Week in Iowa, Feb. 6, 2023: Recap of news from across the state

Reynolds signs 3 percent school funding: Funding for Iowa’s K-12 public schools will increase by around $106.8 million under a law Gov. Kim Reynolds signed last week, more than she initially requested but less than schools said they needed.

That amounts to a 3 percent increase over last year, bringing total school funding to $3.7 billion. The per-pupil cost for each student will be $7,635. The measure passed both the House and Senate with mostly Republican support. Democrats argued the funding was not enough to keep up with the rate of inflation and prevent budget cuts.

GOP proposal would loosen child labor laws: An Iowa bill would loosen child labor laws in a bid to improve workforce issues in the state. The bill, which cleared its first hurdle last week, would open more jobs to 14-year-olds, such as working in freezers and meat lockers and loading and unloading vehicles. It also would allow 14- to 17-year-olds to seek waivers to work in more labor-intensive industries like manufacturing and mining.

National Dems confirm early primary calendar: National Democrats drove another nail in the Iowa caucuses' coffin last weekend, approving changes to their 2024 primary calendar that stripped the state party of its first-in-the-nation status. The Democratic National Committee approved the calendar passed by the rules committee in December, giving early waivers to South Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Georgia and Michigan.

Medical malpractice bill awaiting Reynolds' signature: Cash awards for non-economic damages from medical malpractice lawsuits would be capped at $2 million for hospitals and $1 million for doctors under a bill that is close to becoming law. The measure passed both the Iowa House and Senate last week, and Gov. Kim Reynolds is expected to sign it in the coming week.

Supporters of the caps, which included health care providers, said they were needed to attract doctors to the state, keep medical centers financially stable and keep insurance rates competitive in the state. Opponents argued the measure limits the ability of families and victims to seek justice and said large medical malpractice verdicts are not a major problem in Iowa.

Regents cancel health care union negotiations: The University of Iowa's governing body has canceled upcoming negotiations with the union representing thousands of health care workers at University of Iowa Health Care. The union accused the Board of Regents of violating Iowa laws around public employee unions after the negotiations were canceled.

Lawmakers call for strict abortion ban: Two lawmakers called for a "life at conception" act banning all abortions during an anti-abortion rally at the Iowa Capitol last week. Luana Stoltenberg, a Republican from Davenport, said she would introduce the measure in the near future. Republican leaders have said they would not consider new abortion restrictions until the state Supreme Court decides on a 2018 law banning abortions at six weeks.

They said ...

“Public school funding has not kept up with the rising cost of inflation for 12 of the last 13 years … Inflation coupled with fixed costs means that no matter the ebb and flow of a student population, our schools need more funding to provide a robust and healthy student environment.” — Mike Beranek, Iowa State Education Association president, on school funding.

"This results in a $1.19 billion increase in K-12 education funding since 2012. This investment represents our commitment to an excellent education system for all Iowans." — Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds on school funding.

Odds and ends

E-Verify mandate advances: Iowa employers would be required to check the federal E-Verify system to see if applicants are eligible to work in the U.S. under a bill advanced in the Iowa House last week. The Senate has passed the bill in previous years, but it has never cleared the House, and lawmakers expressed skepticism that it will advance further this year.

Restitution rules could change: Judges would be able to consider offenses committed by a victim of violent crime against the offender before requiring the offender to pay restitution under a bill being considered in the Legislature. The legislation was inspired by the 2022 case of a Des Moines woman and sex trafficking victim who killed the man who she said had repeatedly raped her.

Water cooler

2024 watch: As the 2024 Republican caucuses loom, former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley will be visiting Iowa this month, according to national reports, as she plans to announce a run for president. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who also is laying the groundwork for a presidential run, will be visiting Cedar Rapids this week after a Pence-connected group announced an ad buy in Iowa.

COVID cases back up: Iowa's new COVID-19 cases were up in the week ending Wednesday for the first time in a month. The state reported 1,517 new cases, up from 1,495 the week before. There were 122 Iowans hospitalized with the virus compared to 135 last week.