February 20, 2004

In This Edition:

HereWe Go Again

Advocacy News

First Deadline Coming Up!

Newson the MH/DD Front

State Budget News

NewBills

OldBill Status

Important Dates

Advocacy Toolkit

InfoNetContacts

/ Please Note: The contact information for InfoNet has changed from last year. If you need to change your address or e-mail, or would like a friend to start getting InfoNet, contact:
Fran Morris, Governor’s DD Council

515/281-9082
800/452-1936 (TTY/Voice toll free)
InfoNet is written through a contract with Campbell/Patterson Consulting, an advocacy consulting organization.
Here We Go Again!
Today is the 39th day of the legislative session. Legislators want to end in 90 days. So you can see that next week is the halfway point. It only took five weeks for talks to break down – and they have. Tensions are running high, so expect a rocky six or seven weeks until they call it quits in early April. Why have the talks broken down?
  1. The Governor vetoed the first bill that came to him – the bill that would have allowed Iowa’s lawmakers to spend only 98% (instead of 99%) of the money they take in each year from taxes. Legislators expected this, but they still aren’t happy about it.
  2. The Governor and Democrats are drawing a line in the sand over education funding. Every year, the Legislature sets the “allowed growth rate” for local schools. This is the increase educators will get for teachers salaries, textbooks and other costs in teaching Iowa’s children. Like Medicaid, education must get an increase each year just to provide the same level of service. The Governor and Democrats want to increase school aide by 6% - but Republicans say the state can only afford 2%. To put this in perspective, a 2% increase would bring the total state money going to local schools to $1.9 billion, almost half the total state budget. That is $90,000 for each classroom, or $4,834 for each student.
  3. Legislators from both parties do not want to raise taxes, but the Governor does. It is an election year, and getting re-elected is more difficult after taxes are raised. The Governor wants to raise taxes on cigarettes by 60 cents, change laws that currently allow companies to avoid paying taxes by moving money out of state, and start charging sales tax for services like tax preparation, accounting, and architecture. Legislators say they have to find a way to balance the budget without raising taxes.
  1. Republicans are grumpy about budget transfers. Legislators decide how much money state agencies get each year, and how much money each program will get. However, state agencies are allowed to move money around in their budgets as needed. Many agencies are taking money from one program to pay for another program that is out of money. Legislators don’t think this is right.
  2. Democrats are grumpy about no budget meetings. Budget subcommittees have stopped meeting. Democrats say they are being shut out of the process; Republicans say there is no reason to meet until they know how much money they have to spend and how much they are going to give local schools.
  3. Legislators are bringing up emotional issues. These are often “moral” issues that bring out emotional responses, such as expanded gambling and bans on abortion and gay marriages. They are bills that people feel strongly about – either for or against. There are usually not many “undecided” people in these debates. The debates last for hours, and can get personal because of the emotion involved. Many legislators would rather avoid them and deal with other issues.
The job of a legislator is getting harder by the day. Your legislators are getting pushed by teachers to increase funding for schools, and by anti-tax groups to oppose increases in taxes. They are going to have to vote on things they would rather not vote on. They know there isn’t going to be enough money to go around. It’s a tough job…so understand if your legislators are a bit grumpy these days. Remember – they do have choices, so make sure they know how YOU would want them to spend their money.
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Advocacy News

It is important for advocates to understand the legislative process. You don’t have to be an expert, but there are tons of things you can do to find out “how bills become laws.” There are seven steps to the legislative process.

Step One – Hey, I Got An Idea!

Legislators start out with an idea. They might have come up with the idea themselves, or they might have gotten it from a friend or someone they met in a grocery store line. While anyone can come up with an idea, only legislators can ask for an idea to be written into a bill.
Step Two – Bill is IntroducedThe idea is written into a bill. The bill then is introduced – it gets a number and is assigned to a committee. The House Majority Leader and the Senate President decide which committee will get the bill.

