New education, insurance, water quality bills introduced

By Kate Hayden, khayden@charlescitypress.com

After a lower-than-anticipated rise in public school student aid and a controversial fight over public employee bargaining rights early in the session, Iowa legislators are trying to soften expenses on schools with two new bills.

Sen. Waylon Brown, R-St. Ansgar, said he will be reviewing the newly offered Senate Study Bill 1124 from the Education Committee that will address aspects of school district transportation cost inequities. Brown couldn’t say yet whether he supports the bill, he told the Press.

“Right now I’m looking through to see if this has in it what I am after,” Brown said. “Level out the education inequity. This has more than transportation inequity — it has other issues I did not realize would be in there.”

The bill would establish a “supplementary weighting plan,” with the intent to provide additional funds separate from public school district’s physical plant and equipment levy funds. Rural district officials have often cited bus transportation as part of the widening inequity gap between urban and rural districts. Officials say rural schools are forced to use more of their limited budgets to pay for vehicles, gas and related expenses.

By 6:30 p.m., the bill was unanimously passed by the Senate Education Committee.

Rep. Todd Prichard, D-Charles City, co-signed House File 411 with author Rep. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, and several other co-signing Democrats. The bill is intended to grant supplemental aid to public school districts “with an unusual increase in students eligible for free and reduced price meals.”

“The bill tries to give some flexibility in providing funding,” Prichard said, but no Republicans have co-signed, putting the bill’s chances for a committee hearing in doubt.

Prichard and Brown will host a public forum at the Chickasaw County Farm Bureau on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Senate

Brown is also introducing Senate File 171 with Sen. Amanda Ragan, D-Mason City. The bill is intended as protection for those who hold a life insurance policy and are harmed or killed by a person named as a policy beneficiary.

“It came from an issue that came up in Worth County,” Brown said. “It says that if someone does do harm to an individual, and they’re the beneficiary, that individual is not entitled (to the benefits).”

Senate Study Bill 1079, known as the “Hands-Free” bill, comes out of a subcommittee meeting Brown took part in and bans the use of hand-held communication devices while driving a vehicle. The bill exempts GPS systems.

“I think it will be a good piece of legislation, but it’s probably not in it’s final form yet,” Brown said.

The Senate is at work on other bills to be proposed.

“We haven’t really touched on any tax legislation yet,” Brown said. “We touched on a piece of legislation for first homeowners’ savings accounts, so that people can contribute to into a savings account.”

 House

The House Agriculture Committee introduced a bi-partisan water quality bill on Wednesday, Prichard said.

“It should be a more far-reaching bill, but it is a good bill. Lots of positives but the funding has some issues,” Prichard said.

House Study Bill 135 creates a water quality infrastructure fund, establishes new programs and creates a state water service excise tax. The bill funds changes by taking money from the Renew Iowa Infrastructure Fund, Prichard said.

“That fund has been raided a lot and deals with big capital projects,” he said.

He added that he does support the bill, which will create grants and awards for water quality improvement packages.

“It’s a pretty solid bill and it’s focused on watersheds, where it’s needed,” Prichard said.