Capitol Digest 2-17-10

A roundup of legislative and Statehouse items of interest for Wednesday, Feb. 17:

TEACHER PAY ON TRACK: Gov. Chet Culver said the state is on track to meet a multi-year commitment to raising teacher pay to the national average. Yearly pay for teachers in Iowa was 37

^th

in the nation one year ago; now it's up to 26

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nationally with an average salary of $45,664. “Iowa teachers lead the nation and it is time they earn a fair and living wage for the work they do, day in and day out,” said Culver – a former classroom teacher and coach -- during remarks to a gathering of educators. Judy Jeffrey, director of the state Department of Education, said Iowa is bucking the national trend, which is showing a decline in teacher pay due to tough economic times.

FEWER CORRECTIONS WORKERS: The state Department of Corrections has 104 fewer employees now than last July 1 – due in part to 69 layoffs last month – and 534 fewer than July 1, 2001, according to agency director John Baldwin. However, he said he hopes to be able to hire back 37 counselors if Gov. Chet Culver's proposed funding increase for fiscal 2011 wins legislative approval. Baldwin told the justices systems budget subcommittee Wednesday that his agency could lose between 200 and 350 current employees via the state's early-retirement incentive – a situation he's preparing for now since it takes up to six weeks to adequately train prison employees.

CULVER SIGNS NEW LAW: Gov. Chet Culver signed Senate File 2108 into law on Wednesday. The bill allows the attorney general to require automobile repair shops to return vehicles to their owners upon violation of existing consumer protection laws. “This is a common-sense approach which will allow relief for automobile owners who have been subject to illegal behavior by repair shops,” the governor said. “This does not apply to the vast majority of auto repair businesses in Iowa, which behave in the letter and spirit of the law.” S.F. 2108, which passed the House and Senate unanimously, requires businesses to return vehicles to owners, upon receipt of written notice by the attorney general that a deceptive act has occurred. This does not affect existing liens against vehicles held by repair shops against owners.

APPEALS COURT VACANCY: The State Judicial Nominating Commission is accepting applications until March 15 to fill the vacancy on the Iowa Court of Appeals that occurred when Court of Appeals Judge Robert Mahan retired last July 31. Due to state budget cuts, the Court of Appeals vacancy was left unfilled until now. The commission will meet in late March to select three nominees to submit to Gov. Chet Culver, who must make the appointment from the list of nominees. Nominees must be residents of the state, licensed to practice law in Iowa, and must be of such age that they will be able to serve an initial and one regular term of office before reaching the age of 72.

OH CANADA! The House and Senate passed resolutions honoring the economic, social and cultural ties between Iowa and the nation of Canada. Martin Loken, Canada's consul general and representative to the upper Midwest region, said his country values its relationship with Iowa, noting Canada is Iowa's No. 1 export market. Iowa sold $3.5 billion in goods to Canada in 2008 and overall trade amounted to nearly $8 billion – activities that helped support 78,000 Iowa jobs. Wednesday was declared “Canada Day at the Statehouse.

HOW GREAT IS THIS? Gov. Chet Culver signed memorandums of understanding with representatives of a dozen Iowa communities that have been designated as “Great Places” by the state Department of Cultural Affairs. The latest designees included Cedar Falls, Waterloo and Evansdale as the Cedar Valley great place; the Iowa City/Coralville/North Liberty area; the city of Marion; the Turkey River recreational corridor in Clermont, Elgin and Elkader; and Tama and Van Buren counties.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It's an election year. Probably both parties don't want to touch it with a 10-foot pole.” --Sen. Merlin Bartz, R-Grafton, commenting on “virtually nil” odds of lawmakers voting this session to allow the medical use of marijuana.