Iowa Politics Today: Expanding workplace drug testing?; Changes to liquor law; Protecting electronic communication from search and seizure

A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest for Wednesday Feb. 1, 2017.

JANUARY STATE REVENUE GROWTH SLIGHT:

State tax collections continue to perform below expectations last month, coming in less than 1 percent over January 2016 and 1.2 percent ahead of last year's receipts through seven months of the fiscal year. Revenue grew by $4.9 million in month-to-month comparisons but there were collection and calendar issues the skewed the January report, according to Jeff Robinson, a tax analyst with the Legislative Services Agency. The 1.2 percent year-to-date growth represents about $46.9 million. 'There's just nothing to cheer about here,” Robinson said of the January report. The state Revenue Estimating Conference projected state tax collections would increase by 4.7 percent over fiscal 2016 – equating to over $321 million by June 30. Robinson noted the Legislature had decided not to couple with federal tax changes, which could equate into about $100 million in higher state tax collections. Also, May is Iowa's big tax collection month and last year was lackluster for that month which could help in moving closer to the yearly growth estimate.

IOWA ECONOMIC INDICATORS ADVANCE:

The Iowa Leading Indicators Index increased to 106.6 in December 2016 from 106.1 in November, marking the fourth gain in the last six months and the third consecutive gain, according to the state Department of Revenue. The index increased a full percentage point in the last two months, which requested the quickest gain since early 2011, state officials added Wednesday. Also, seven of index's eight components were positive in December -- the Iowa stock market index, diesel fuel consumption, the national yield spread, the new orders index, residential building permits, agricultural futures profits and average weekly unemployment claims (inverted). The only negative index component was average manufacturing hours. Also, with another increase in December, state officials said Iowa's non-farm employment index continued in the sixth consecutive year of positive growth. However, the gain in December was only half of the average monthly gain over those 74 months and the second month in a row of only 0.05 percent growth.

PROTECTING COMMUNICATION: A proposed amendment to the Iowa Constitution to protect electronic communications and data from warrantless search and seizure won unanimous approval from the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday. A resolution similar to House Joint Resolution 1 was approved 96-0 by the House in 2016.

Florida, Missouri and Illinois have similar constitutional protections, Rep. Ken Rizer, R-Cedar Rapids, said. Rep. Mary Wolfe, D-Clinton, expressed reluctance to amend the constitution, but said she would support HJR 1 and hoped her colleagues would agree that a constitutional right to vote for felons who have discharged their sentences is as important as Fourth Amendment protections from warrantless searches and seizures.

TRESPASSING CHANGES: A measure aimed at protecting landowners from being sued by trespassers who should not have been on their land was approved 18-1 by the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday. However, Rep. Rick Olson, D-Des Moines, voted for the bill, but warned that language in HSB 35 concerning easements could make farmers trespassers on their own land if they entered upon an easement held by a pipeline company or utility. The committee also approved HF 69 that sets a scheduled fine for trespassing of $200 for first offense, $500 for a second offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense. The penalty now ranges from rather than the current range of $25 to $625.

WORKPLACE DRUG TESTING:

The GOP-led Iowa Senate voted 35-15 Wednesday to expand Iowa's workplace drug-testing law to include hair samples. Iowa law already lets companies demand blood, urine, saliva or breath samples from workers, for random drug tests. Sen. Michael Breitbach, R-Strawberry Point, said Senate File 32 would enhance workplace safety and have Iowa join 47 other states that currently allow the testing of hair for drugs. Democrats who opposed the bill argued that Iowa already has a strong workplace drug-testing law and the expansion was an unnecessary invasion of worker privacy. The bill now goes to the Iowa House for consideration. Six Democrats joined 29 GOP senators in voting for the bill, while 14 Democrats and independent Sen. David Johnson of Ocheyedan opposed the measure.

REGISTER TO VOTE AT 16:

Young Iowans would be able to register to vote at age 16 but still would have to wait two years to actually cast an election ballot under legislation that cleared a House State Government subcommittee Wednesday. Iowa currently allows eligible voters to register at age 17 ½. New registrants would be listed as active voters with an eligibility date on their 18th birthday. According to the Iowa Department of Transportation, there are 13,273 Iowans aged 16 and 17 with non-operator identifications and 116,053 Iowans with driver's licenses that could be impacted by House File 56. Sydney Uhlman, a 16-year-old sophomore from Carlisle, advocated for the change at Wednesday meeting in hopes that Iowa would join 10 other states and the District of Columbia that allow 16-year-olds to register. The Iowa Secretary of State's Office estimated the cost of the change between $10,000 and $18,000. The bill now goes to the full committee for consideration.

LIQUOR LAW CHANGES RECOMMENDED:

A working group appointed by Gov. Terry Branstad to review Iowa laws governing liquor, wine and beer has issued five recommendations. The panel members say the state needs to create greater parity among Iowa beer, wine, and spirits manufacturers; streamline licensing for Iowa beer manufacturers and wholesalers; allow a limited expansion of off-premises retail privileges for retailers manufacturing beer; increase collaboration between the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Commission and the Iowa Wine and Beer Promotion Board; and endorse a further review of licensing, administrative actions, and administrative appeals for reform opportunities. 'We feel that these recommendations will create greater economic opportunities for our local entrepreneurs, make it easier and more efficient for Iowans to conduct business with state government, make Iowa's alcohol laws easier to understand and enforce, and result in public policy that continues to protect the health and safety of Iowans,” according to a joint statement issued Wednesday by Stephen Larson, administrator of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, and Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority – who served as co-leaders of the task force. Branstad formed the working group with an eye on balancing the needs of a rapidly expanding growth industry of 'micro-enterprises” with state regulations and social concerns associated with alcohol consumption. Branstad formed the task force with an eye on balancing the needs of a rapidly expanding growth industry of 'micro-enterprises” with state regulations and social concerns associated with alcohol consumption.

MONEY SWAP:

Members of the Senate Transportation Committee voted 8-5 Wednesday to approve a bill that would allow the Iowa Department of Transportation and local governments to swap federal funds in a way that chairman Sen. Tim Kapucian, R-Keystone, said would make more money available for local projects. Local governments would give their federal funds to the DOT, which would replace the money from the primary road fund. By using local funds, Kapucian said cities and counties would not have to meet federal requirements that might increase the cost of the project. The DOT would have to meet those requirements, but Kapucian said the agency has the expertise on staff to meet those requirements more efficiently than a local government that might do a project a year. Democrats said they had some unanswered questions that prevented them from supporting Senate Study Bill 1003 in committee.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'If you don't speed and you don't run a red light, it doesn't take your picture.”

– Sen. Jim Lykam, D-Davenport, in discussing controversial traffic-enforcement cameras that are getting legislative scrutiny this session.

- Compiled by the Gazette Des Moines Bureau