Victims services cuts leave Iowa agencies uneasy, lawmakers divided

Victim service providers across the state are concerned that proposed cuts to state victims services could mean Iowans in need of resources feel the pinch.

The Justice Systems Appropriation Subcommittee's budget this week earmarked $559 million for Iowa's justice system in fiscal 2018, including money for the Board of Parole and the Departments of Justice, Corrections, Human Rights and Public Safety.

The proposed appropriation provides $5.02 million for victim assistance grants in fiscal 2018. That's a 22 percent, or $1.45 million cut. from the current fiscal year - a concern to Elizabeth Barnhill, executive director of the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

The budget is up for debate in the state Senate next week.

'It's not like our programs have any excess by any means, so any sort of cuts will mean cuts in services to survivors,” Barnhill said. 'What we were able to do with all of these reorganizations (in 2013) is we were able to get services in all of the counties. It's our concern that we won't be able to serve the rural counties.”

Barnhill said the reorganization expanding from serving 4,000 victims of sexual assault to 10,000.

'I don't believe that's because there are more people being assaulted. ... People were getting assaulted and not getting help,” she said. 'I'm just concerned that we would go back to where we were before and victims just wouldn't have what they need.”

Barnhill said she also foresees a loss to culturally specific programs.

'They can't sustain very much loss,” she said. 'You don't need barriers when you've been assaulted. You don't need to overcome language barriers or cultural norms to get the help you need.”

The Rape Victim Advocacy Program in Iowa City provides prevention programs and counseling, therapy and support groups for victims of sexual assault in seven counties in southeast Iowa plus the University of Iowa.

The program also answers the state Sexual Abuse Hotline for victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence.

The program had a fiscal 2017 operating budget of about $1.4 million, with 19 percent coming from state grants, said Adam Robinson, the program's executive director.

Robinson said the program is already putting an increased emphasis on fundraising.

'We understand that those in need of our services have done nothing to deserve” their predicaments, he said. 'Sexual violence is not an issue that targets a small section of the population. The last thing RVAP would do would put the burden of sustainability on those deserving our services. I think that our elected leaders have a significant opportunity to make sure sexual violence and domestic abuse issues aren't silenced, aren't allowed to be ignored.”

State Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, called the proposed $1.45 million cut a 'gut” of grants for domestic abuse and sexual assault organizations.

'We need to have programs in place that help people that have been made extremely vulnerable as a result of domestic violence,” Bolkcom said. 'This is something basic we ought to do.”

Janelle Malohn, director of the Iowa Attorney General's Crime Victim Assistance Division, said state funds made up 21 percent of the grants to victim service agencies, with the remaining 79 percent coming from federal dollars this fiscal year.

Rep. Gary Worthan, R-Storm Lake, chairman of the Justice Systems Appropriations Subcommittee, and Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Marion, a member of the subcommittee, said the funding cuts were fiscally responsible and that Iowa victims wouldn't feel the effects.

'In our conversations with the Attorney General's Office, we were told we could lower the state contribution, and it would not affect the amount of the matching federal grant,” Worthan said. 'We decided to do that, encouraging the Attorney General to take that cut out of administration (in the victim programs). We're trying to balance the need.”

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