Legislative issues covered over coffee

One of the latest items on the table during the Iowa legislative session was a property tax reform plan unveiled by lawmakers last week.

Senator Amy Sinclair and Representative Ray “Bubba” Sorensen, Republicans from Allerton and Greenfield, respectively, outlined the plan for a full room of people gathered at The Olive Branch Friday morning in Greenfield, during a legislative coffee there.

A rundown of the property tax proposal may be found in Sorensen’s newsletter, printed on page 2 of this week’s edition.

Education funding

A constituent asked why so many Iowa schools are on a budget guarantee, which means a school can raise their budget by 1%. The constituent said that when these districts have the state supplemental aid increase plus 1%, they have to raise property taxes. The constituent asked if it seems legislators are simply shifting taxes to be more local. Sinclair replied by clarifying what a budget guarantee is and said legislators aren’t decreasing funding for schools, pointing out that SSA is still an increase in funding that goes back to school districts. The senate was at 2% and the house of representatives 2.25% on recent proposals. Sinclair stated that if a school is on a budget guarantee, it means it is educating fewer students. A budget guarantee is designed for consistency because school budgets rely so heavily on enrollment. The constituent stated that if Nodaway Valley were not to go on a budget guarantee, the SSA increase would have to be 5%. They also said that enrollment loss doesn’t happen in one grade, it is sprinkled throughout the district. While it may cost less to educate students, some costs are still there because enrollment loss isn’t uniform.

Town halls

A constituent pointed out that town hall meetings with legislators are appreciated and asked why U.S. Representative Zach Nunn, a Republican from Polk County, hasn’t done any lately. Sinclair and Sorensen said they would reach out to Nunn if there are any specific concerns brought up. The constituent said Nunn’s staffers told him that he didn’t want any funding going to Ukraine, however Nunn told the constituent otherwise in person.

School dissolution

One constituent thanked Sinclair and Sorensen for working with the Orient-Macksburg dissolution commission to clarify dates in legislation that will help school districts that look to dissolve in the future. The legislators said dates were missing or needing adjusted in the legislation and a new version was proposed that corrects that.

Funding for veterans affairs

A constituent asked about funding for veterans and wondered if a certain piece of funding that allows $10,000 to each county’s veterans affairs commission could be widened and able to be spent on more things that veterans actually need, rather than simple operating costs. Sorensen said there is a bill (House File 910) relating to some of this but isn’t sure of its sustainability if it would get to appropriations. Sorensen also said veterans affairs is oftentimes more of a federal issue, but legislators are doing what they can to help veterans. He was also concerned about future consolidation within the department and warned against that. Sinclair added that the senate has looked at the state veterans affairs priorities, one of which increases the cap on the veterans trust fund to $75 million.

Grocery reimbursement bill

A constituent asked about a grocery reimbursement bill and what that is. Sorensen said the grocery reinvestment fund (HF 550) creates a grocer reinvestment local produce processing grant that appropriates $2 million to the fund for the next two years. It could modify the local food and farm program but still needs to go through more scrutiny.

“Some of these bills we’ve mentioned that have survived funnel still have a long way to go,” Sorensen said. “It’s not like they’re a heartbeat away from being law.”

Sinclair explained this would change a post-COVID realization of how vulnerable the food supply chain can be. She said there is not a bill in the Senate that matches HF 550.

A constituent made a comment about a constitutional amendment stemming from Attorney General Brenna Bird about children testifying in court saying he doesn’t think children should have to directly face their perpetrator in court, but other technology could be utilized. The constituent said it shouldn’t be a constitutional amendment, but Sinclair said the reason it is given as such is due to language that needs clarified from the Iowa Supreme Court who “cited the constitution as the problem.”

“It’s a Supreme Court ruling that led us to stop allowing video testimony for kiddos. It’s a bad, bad deal and we’re trying to fix it, but we don’t want to fix it to the detriment of the rights of the accused,” Sinclair said. “I don’t think anybody wants to make kids be in a room with someone who has abused them, so we just have to make sure we’re doing it right. That’s the reason it has come out the way it is.”

Pesticide labeling

A constituent asked about Senate File 394, which is an act relating to pesticides, by providing for tort liability. Sinclair said the bill is out of committee, so it survived the first funnel. She said it protects manufacturers from the accusation of mislabeling if they have actually followed industry-specific labeling guidelines. Those harmed by pesticides can still file suit against manufacturers on other grounds. The constituent said their concern about the right to sue for failure to warn being taken away is that when the EPA makes that decision, labeling can be obsolete. Tobacco labeling is similar. Sinclair repeated that the proposed legislation doesn’t prevent action, it only prevents action based on labels as required by law. Sorensen said he doesn’t think the House likes this bill. Sinclair said there are other ways to accomplish the desired goal than SF 394.

Trump vs. Zelenskyy conversation

A constituent asked the legislators about their personal opinion of the tone of a recent meeting between President Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy that some say didn’t end well. Sorensen said you have to be able to negotiate and thought Trump was in line with the fact that you’re not always going to agree on things, that it’s up to him and he’s doing what he’s been elected to do. Sinclair said the encounter maybe wasn’t how she would have handled it, but they walked in with the understanding that they were signing a minerals agreement and isn’t sure what people thought would happen under the circumstances of the conversation.

Accountability with ESAs

A constituent asked about educational savings accounts and the accountability within the system, wondering if the cost has really been counted on the availability of ESAs. The constituent asked Sorensen directly what he is going to do to help rural public schools that are struggling. Sorensen said that in the case of ESAs, the money follows a student and he was for a federal poverty level cap. The representative said there is oversight for ESAs from the Department of Education. Sorensen refuted any claims that there isn’t adequate money spent on public schools. He re-stated that he is for the money following the student.

Funding question

A constituent asked about a measure dating back to 2010 that called for a sales tax increase to benefit clean water, parks, trails and conservation that was never put into effect. Sinclair summed up that it would have taken effect if another sales tax was implemented, but it has not been.