Capitol Notebook: Bill prescribing Iowa’s use of $27M in opioid settlement funds advances

DES MOINES — An advisory council under the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services would be set up to help award grants for projects around the state that prevent and treat opioid addiction under legislation advancing in the final days of the Iowa Legislature’s 2024 session.

Under Senate File 2395, the council would review applications and recommend annual grants from the state Opioid Settlement Fund, which holds millions of dollars recovered from lawsuits with opioid manufacturers. The Legislature would award the grants each year based on the council's recommendation.

Iowa has about $26.8 million in the Opioid Settlement Fund, according to the state treasurer’s office. The state is expected to recover about $144 million more over the next several years, lawmakers have estimated, with half going to the state and half going directly to local governments.

The bill also includes allocating about $11 million for substance use disorder treatment units in the state and about $1.5 million to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office to support a program working with providers to lower the amount of opioids prescribed after surgery.

The House passed the bill Thursday, making significant amendments to a Senate bill that proposed splitting the money between the health department and the attorney general’s office. The Senate must approve the revisions before the bill gets sent to Gov. Kim Reynolds for a signature.

Grant program for school safety, including guns, passes

A proposed grant program — so far unfunded — that would allow Iowa schools to purchase school safety and security infrastructure, including guns for teachers and other staff, moved one step closer Thursday to final passage in the Iowa Legislature.

Senate Republicans approved the measure, but also tweaked the bill by allowing the Iowa Department of Public Safety to approve rather than provide firearm training for schools that purchase guns to arm staff.

Because of that change, the bill, House File 2652, must go back to the House before moving on to Gov. Kim Reynolds for her consideration.

The bill passed the Senate on a largely party line, 34-13 vote, with Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, joining all Republicans in support.

Sen. Dan Zumbach, R-Ryan, called the legislation a “full toolbox” for Iowa schools to make their buildings safer. Sen. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, said Democrats support most of the options in the bill for improving school safety and security, but oppose the option to use the grant program to purchase guns.

A previous version of the bill included $3 million to fund the grant program. The latest version stripped out that funding; it could reappear at some form in a separate bill.

Changes to county supervisor representation advances

Black Hawk, Johnson and Scott counties would be required to change the way their county supervisors are elected under legislation approved by Senate Republicans.

Currently, counties have three options for electing supervisors: all voters select three members with no residency requirements; all voters select three members who must live in one of three population-equal districts; or and voters within each of three population-equal districts select three members who must live in those districts.

Under the bill, Senate File 2439, Iowa’s five largest counties would be required to use the third option for electing supervisors. Linn and Polk already use that method; Black Hawk, Johnson and Scott counties would be required to change their method.

Republican Senators argued the change is needed to ensure more rural representation on supervisor boards in Iowa’s largest counties. The bill passed the Senate on a party-line, 32-15 vote with all Republicans supporting and all Democrats opposing. It is now eligible for consideration in the House.

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau