Ed. note: This week’s newsletter comes from the desk of Representative Kirsten Running-Marquard and the staff for Democratic members of the Iowa House.
Although today is the “official” last day of Session, our work is not yet complete. Session is now going past its scheduled end date. There is still grid lock on setting basic funding for our k-12 schools (Supplemental School Aid or Allowable Growth). The House Republicans continue to stay at 1.25% which would result in over 20 teachers getting pink slips in the Cedar Rapids School District alone. We have to do better, and we have the funds to invest adequately in our children’s future. I will continue to fight for our kids.
It looks as though next week we will be moving the Economic Development Budget Bill; I serve as Ranking Member of this committee charged to move this important budget bill forward into law. I also serve on the Appropriations Committee, where all budget bills and legislation dealing with state expenditures move through. The last few weeks of session are busy for the Appropriations and Ways and Means Committees.
There are now only a few bills left to pass through the Iowa legislature this year. I will continue to support education, workforce development and smart economic development. These are the three priority areas I see as critical in making Iowa a great place to live, work and raise a family.
Public Schools to Lose Over 1,000 Educators Next Year
The school funding crisis carried on for another week as schools reported there will be over 1,000 fewer educators in Iowa schools next year because of the budget uncertainty. This week, because of the school funding impasse, schools were forced to hand out pink slips to over 400 educators for the upcoming school year. Schools also said they plan to leave at least another 626 positions (which are typically retirements) open next year, meaning class sizes will increase. Despite not knowing how much money they will receive from the state, Iowa school districts were forced to set their budget for the upcoming school year in mid-April.
The school funding crisis started last year when the House Republicans and Governor Branstad refused to set basic state funding for k-12 schools. Democrats have offered a 6% increase, then 4%, then 2.625% in an effort to compromise, but the majority party has rejected every offer to resolve the school funding crisis this year and continue to stay at 1.25%. Again, playing politics with our kid’s education is wrong. What 1.25% means is teachers being fired and larger class sizes negatively impact performance.
Besides raising class size with fewer teachers and raising property taxes, superintendents said they will also be cutting back other opportunities for students because of the budget uncertainty. Art, sports, wood shop, agriculture programs, consumer science, library services, STEM and Talented and Gifted are just a few of the programs being considered by school districts for elimination.
The above information was compiled through a survey of Iowa superintendents. Iowans can learn about the impact of the school funding crisis in their own school district by going to www.iowahouse.org/GOPpinkslip/.
Medical Cannabis Bill Equals Care for Sick Iowans
Iowans gathered at the State Capitol again this week to urge members of the Iowa House to support a medical cannabis bill for those suffering from debilitating diseases, like epilepsy, cancer, and multiple sclerosis. With strong support from the public, many lawmakers are considering a new bill this year to expand the applicability of that law and the availability of the oil for some of our sickest Iowans.
Senate File 484 passed the Senate and moved to the House. Senate File 484 creates a safe and secure medical cannabis program under the supervision of the Department of Public Health and uses the registration cards developed last year to assist with compliance. The bill allows persons with a debilitating medical condition such as cancer, Crohn’s, and multiple sclerosis to apply for a registration card, with verification from their doctor, to allow them to access medical cannabis. The medical cannabis must be manufactured at a licensed facility and all medical cannabis manufactured must be tested at the hygienic laboratory at the University of Iowa for content, contamination, and consistency.
Proponents of SF 484 are encouraging the House to pass the legislation to ensure that patients and their doctors can determine for themselves whether this is a fit for them. Additionally, backers of the bill feel confident that this proposal includes regulation and safeguards to ensure that the cannabis is used only by those who are suffering from a debilitating medical condition. It is very late in session but I and many others hope we can move forward.
New Exhibit Honors Iowan’s Vietnam Soldiers
This year is the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, Vietnam, which effectively ended the Vietnam War on April 30, 1975. More than 865 Iowans were killed in the conflict and five Iowa service members earned the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military award for heroism. The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum, at Camp Dodge in Johnston, has a new Vietnam War interactive exhibit including a helicopter display, a utility truck, and other artifacts. A scrollable list of Iowans who were killed in the Vietnam War is available, as are television monitors featuring stories from the Vietnam War, and a full-scale diorama and mural. The Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs will host the 2015 Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day Remembrance Ceremony on Thursday, May 7, 2015. The ceremony will begin at 11:00 a.m. at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial located south of the Iowa State Capitol building in Des Moines. If you are from the Linn County area and are planning to attend, please let me know.
Follow