Capitol Notebook: Wounded veterans advocacy group honors Miller-Meeks

The Wounded Warriors Project named Eastern Iowa Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks its Legislator of the Year in the U.S. House for 2024, the group announced.

According to the advocacy group for wounded and ill veterans, the award annually recognizes “outstanding legislative effort and achievement to improve the lives of post-9/11 wounded, ill and injured veterans.”

According to Wounded Warriors, the group honored Miller-Meeks for using her position as chair of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health to hold hearings and spotlight veterans issues like substance use disorders, care coordination, emerging mental health therapies and more. Miller-Meeks also has sponsored legislation that would improve veterans’ access to residential rehabilitation programs, expand long-term care options and increase non-opioid pain medications, the group said.

“Rep. Miller-Meeks is a veteran herself, having served 24 years in the U.S. Army Reserve, so it’s only natural she would be such a strong supporter of the veteran community,” Wounded Warrior Project Chief Executive Officer and retired Lt. Gen. Walter Piatt said in a statement. “But her service and commitment have gone above and beyond, time and time again, and her willingness to lead on important health issues will benefit thousands of veterans now and into the future.”

In the news release, Miller-Meeks, who faces re-election this fall, highlighted her work on legislation designed to, in her words, improve the effectiveness of the Veterans Affairs department, provide flexibility for veterans care and ensure the VA provides mammogram screening for female veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic environments.

“Supporting our veterans is both a duty and a privilege. As a veteran now serving in Congress … I’ve worked to make the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system more accessible and accountable and to improve VA services,” Miller-Meeks said in a statement. “I remain committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those who have served our nation.”

Iowa DOT approves nearly $10M for public transit projects

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The Iowa Transportation Commission, a body in the Iowa Department of Transportation, at its recent meeting approved $8 million in funding for 39 new public transit vehicles and $1.7 million to support four public transit projects.

Funds for the new public transit vehicles came through a Federal Transit Administration grant program and the Federal Highway Administration’s Carbon Reduction program. The 39 new vehicles are spread across 11 public transit systems, including four buses in Cedar Rapids and one in Iowa City.

Funding also went to help the purchase of buses in Atlantic, Davenport, Mason City, Muscatine, Dubuque, Sioux City and Waterloo.

The public transit projects receiving funding — which came from state funds — were $600,000 for infrastructure upgrades in Sioux City, bus storage in Ames, a parking garage and indoor storage in Mason City and bus storage in Davenport.

Feds approve Iowa’s school accountability plan

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The Iowa Department of Education’s updated state plan for school accountability and support, under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, has been approved by the U.S. Department of Education, the state department said.

The state’s plan, according to an Iowa Department of Education news release, uses a streamlined set of core indicators, including proficiency results in English language arts, math and science; student academic growth; chronic absenteeism; graduation rates; and postsecondary readiness.

The Iowa Department of Education consulted with superintendents, curriculum leaders, the state Board of Education, Area Education Agencies and leadership in major education associations in developing the plan, the department said.

“Thousands of Iowans participating in the Department’s consultation process helped build our transparent, world-class accountability system to support continuous improvement and celebrate school success,” Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow said in a statement. “Together, we will implement Iowa’s new school accountability system, reflecting high expectations for all students, incentivizing evidence-based instructional practices, and prioritizing partnership with schools most in need of support.”

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau

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