Capitol Digest 3-25-09

Here are some legislative items of interest for Wednesday, March 25:

SENATE CONFIRMATIONS: The Iowa Senate voted 49-0 to confirm 60 Iowans who were nominated by Gov. Chet Culver to serve on various boards and commissions. Included among the the appointees who exceeded the two-thirds affirmative vote for confirmation were Greta Johnson, state Board of Regents; Mike Blouin and Loree Miles, state Transportation Commission; Andrea Rivera-Harrison, state Racing and Gaming Commission; Robert Bernsten (chairman) and Krista Tanner, Iowa Utilities Board; Peter Hemken and Mary Norton, Iowa Power Fund Board; Regenia Bailey, Vision Iowa Board; Kate Gronstal, Generation Iowa Commission.

SWEET DEAL: Members of the U.S. 30 Coalition of Iowa offered free ice cream sundaes at the Capitol in hopes of sweetening support for making the highway a coast-to-coast four-lane road. Coalition president Edith Pfeffer of Clinton said there remains a number of two-lane “bubbles” along the route from Harrison County to Clinton County but “our bubbles are getting smaller.” The group has been coming to the Capitol since 1996 to promote modernizing U.S. 30 to improve public safety and economic growth.

LIBRARY USE UP: Iowa's libraries are asking lawmakers to increase state funding to support what they say is a dramatic increase in use. Mike Dargan of the Waterloo Public Library said libraries are providing help to Iowans with economic difficulties. “We're seeing a lot of traffic now – people who no longer have their traditional entertainment venues, so they come to the library for their recreational purposes,” Dargan said.  Those looking for work are using the Internet access at the library to search for or apply for jobs, Dargan said.

DRUNKEN BOATING: A bill that would make Iowa's law for intoxicated boaters more similar to its .08 drunken driving laws moved a step further Wednesday. The House Public Safety Committee approved the measure, but added a provision that enforcement officers would have to have reasonable suspicion before taking action. Currently, the threshold for operating a motorized boat while intoxicated is .10 percent blood alcohol content.

PAY-DAY LOAN REDUX: The Senate Ways and Means Committee decided Wednesday to take another run at regulating pay-day loans to prevent people from being saddled with costly interest charges. Senate Study Bill 1307 proposes to limit a loan that a delayed-deposit service businesses can issue to an individual to 90 days per year as a way to curb the roll-over effect associated with pay-day loans, said Sen. Roger Stewart, D-Preston. The bill also provides an option for a loan repayment schedule of biweekly payments or not more than 10 percent of the face of the check until the debt is paid in full. Stewart said the legislation represents an alternative approach to efforts to cap interest rates charged for pay-day loans.

BENEFIT CHANGES: The Iowa Senate voted 39-10 to establish a presumption that cancer and infectious diseases are work-related illnesses for the purposes of disabilities and death benefits for firefighters and police under the statewide 411 pension system. Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Cedar Falls, said 18 states have similar disability provisions. Provisions of Senate File 226 would increase contributions for the 3,881 affected police and firefighters by up to $30 a year. Sen. David Hartsuch, R-Bettendorf, said research studies have not established a fact basis to warrant the legislation.

NEW COUNSELING OPTION: A new mental health counseling program, called Ticket to Hope, that targets people directly affected by last year's weather-related disasters is being offered through the state Department of Human Services. Sen. Merlin Bartz, R-Grafton, said the program, funded by a $3.3 million block grant, will allow people in need of mental health services to receive up to eight psychotherapy sessions with an approved mental health provider. Access to the program will occur through the Iowa Concern Hotline, which will determine eligibility, authorize services, and submit claims.

SPEECHIFYING: Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the first woman elected in 2006 to represent Minnesota in the U.S. Senate, will be the keynote speaker at the Iowa Democratic Women's Summit on Saturday. The event sponsored by the Democratic Activist Women's Network at the State Historical Building in Des Moines also will include panel discussions featuring state and local office holders and other Democratic women in leadership roles throughout the state. Tickets for the summit cost $25 in advance, $35 at the door.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It's people. That's plain and simple. That's the harsh reality of it. We've already been down to the bare bones with what we can work with. The rest is just personnel.” -- Rep. Ray Zirkelbach, D-Monticello, discussing budget cuts that likely will lead to state employee layoffs.

Compiled by Des Moines Bureau staff