Step Three – Bill Voted Out of Committee

The committee chair will decide whether a bill is debated in committee or not. The committee can vote the bill out of committee or “kill” the bill by not voting on it or voting against it. To go on to the next step, the bill has to be voted out of the committee.
Step Four – Bill is Voted on by Full House or Full SenateOnce a bill is out of committee, it is put on the calendar in the House or Senate (wherever it started). The full House or Senate must pass the bill by majority vote (26 votes in the Senate, 51 votes in the House). Bills that don’t get a majority are “dead.”
Step Five – Bill is Voted out of Committee AgainBills passed by the Senate now go to a House committee. Bills passed by the House will be sent to a Senate committee. These committees must now decide what to do with these bills. Bills must be voted out of committee to stay alive and continue the process.
Step Six – Bill is Voted on by Full House or Full SenateOnce the bill comes out of committee, it will be ready for debate by all members of the House or Senate. In order for a bill to become law, the majority of the House or Senate must vote for the bill.
Step Seven – Governor Signs the BillOnce both the House and Senate have voted for a bill, it is sent to the Governor. The Governor can sign the bill into law, or veto it. Vetoing it kills the bill. Signing it makes it law. On bills that spend money, the Governor can “line-item veto” the bill. This means the Governor can take out sections of the bill he doesn’t like, but sign the rest into law.
Of course, nothing is as simple as it seems. At any stage, the bill may be amended. If this happens, bills will be sent back and forth between the House and Senate until they agree. Therefore, there might be more steps between Step Six and Step Seven, as the House and Senate try to agree. For more information on the legislative process, contact the Legislative Information Office at 515/281-5129 or you can find the information online at:
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First Deadline Coming Up!

When my mother asked me to clean my room by supper, I knew it better get done by supper or I’d be hungry. Legislators know that they too must have deadlines – or nothing would ever get done at the Capitol.
Legislators have two big deadlines. They are called “funnels.” Imagine a funnel – its wide top and the narrow hole at the bottom. Like a funnel, bills are “poured” into the wide top, but very few come out the narrow opening at the bottom.
  1. Funnel #1 – Thursday, March 4
The deadline is actually on Friday, March 5 – but legislators don’t meet Fridays. So plan on the deadline being Thursday, March 4. To stay alive for the rest of session, bills must have taken the first three steps in the process listed in the story above.
That means all House bills (HF or HSB) need to be voted out of House committees. All Senate bills (SF or SSB) need to be voted out of Senate committees. If they are not, they are “dead” for the rest of session. They will no longer be discussed.
  1. Funnel #2 – Thursday, March 26
Again, the deadline is really Friday – but legislators don’t meet on Fridays. To stay alive for the rest of session, the bills must have made it through the first five steps.
That means all bills that started in the House must be voted out of Senate committees. All bills that started in the Senate must be voted out of House committees. If they are not – they too are dead for the rest of session.
Advocates need to know these deadlines!
If you see a bill that you like in our bill list – look at the status. If it is a House bill (HF or HSB) and is still listed as being in a House Committee, you need to call your legislator and the legislators on that committee to make sure it is voted out before the first funnel. Likewise, if you like a Senate bill (SF or SSB), make sure you let your legislators know you want to see it come out of committee and make it through the funnel!
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News from the MH/DD Front

