Legislators give updates over coffee

Rep. Ray Sorensen (R-Greenfield) and Sen. Jake Chapman (R-Adel) held a coffee with constituents at The Corner last Friday in Greenfield.

Sorensen explained in his opening comments that the first funnel deadline had passed and debates are picking up in the House and the Senate.

Sorensen said some priorities for state legislators this session are childcare, broadband, education and healthcare. Constituents also asked questions of these issues during the coffee. Chapman’s opening update included his Ways and Means committee work and education funding.

Education

Susie Olesen of Greenfield expressed her concern about efforts to boost funding for K-12 education, specifically that she believes that it won’t help rural schools like Nodaway Valley and Orient-Macksburg, which have lower enrollment in comparison to larger districts, because it is per-pupil based. One example Olesen provided was Nodaway Valley’s struggle to fund the hiring of additional teachers.

“When you say $99 million, that sounds like a lot of money, but what gets back to the local school districts doesn’t even cover the cost of doing business,” Olesen said. “I just don’t know how schools can go on with that.”

Iowa public schools will receive a 2.3% increase in per-pupil state aid under SF2142, which passed both chambers of the state Legislature last Wednesday.

According to the bill, the state will invest $85.57 million in supplemental state aid for Iowa schools in addition to a package of more than $13 million in SF2164 that Gov. Kim Reynolds signed Feb. 25. Legislators have also agreed to adding $7.65 million for transportation equity and $5.8 million for per-pupil equity. The statewide cost per pupil will increase by $158. The FY21 state cost per pupil for the state will be $7,038.

“Myself and a few of the teachers in the caucus pushed for 3%. We lost our battle or at least had to compromise down to 2.5. Then there’s a whole other chamber with other ideas and other priorities. They said 2.1, so again, it’s a building of compromise,” Sorensen said.

Diane Jungmann of Greenfield asked if there could be another way funding could be determined rather than per-pupil.

“I think you have to do per-pupil, otherwise you get into a constitutional issue,” Chapman said. “That’s why we did transportation funding because how far do you have to travel on your bus routes compared to Waukee? It’s a lot longer, you have to employ more people and have more fuel costs. We’re trying to balance.”

Healthcare

Barbara Kalbach of Dexter asked what the legislature is doing about healthcare in relation to mental health issues in schools and rural healthcare.

The bills Sorensen highlighted include HF2253, which is a bill requiring price transparency for prescription drugs sold here; HF2138, which relates to prescription insulin drugs and coverage by policies, contracts or plans, providing for third-party payment or prepayment of health or medical expenses that provide coverage for prescription drugs; HF2383 which relates to the percentage of Iowa resident students who will attend post-secondary or postgraduate studies at Iowa's medicine or dentistry schools; HF2192, which is an act relating to reimbursements for health care services provided to covered persons by telehealth and including applicability provisions.

Childcare

Sorensen listed several bills as highlights as to what the legislature is doing relating to healthcare.

HF227 creates an exemption from the computation of net income for the individual income tax of amounts paid to a child or dependent care provider. HF2041, HF2083 and 2175 are each working to incentivise employers to offer or expand their offerings of childcare. HF2600 would establish a child care workforce state matching grants program and fund administered by the early childhood Iowa state board to award matching state grants to eligible communities and making an appropriation.

Mental health

Kalbach questioned the legislators on what is being done by the legislature to deal with mental health issues, especially those seen in schools.

Several different pieces relating to mental health in public schools was added into the supplemental state aid. According to Chapman, these funds could allow the hiring of more behavioral health professionals who could then help students in need. It could also provide for immunity for teachers, bus drivers or other staff to reasonably diffuse a situation without fear of litigation.

“Teachers are not psychologists, they’re there to teach subjects and you really have to get a professional whose main focus really is behavioral health and knows all the aspects of that behavioral health as opposed to simply a principal,” Chapman said. “There’s an underlying issue typically.”

Other topics

The legislators heard from constituents asking about the restoration of voting rights for felons once they discharge their sentence, medical marijuana and CBD and how our laws interchange with surrounding states, funding for water quality, broadband accessibility, general healthcare issues and whether they’re federal or state responsibilities, housing in rural communities and trespassing laws.