue one."
Watch/Read the story from WOI-TV here.
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