Iowa Democrats call 2017 ‘extraordinarily horrible’ legislative session

DES MOINES - Democrats on Thursday rehashed an 'extraordinarily horrible” legislative session that Senate Minority Leader Rob Hogg called 'far and away the worst” in his career.

That is because the Republican majority enacted policies that will 'hurt workers, hurt women, hurt families and hurt our economy,” the 14-year Cedar Rapids Democratic lawmaker said during an event at the Cedar Rapids Public Library.

Iowa lawmakers wrapped up their 104-day 2017 session last Saturday, approving a $7.269 billion budget that Rep. Liz Bennett, D-Cedar Rapids, said does 'nothing to help regular Iowans.” The 'ideological-driven agenda” underfunds health care, education and mental health, she said.

'When Republicans fail to fund the priorities that we should fund in our state, we all suffer,” Bennett said.

At the top of Democrats' 'worst of” list are changes the GOP made to public employee collective bargaining and workers' compensation, as well as funding levels for several other parts of state government, including higher education. Funding for the University of Iowa and Iowa State University is at its lowest level since 1998, Hogg pointed out.

After cutting the current year budget by $111 million in January, the 2018 budget represents 'cuts on top of cuts, said Rep. Todd Taylor, D-Cedar Rapids, who predicted the 2017 session 'will go down in history as one of the worst years legislatively.”

Republicans have a far different perspective on their first session in complete control in 20 years. They improved Iowa's job climate by reducing regulations on small businesses, reducing frivolous lawsuits and creating uniform employment law, according to Senate President Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny. The GOP increased funding for K-12 education, gave schools more budget flexibility and improved public safety by banning texting while driving and providing substance abuse treatment for OWI offenders.

Those public safety measures may have been the bright spot of the session, Hogg said. There were far more regrets, however.

The medical cannabis bill approved in the final hours of the session will 'create more false hopes than remedies,” he said. Although it continues Iowans' access to cannabidiol oil to treat epilepsy it is weak because of the limits on THC levels and the number of conditions for which medical cannabis would be available.

It was a 'very bad year for water quality,” Hogg added. The House and Senate each passed their own water quality bill, but Republicans couldn't reach agreement among themselves on a 'very weak water quality proposal.”

The Democratic score card makes clear Iowa needs a new direction, Hogg said.

'Democrats will continue to listen to Iowans, hold Republicans accountable, and encourage more Iowans to get involved as citizens,” he said.

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