Iowa House votes to abolish compensation boards; supervisors would set salaries

DES MOINES - The Iowa House has voted to abolish compensation boards and place responsibility for setting county elected officials' salaries with boards of supervisors.

'If supervisors want to give themselves a raise, then own it,” bill manager Rep. Megan Jones, R-Spencer, said about a bill that she said was about 'smaller, smarter government … truth in government … transparency in government.”

The House also approved changes in domestic abuse sentencing laws and modified Department of Transportation enforcement officers' authority.

House File 528 would replace compensation boards that are appointed by county officials to recommend wage adjustments supervisors, auditors, recorders, treasurers, sheriffs and county attorneys. Under current law, the supervisors then approve, reduce or reject the compensation board's recommendation.

Jones and others on the prevailing side of the 53-45 vote to send the bill to the Senate said salaries should be set by the supervisors who ultimately determine the county budget. All the Democrats present and five Republicans voted against the bill.

The bill came to the floor calling for the compensation board to be replaced with a five-member panel appointed by city councils and township trustees.

However, Rep. Guy Vander Linden, R-Oskaloosa, proposed striking the bill and having the supervisors set salaries for themselves and other elected county officials.

Rep. Mary Gaskill, D-Ottumwa, the former Wapello County auditor, called the amendment and bill 'wrong, wrong, wrong.” The compensation board allows citizens input into the salary process, she said.

Compensation boards, she said, are intended to figure in other county salaries, public and private sector wages and other outside factors to determine wage recommendations.

Currently, each Iowa county has a seven-member county compensation board, which has two members appointed by the Board of Supervisors and one each named by the county attorney, auditor, recorder, sheriff and treasurer.

DOMESTIC ABUSE

Every nine seconds a woman is battered or abused, usually by a domestic partner, Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Bondurant, said in introducing House File 263 that would establish a one-year mandatory minimum sentence for domestic abuse, third offense.

'They need and require time in prison,” Nunn said.

House File 263 establishing a mandatory minimum for domestic abusers would not end domestic violence, 'but we can make a first step in providing the clarity, the ability of the survivor to have some space and opportunity to recover after habitual offenders consistently attacked and violated the law,” Nunn said.

However, Rep. Mary Wolfe, D-Clinton, called the bill misleading because people convicted of domestic abuse, third offense, now serve an average of 17 months in prison.

In addition to identifying the crimes of stalking and harassment as they relate to domestic partner relationships, the bill would prevent unauthorized GPS devices being placed on a victim's car so they can be monitored and stalked. It also would allow the state Board of Parole to electronically monitor offenders at their expense.

The bill was approved 89-8.

dot officers

Iowa DOT enforcement officers, often called 'blue jackets,” would be able to enforce traffic laws but would continue to be primarily involved in commercial motor vehicle enforcement under House File 463, which was approved 90-8.

Under an amendment to the bill, DOT enforcement officers could ticket 'egregious offenders: such as those traveling at speed 20 mph or more over the limit, operating while intoxicated and reckless driving,” Rep. Gary Worthan, R-Storm Lake, said.

Former Iowa State Patrol trooper Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield, warned that the bill was the 'nose of the camel under the tent” and would lead to two separate state police agencies with two separate contracts, budgets and sets of supervisors.

'That's not good,” Baudler said. The only way to alleviate problems will be for one agency to take over the other and replace all of its supervisors.

STEP THERAPY

The House also voted 98-0 to approve HF 233 creating a step therapy override. Step therapy is a process in which patients must start with the most cost-effective or safest drug, moving to more costly or risky therapy only after those treatments fail. It's a way for insurers to control costs and minimize risks.

Advocates say it makes sense the vast majority of the time, but there are instances when exemptions are needed.

The bill would allow patients and their doctors to request an override or exemption if the prescription drug required under the step therapy protocol might cause an adverse reactions such as decreased ability to achieve or maintain reasonable functional ability, cause physical or mental harm, or the prescription drug is expected to be ineffective based on the known clinical characteristics of the covered person.

Some lawmakers were concerned that House File 233 exempted Medicaid recipients.

Rep. Tom Moore, R-Griswold, said it was his understanding that was to avoid rewriting contracts with the managed care organizations providing Medicaid services.

l Comments: (319) 398-8375; james.lynch@thegazette.com