Category: Local

Click here: The number of federal crimes you can now commit has increased 50% since just 1980.

Click here: Homeownership rate lowest in 25 years

News from the Hill…

This week in the Iowa House we debated the Senate’s version of the Gun Bill, SF 427.  This bill legalized the use of suppressors in accordance with federal law.  The House sent over a much more comprehensive bill that they refused to take up.  Instead the Senate chose to start a new bill and sent it over.  Representative Matt Windschitl who has been working hard on second amendment issues over his nine year career as a legislator floor managed this bill in the Iowa House.  The house amended the Senate file with H-1177, which was a strike after amendment.  This amendment strikes the Senate language that classified a suppressor as an offensive weapon, making suppressors legal in Iowa.  The House amendment also added much of the language that was in the House File, but not all.  The amendment passed on a voice vote and then the amended bill passed with 73 voting aye, 25 voting nay and 2 absent or not voting.  I voted for this amendment and bill.

 First-Time Home Buyers…

The Ways and Means Committee passed HSB 234 which establishes a first-time home buyer’s savings account.  The bill sets up the frame work to encourage first-time home buyers to start saving for their first home.  To qualify for a home mortgage the buyer usually has to come up with a percentage of the purchase price for a down payment.  This bill would help encourage buyers to start saving a head of time for their down payment before they purchased their first primary home.  The bill allows a qualified individual to deduct up to $3,000 or $6,000 per qualified married couple annually of their saving off the adjusted gross income.  This bill also provides that if a withdrawal is made for a purpose other than an eligible cost, an account holder will have to add all of the tax deductions they previously took back into their taxable income.  This bill passed out of committee with 24 voting aye, 0 voting nay and 1 absent or not voting.  I voted for this bill.

Uninsured Motorist…

One of the bills we passed out the Ways and Means Committee last week was debated and passed on the house floor this week.  The bill, HF 606, formerly HF 514 & HSB 97 started in the House Commerce Committee.  Several years ago Iowa passed a mandatory insurance for individuals who have a driver’s license.  The problem with present law is the only way to check that an individual has insurance is if they are stopped by law enforcement they have to provide proof of insurance.  This bill establishes a data base that is updated and law enforcement will be able to check to see if people with driver’s license are insured.  The number of uninsured motorist is too high and those of us who are insured are paying for the accidents of those who are not insured.  It is time for them to pay their own way.  I voted for this bill in Commerce, Ways and Means and on the House floor.  The bill heads over to the senate for debate in that chamber after receiving a vote of 75 voting aye, 23 voting nay and 2 absent or not voting.

Anti-Bullying…

The State of Iowa passed anti-bullying legislation in 2008.   For the third year Governor Branstad has wanted to broaden present law on anti-bullying.   A child being bullied on the playgrounds is nothing new, but with the use of social media the act is taking a new dimension.  While we all agree that no child should have to experience the threat of being bullied.  The question is who should be responsible for taking action when a child is bullied.  The most obvious answer is anyone who knows that the offense is being committed.   But should the Legislature start dictating who should be responsible and how they should handle every situation that may occur?  I don’t think so.  School officials and teachers certainly should not be held responsible if the event is occurring off school grounds.  Part of the problem with cyber bullying is society has given children social media tools to communicate with other children.  Then we expect them to act like adults.  While it is never okay for one person to say something derogatory to/about another person saying it over social media compounds the issue and can make it linger on in to perpetuity.  This is a very serious problem that is growing, but is it the government that can solve this?  I would like to know what your thoughts are on how to combat bullying and cyber bullying.

“Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.” – Ronald Reagan

For more information on these and other bills:  www.legis.iowa.gov

Until next time,

Tom Sands

News from the Hill…

This week there was a balance of debate and committee meetings.  But the number of bills being debated continues to be lower than normal, which can be a good thing.  One of the biggest bills that the legislature debated this week was setting the school start date.  Everybody seems to have an opinion on this bill that ranged from letting local school boards set the date to present law of not allowing schools to start the school before the week of September 1 without a waiver.  The problem with the way the present law has been enforced is contrary to the original intent of the law by the legislature several years ago.  The waiver system was clearly broken because all waivers requested were granted.  Across this state schools were starting anywhere from the first week of August to Labor Day.  The bill will change the school start date to no earlier than the 23^rd of August.  This seemed to be the most workable compromise between all of the  different people of Iowa.

Revenue Estimating Conference…

Last Thursday afternoon I attended the Revenue Estimating Conference meeting to hear firsthand of their prediction for the upcoming fiscal outlook.  While there are some positive signs they also shared lots of concerns of the Ag economy, Ag business, growing strength of the dollar and trade relations with China.  Everybody knows this is going to be a couple of tough budget years, and it got a little tougher last week.  While we have growth in the revenues, it will be modest growth next year.  We are expecting that state revenue will exceed the current spending levels by $181 million for fiscal year 2016.  At the same time the Legislative Services Agency has projected the growth of an additional $455 million in expenses.  Much of the growth in expenditures come from laws that have been approved in previous sessions.  This increase in expenditures would include the business property tax credit, some education funding, and backfill for local governments.  Medicaid’s projected costs would exceed the new available revenue if adjustments are not made to the program.  While K-12 funding will be increased, many other state programs and agencies will not.  In fact, it should be very obvious that additional cuts will have to be made to provide the additional funds for our schools.  So to provide even more money to schools, there would have to be severe cuts made elsewhere!

 Ways and Means…

We had two committee meetings this week.  The first meeting was a presentation on the local option sales tax (LOST).  The purpose of this presentation was to inform the members of present law and how it has become unworkable in Polk and Dallas Counties.  Many of the cities in the Metro area are contingent and overlap two counties.

The second committee meeting we passed out five bills.  One of the bills was HSB 161 which legalizes the sale and use of fireworks.  Presently Iowa is one of four states that do not permit the sale of fireworks.  One of the other bills was HF 192 which came from Judiciary Committee.  This bill makes some changes to the informal review process for a property owner who wants to appeal their assessment.  The bill also moves the application date for the Business Property Tax Credit back to July 1 which is the same date of all other property tax credits.  Both of these bills were amended in committee and will be redrafted with a new bill number.  I voted for these two bills and they head to the house floor for debate.

“If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.” – C. S. Lewis

For more information on these and other bills:  www.legis.iowa.gov

Until next time,

Tom Sands