Capitol Briefs 2-18

A roundup of legislative and Statehouse items of interest for Thursday, Feb. 18

RECOVERY STUDY: State officials hope Iowans will have a better understanding of how disaster recovery dollars have impacted the state economically when a study being done by an Iowa State University economist is completed later this year. ISU economist David Swenson is looking at the economic impact of disaster recovery funding related to the 2008 tornadoes and floods.

The 2008 disasters are considered the worst natural disaster on record to hit the state, and are currently ranked as one of the largest natural disasters in U.S. history, according to FEMA Public Assistance figures.

The final report, due to come out this summer, will include expended disaster funds through June of 2010. A preliminary report on the disasters through December of 2009 estimated that $665.2 million in recovery assistance spending had resulted in $997.6 million in total industrial output, and $336.9 million in labor incomes had supported the equivalent of 8,543 jobs in the state.

To read a copy of the preliminary report, click on the following link:

http://www.rio.iowa.gov/resources/reports/Statewide_Economic_Impacts_of_Disaster_Payments.pdf

BRINGING BACK PHEASANTS: The Iowa House voted Thursday to allow landowners to raise and release pen-reared pheasants.

Rep. John Beard, D-Decorah, said the pheasants' habitat, especially in southern Iowa, has been hurt by a succession of wet springs, coupled with severe winters.

He said there are simply no birds to repopulate some of these areas.

“Generally, pen-raised birds are not as vigorous as wild birds,” Beard said. “They do not survive well, and they do not reproduce well. But recognizing the attachment that we have to this bird in this state, I think it's only fair that we allow landowners that are willing to commit the energy and the resources to try and bring birds back on their properties.”

ATTORNEY GENERAL FUNDING: Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is urging lawmakers not to cut more general fund dollars to his office. The office is seeing roughly $7.7 million in general fund money this year, down from $9 million in fiscal year 2001. Miller said the office cannot take any more cuts if it is to continue its work on criminal cases and defending the state in lawsuits. The office currently has a 10 percent vacancy rate. “If we can just stay where we're at, we think we can make do,” Miller said.

IOWA LEGAL AID: An agency that provides legal help for people who cannot afford it is asking state lawmakers to pitch in more dollars to deal with a dramatically rising caseload. Iowa Legal Aid is reporting a 145 percent increase in 2009 for requests for help in foreclosure and forfeiture cases. Requests for help in domestic violence cases are up 23 percent; requests for help in unemployment compensation benefits are up 63 percent. “Hard economic times mean more people need access to legal services for civil problems and this is reflected in our increased case numbers,” said executive director Dennis Groenenboom. He said the appropriation this year after cuts is about $1.75 million. They are seeking a state appropriation of $2.8 million for fiscal year 2011.

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 37th in the nation one year ago; now it's up to 26th nationally with an average salary of $48,638. “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.

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.

DOT COMMISSION TO VISIT WASHINGTON: Members of the Iowa Transportation Commission will travel to Washington, D.C., March 3 and 4 to meet with members of Iowa's congressional delegation regarding federal surface transportation bill reauthorization, an update on federal stimulus funding, and annual and long-term funding needs. Other discussion topics may include potential changes in federal transportation programs, the federal, state and local roles in surface transportation programs, aviation and rail transportation.

AUDITOR REVIEWS TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM: An audit of the Transportation Enhancement Program of the Iowa Department of Transportation found inconsistencies in verifying the source of funds used for local matches and monitoring the reasonableness of in-kind match amounts reported as part of local match by project sponsors, according to State Auditor David Vaudt. The report is available for review at http://auditor.iowa.gov/specials/index.html

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “None of us eat our lunch in a toilet stall, and probably even more appropriate, none of us prepare our meals in a toilet stall and yet we're requiring many working mothers to do just that for their infants.” -- Sen. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, in advocating for Senate File 2270, a bill approved on a 29-15 vote to require that an employer make a “reasonable effort” to make a workplace accommodation for a female worker who wishes to express breast milk for an infant or toddler during a break time, a meal time or both.