New This Week. After Tuesday’s special election, a new State Senator will take the oath of office in Des Moines. Democrat Mike Zimmer, the Central DeWitt School Board president, won the seat for Senate District 35 in eastern Iowa. The district includes Clinton County and parts of Jackson and Scott Counties. Zimmer succeeds in the seat vacated by Chris Cournoyer in December when she resigned to accept an appointment as Lieutenant Governor. Senator-elect Zimmer will serve out the remaining portion of Cournoyer’s term through 2026. In a District that President Trump won by 21 points, Zimmer received 52% of the vote. This leaves Republicans with a wide majority in the Senate with Republicans holding 34 seats and Democrats at 16.
Community Solar Bill Moves Out of House Subcommittee. HSB 81 establishes a community solar facility program in Iowa. Testimony was divided between existing traditional utilities that generate and provide power at the retail level, namely MidAmerican Energy and Alliant, and other stakeholders that want to use solar power. Proponents asserted that empowering landowners to put otherwise non-productive ground to higher and better use, being able generate additional energy for greater grid stability across Iowa, and lowering utility costs as some policy reasons to advance the bill. Utilities argued that more attention must be paid to potential cross-subsidization between customers and regulatory issues with community solar. The next step for the bill is to be considered by the full House Commerce Committee.
Federal Funds and Other Appropriations Subcommittee. The new Subcommittee, chaired by Representative Martin Graber, met on Monday and began a review of all federal funds that the state receives. Adam Broich from the Legislative Services Agency, discussed a fiscal “bluebook” with an extensive list of federal funds to begin the subcommittees discussion. For a copy of the Federal Funds bluebook, click here. The Committee also heard from the Department of Management Director, Kraig Paulsen. Paulsen discussed DOM’s role in tracking federal dollars and explained the actual money is held by the State Treasurer until such time as state agencies expend the dollars. The Committee discussed potential federal funding with the change in administration at the federal level and the possibility that more dollars will come to the state as block grants. The Committee plans to hear from different state agencies each week. Next week’s discussion with HHS will focus on federal Medicaid funding and the Department of Transportation.
Behavioral Health System Changes. On Tuesday, the House Health and Human Services Committee took a deep dive into the implementation of last year's bill, HF 2673, that required realignment of the state's behavioral health system. The Committee heard from Marissa Eyanson, Director of Behavioral Health for the Department of Health and Human Services and Aaron Todd, CEO of the Iowa Primary Care Association. To see the PowerPoint presentation, click here. Director Eyanson told the Committee that the Statewide Plan is almost completed and will be released for public comment during the first two weeks of February. Aaron Todd explained the efforts that the Iowa Primary Care Association went to in answering the RFP to be the Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization awardee. He explained that his team met with over 75 providers and asked three key questions: what’s working, what’s not working, and what could be different about the system. As they move forward, he wants to continue with that important dialogue. The APPENDIX to the slide deck contains good background information regarding shared responsibility model, a map of behavioral health districts, 988 and Your Life Iowa, What is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, MHDS Regional Fund Balance Chart, and a description of the new Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organization.
Have you ever wondered how bills and amendments appear drafted and ready for discussion in subcommittees, committees, and on the floor for debate? Or how legislators obtain information about the fiscal impacts of bills that are proposed? The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency (“LSA”) is responsible for such work. LSA was established by Iowa Code chapters 2A and 2B and is under the control of the Legislative Council.
LSA’s nonpartisanship is a “core value that guides how the LSA serves the General Assembly.” LSA has around 100 employees organized into several divisions. LSA includes the Legislative Information Office, Computer Services Division, Legal Services Division, and the Fiscal Services Division. All bills and amendments are drafted by the nonpartisan LSA, Legal Services Division. At this point in session, LSA is working to draft bills requested by individual legislators, Committee Chairs, and the Governor. Like everyone at the Capitol, LSA must comply with the various session timetables.
January 29: Firefighter Day on the Hill included a chili cook-off in the Capitol Rotunda!