Make sure you look at the bill list this week – there are a number of bills that will be of real interest. Just to let you know of some that were out this week:
  • A bill requiring the licensure of sign language interpreters. This is to make sure there are standards for sign language interpreters, so that quality is assured. Of course, interpreters would have to pay for these licenses. HF 2218/SF 2141
  • New requirements for mental health patient advocates, the people who fight in court for the best interests of individuals with mental illness. HF2286/SF 2116
  • It’s back – a bill that puts the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) into effect. HAVA requires states to have accessible voting machines, as well as sets out how people will register to vote. HSB 642
  • The Senate passed a big Transportation bill that did one big thing – it changed Iowa’s laws to clearly allow persons using electric wheelchairs and other mobility devices to use city sidewalks and streets to get around, regardless of the person’s age. That’s good news for people like Bryce Wiley of Laurens, Iowa. He had to fight city hall to allow him to leave his driveway! SF 2070
Legislators Debate Vaccination Link to Autism
On Monday (February 23), the Senate Human Services Committee will debate whether vaccines containing the mercury-based preservative Thimerosol cause autism. Sen. Ken Veenstra (R-Orange City) says advocates from his area have convinced him that there is a growing body of evidence that links the two, and he wants to make sure that no children in Iowa are put at risk.
Sen. Veenstra has introduced SSB 3070, a bill to ban any vaccines containing Thimerasol from being used in Iowa. Public health officials say this is a bad bill – if a bad flu breaks out or there is a public health disaster, the only choice we may have is a vaccination containing Thimerasol.
Last week, the committee heard testimony from parents who say their children were “normal” before their vaccinations, and then began showing symptoms of autism in the months following vaccination. They also heard testimony from two experts who say there is no link, and studies are showing this.
Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, the state’s chief infectious disease doctor, and Dr. Charles Helms, a doctor in Internal Medicine at the University of Iowa, told committee members that all shots given to children are now Thimerosal-free. Dr. Helms, who is also on the National Advisory Committee on Immunizations, said studies are showing no link between the autism and the preservative. Dr. Quinlisk cautioned legislators that some vaccines have no Thimerosal-free alternatives, such as Meningitis and some forms of influenza.
After parent advocates at the meeting questioned the medical studies being cited, Dr. Quinklisk told legislators that the National Alliance for Autism Research has conducted studies to determine the link between Thimerosal and autism, and have shown none.
The Senate Human Services Committee will debate SSB 3070 on Monday afternoon. Some legislators suggested they might amend the language in committee to ban vaccines containing Thimerosal, unless a Thimerosal-free vaccine is not available.
Long Term Care & Nursing Focus of Many BillsLegislators want to improve the quality of care in Iowa’s nursing homes. They’ve got three initiatives out there they hope will do just that:
  • The Iowa Student Loan Corporation created a new Nurse Student Loan Repayment program to encourage more nurses to work in long-term care settings. Nurses can get up to $15,000 off their student loans by working in long-term care settings.
  • One bill has been introduced to set goals for the long-term care system in Iowa. These goals are very community-based and consumer-driven. SSB 3065
  • Another bill recently introduced no longer allows acute care hospitals, outpatient centers, and psychiatric institutions to require nurses work overtime. The bill limits the number of hours a nurse may work each day and sets minimum staffing levels, so that patients can be assured quality care. HF 2290
Ames Gets First National Summer Special OlympicsSpeaker of the House Christopher Rants, a Sioux City Republican, told everyone this week that the first-ever 2006 National Summer Special Olympics will be held in Ames next summer, and will bring over 3,000 athletes and another 10,000 coaches, family members, and friends to Iowa. Speaker Rants said the event gives competitors a chance to be “an inspiration to the entire country as they overcome challenges.” He asked Iowans to welcome the competitors with open arms. The event will be held in Ames, July 3-9, 2006.
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State Budget News
The budget subcommittees have stopped meeting. Democrats are not happy about this – they say Republicans are trying to hide their budget decisions from the public. Republicans say they want to know their “targets” before meeting again.
What are “budget targets?”
Every year, the House and Senate majority leaders get together with their budget chairs and decide how much money to spend in the next year, and how much money each budget subcommittee will get to spend. These are called “targets.” If a target is less than the amount of money being spent now, legislators will have to make cuts.
Legislative leaders say they will not decide on “targets” until the gambling debate is finished, education allowed growth is set, and the March revenue estimates are in. The gambling debate is set for Thursday (February 26). Education allowed growth is being vetoed, so negotiations will begin next week. Revenue estimates will be available in early March. So by mid-March, targets should be out and we will know how much money is available for health and human services programs this year.
This week, legislators in the Health & Human Services (HHS) Budget Subcommittee were, as one lobbyist noted, “just grumpy.” The HHS Budget is the only group still meeting, forced to meet over the lunch hour. They will most likely stop working now until targets come out. This week, the tone of these meetings was hostile. Legislators showed their anger with departments for shifting their money between programs.
Rep. Dave Heaton, HHS Budget Co-Chair, asked why he went to the wall last year to get more money for lead poisoning programs in the Department of Public Health, just to see the increase transferred from that program into another program. Sen. Maggie Tinsman, also HHS Budget Co-Chair, said that these transfers make legislators feel their decisions on program funding are unimportant.
Rep. Bob Osterhaus, the Ranking Member of the HHS Budget, countered with a quote of the week: “We are asking people to wave their magic wands and accomplish three times as much with far less money.” In other words, departments have to make the transfers because there simply isn’t enough money to go around.
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New Bills / Remember to keep these bills for the rest of session – this is the only time you will see their full bill description!! The full list can also be found on the DD Council website:
  1. The following bills are listed by bill number.
  2. Following the bill number and title is where it is at in the process (status).
  3. Next is the description of the bill.
  4. Only bills introduced in the last two weeks are on this list.
HF 2192 - Unemployment Benefit Disqualification (House Commerce, Regulation & Labor Committee)- No longer allows a person who is fired from their job because they abuse a child or a dependent adult to receive unemployment benefits.