Lawmakers, think about working Iowans

Years ago, a mentor shared something that has stuck with me: A stupid action makes for a stupid result. He often said one should “know enough to know when you don’t know and admit it.”

I wish the Republican-led Iowa Legislature and Gov. Kim Reynolds lived by these words when creating policy.

It seems to me that if the Iowa Legislature truly desired a state where people want to live and work they would do everything in their power to support working families. That sadly has not been the case with the previous or current administration in Des Moines.

Here is a sampling of stupid actions that have had stupid results:

● Gutting Chapter 20 in an attempt to eliminate public sector unions. This action stripped workers’ rights in the public sector. It worsened Iowa’s teacher shortage and made working conditions worse for all public sector employees.

● Lowering the minimum wage in Iowa while other states raised theirs. A Republican bill preempted local counties from creating their own minimum wage scale. Four counties at that time raised their minimum wage and the bill rolled back those raises to $7.25 per hour. Iowa’s minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 since 2008. This also stripped control from locally elected officials, making the Iowa Legislature the minimum wage overlord.

● Keeping a system in place that allows for workers’ wages to be stolen. The last wage theft research by Common Good Iowa was completed in 2022. They found $900 million annually is stolen in some fashion from workers in Iowa. There are two wage theft investigators in the state for over 1 million workers. Employers caught stealing wages may have to pay it to the workers, but without penalties.

● Making public entities accept the lowest bid on building projects. This encourages out-of-state contractors paying low wages to move in. Many have little expertise, steal wages, use undocumented workers and in some cases violate child labor law. Their workers take Iowa money out of the state, costing Iowa businesses revenue.

● Stripping the state auditor of the ability to access certain state information. This enables those holding power in Des Moines to essentially go unchecked with little oversight in certain areas. Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand called it the worst pro-corruption bill in Iowa history.

●Sending public money to private schools, tapping tax revenue desperately needed by public schools. Private schools now have 100% of the say when it comes to who they accept have zero oversight, have zero elected officials to monitor their use of tax dollars and can spend this public money on anything they like without answering for it. They can raise their tuition any time.

●Cutting workers’ compensation benefits, unemployment benefits and weakening child labor protections do nothing to attract a skilled workforce either.

Pay attention, our state is spiraling to the bottom and once the federal money stops rolling in, that surplus they brag about will not be a surplus anymore. Hold officials accountable for their actions regardless of party affiliation and we can make our state one where more people will want to live and work.

Rick Moyle is executive director, Hawkeye Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO