A Good Week for Governor’s Bills. The Governor held a Press Conference on Tuesday to discuss her new health care policy proposals. The bills, HSB 191 and SSB 1163 follow up on the goals the Governor discussed in her Condition of the State Speech to address health care workforce shortages and scarcity of care in rural Iowa. The bill does that in a myriad of ways. It establishes a healthcare hub-and-spoke partnership funding model with the goal of stabilizing labor and delivery units and incentivizing regional partnerships between hospitals, creates a health care workforce and community support grant program to assist local recruitment efforts, creates a health care professional incentive program offering awards for professionals in high-demand areas, eliminates the health facilities council and streamlines the certificate of need approval process and makes changes to the Iowa Health Information Network. HSB 191 moved out of the House Subcommittee on Wednesday to positive reviews from health care related groups. It is expected to be discussed in the Health and Human Services Committee next Tuesday. On Monday, Director Kelly Garcia and Dr. Robert Kruse, State Medical Director and Public Health Division Director appeared before the House HHS Appropriations Subcommittee to talk about Maternal Health Funding and Initiatives. This included a discussion of how the Governor’s proposed health care policies will improve maternal health in Iowa. To see the HHS Presentation click here.
The Governor’s Early Childhood Education and Childcare Policy Bills, HSB 145 and SSB 1135 moved out of their respective House and Senate subcommittees this week. The Governor’s Energy Bill, HSB 123 was voted out of the House Commerce Committee with an agreed-to amendment and the Governor’s cellphone/media education bill, now SF 370, was moved out of Senate Education this week.
Iowa Public Information Board Bills moved through the Senate State Government Committee on Wednesday. SSB 1085 extends the time period from 60 days to 90 days for a person to file a complaint with the Iowa Public Information Board alleging a violation of chapters 21 and 22. SSB 1086 requires the lawful custodian of a public record to “promptly” acknowledge the request, provide an approximate date for a response and an estimate of costs and inform the requester of any expected delay in production of the records. SSB 1087 deals with public notice requirements. The bills have House Companions that have also moved forward through the House State Government Committee.
The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee heard testimony from Iowa State University’s Dr. Rodger Main, Director of Operations for the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Dr. Dan Grooms, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Dr. Pat Halbur, Executive Director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. The subcommittee heard about the progress of the new Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and about the great work that is happening particularly in diagnosing animal diseases, such as avian flu. The lab sees up to 750 cases a day from Iowa and across the nation and is considered the preeminent diagnostic lab in the country. The following information was included in the presentation, Iowa Livestock Health Advisory Council Impacts and Funding Requests, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Update and Highlights from 2024.
If you have wondered what the process might be for purchasing nine counties in Minnesota, wait no longer. SF 354 by Senator Mike Bousselot, authorizing the purchase of nine counties in southern Minnesota was filed this week and a subcommittee is scheduled to consider the bill next Tuesday. The bill requires the appointment of a negotiating team from Iowa to meet with Minnesota and authorizes the purchase of the following nine Minnesota counties: Rock, Nobles, Jackson, Martin, Faribault, Freeborn, Mower, Fillmore and Houston. The bill provides that even if the Iowa team is successful in negotiating the purchase of said counties, the agreement must be approved by passage of a bill by the Iowa General Assembly and signed by the Governor of Iowa, passage of an Act by the General Assembly of Minnesota, passage of an Act of Congress approving the change of jurisdiction, an appropriation by the Iowa General Assembly (if money is to change hands) and passage of a Constitutional Amendment in Iowa ratifying the new boundaries.
Speaking of Constitutional amendments, this week the process for amending the Iowa Constitution was brought to the forefront due to discussion of a bill SJR 6 which would strike the Iowa Water and Land Legacy (IWILL) Amendment from the Iowa Constitution. The Amendment which passed in 2010, created the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. The amendment has been surrounded by controversy since its passage because funding is based upon an increase in the state sales tax, which has not happened. SJR 6 moved out of the Senate subcommittee despite testimony in opposition from a multitude of groups who had worked to pass the amendment in 2010. Article X of the Iowa Constitution lays out the process for amending Iowa’s Constitution. A bill drafted in the form of a Joint Resolution must pass two General Assemblies in both Houses with the exact same language before it is voted on at the next general election. If a joint resolution were to pass both the House and Senate this session, it would have to wait for the 92nd General Assembly (2027) to be passed again and then could be placed on the ballot in November 2028. The Iowa Constitution was first adopted in 1857. The original hand-written version is on display in the Secretary of State’s Office in the Capitol. If you want to see the scanned handwritten version, click here. As of this date, there have been 51 Amendments to Iowa’s Constitution.
February 18: Representatives from the Iowa Recycling Association and the Iowa Society of Solid Waste Operations braved the cold weather to meet with lawmakers and other industry professionals at the annual legislative breakfast.
Photo via Senator Janice Weiner's Instagram (janice4iowa).