101
Accomplishments in 2008
* * Review all bills in the “bill
book” at
www.legis.state.ia.us * *
EDUCATION
1.
Provide 4% allowable growth for our
schools (HF
2140)
2.
Fully fund the teacher quality
initiative to raise teacher pay to
25th in nation (HF
2679)
3.
Provide second year of funding for
quality preschool initiative (HF
2679)
4.
Math and science initiative through
UNI and Grant Wood AEA (HF
2679)
5.
Statewide penny sales tax for school
infrastructure to replace local
option (HF
2663)
6.
Provide an additional $100,000 for
before and after school programs (SF
2417/HF
2679)
7.
Expand charitable incentives to help
low-income students attend private
schools (SF
601)
8.
Increase community college funding
by $10.6 million (HF
2679)
9.
Fully fund National Guard Education
Assistance ($3.8 million) (HF
2679)
10.
Increase assistance through Iowa
Tuition Grant Program by $2 million
(HF
2679)
11.
Provide $4 million for “All Iowa
Opportunity Scholarships” for
college (HF
2679)
12.
Add $1 million to college work study
grants for students (HF
2679)
13.
Exempt savings in “College Savings
Iowa 529 Plans” from inheritance tax
(HF
2673)
14.
Adopt statewide minimum core
curriculum (SF
2216)
15.
Establish state-wide “senior year
plus” program to help students earn
college credit (HF
2679)
HEALTH CARE
16.
Provide children's health care
coverage for all families under 300%
of poverty (HF
2539)
17.
Establish smoke-free workplaces
across the state (HF
2212)
18.
1% provider increase for hospitals,
physicians, and other medical
providers (SF
2425)
19.
“Rebase” hospital costs to draw down
additional federal funding under
Medicaid (HF
2700)
20.
Establish healthy children
initiative in our schools (SF
2425)
21.
Provide $100,000 for dental care for
underserved children through
University of Iowa (SF
2425)
22.
$130K in vision grants for
underserved kids (SF
2432)
23.
Family planning, pregnancy
counseling and support funding for
poor women (SF
2425)
24.
Increase tobacco prevention and
cessation by $1.5 million (SF
2425)
25.
Increase substance abuse treatment
by $1.3 million (SF
2425)
26.
Ensure patient access to patient’s
own medical records at reasonable
cost (HF
2700)
27.
Provide additional $12.7 million to
improve county mental health service
(SF
2425/HF
2700)
28.
Require plan for affordable health
insurance for uninsured adults by
December (HF
2539)
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
29.
Provide additional revenue from
truck registration fees to support
city and state roads (SF
2420)
30.
Establish new river enhancement
community grant program (SF
2430/SF
2432)
31.
Extend existing community
attractions grant program through
2013 (SF
2430)
32.
Provide $3 million for state
recreational trails program (SF
2432)
33.
Establish program to convert
low-head dams to recreational uses (SF
2430/SF
2432)
34.
Establish community
“microenterprise” grants to help
business start-ups (SF
2430)
35.
Tax incentives to attract web portal
based companies (HF
2233)
36.
Provide additional $200,000 for Main
Street program (HF
2687)
ENERGY
37.
Provide additional $25 million for Iowa Power Fund on alternative energy
research (HF
927)
38.
Provide additional production tax
credits for new wind energy projects
(SF
2405)
39.
Authorize utilities board to track and verify the sales of "green
tags" for renewable energy (SF
2405)
40.
Direct utilities to assess expansion
of energy efficiency and renewable
energy (SF
2386)
41.
Direct state building commissioner
to develop “green building”
standards (SF
2386)
42.
Make the state’s building energy
code applicable statewide (SF
517)
43.
Allow schools to use their physical
plant levy for energy saving
improvements (HF
2364)
44.
Mass transit and public transit
funding study (SF
2425/SF
2420/SF
2432)
45.
Provide $300,000 toward an Amtrak depot and platform in Dubuque (SF
2432)
46.
Expand state assistance for motor
fuel blender pumps and biodiesel (HF
2689)
47.
Establish $500,000 “sustainable
communities” economic development
program (HF
2699)
48.
Provide new tax credits for “green”
projects in brownfields (HF
2687)
ENVIRONMENT
49.
$18 million funding for REAP program
– highest level since 1991 (HF
2662/SF
2432)
50.
Charitable contribution tax credit
for gifts of land for permanent
conservation (HF
2700)
51.
First passage of proposed
constitutional amendment for natural
resources trust fund (SJR
2002)
52.
Require time-of-sale inspections and repairs to septic tanks (SF
261)
53.
Provide $5 million for watershed
improvement grants (SF
2432)
54.
Other clean water and soil conservation funding including
wastewater assistance (SF
2432/HF
2662)
55.
Bottle bill and recycling expansion
study task force (HF
2570)
56.
Up to $1 million in grants for
independent bottle and can
redemption centers (HF
2700)
57.
Establish water resources
coordinating council in Governor’s
office (HF
2400)
58.
Require recycling of used oil
filters (HF
2668)
59.
Prohibit sales of thermometers containing mercury (HF
2669)
60.
Require out-of-state aerial sprayers to obtain Iowa licenses
including financial responsibility (HF
2551)
PUBLIC SAFETY
61.
Funding to operate community
corrections mental health facility
in Cedar Rapids (HF
2660)
62.
Expand beds at three community based
correction facilities (SF
2432)
63.
Finance new prison facilities at
Mitchellville and Fort Madison (SF
2432)
64.
Add one state trooper and five
correctional officers at prison in
Anamosa (HF
2660)
65.
Provide overtime pay and fuel costs
for state troopers (HF
2660)
66.
Increase funding ($4.2 million) for
victim assistance for domestic abuse
crisis centers (HF
2660)
67.
Authorize Board of Parole to issue
“certificates of employability” to
ex-offenders (HF
2660)
68.
Fund community-based child abuse
prevention programs ($250,000) (SF
2425)
“ZERO POVERTY” INITIATIVES
69.
Eliminate income tax on federal
economic stimulus tax refund checks
(HF
2417)
70.
New outreach to expand use of state
and federal earned income tax
credits (SF
2418)
71.
Provide additional $11 million for
child care assistance, and 2% child
care provider increase (SF
2425)
72.
Provide $3 million for local housing
trust funds across state (SF
2432)
73.
Authorize $150,000 in matching funds
for certain individual development
savings accounts (SF
2430)
74.
Fully fund Iowa Legal Aid to provide
legal assistance to Iowans (HF
2660)
FAMILY, CONSUMER, AND SENIOR ISSUES
75.
Continue phase out on tax on Social
Security and increase in filing
threshold (SF
2408 in 2006)
76.
Projected repayments totaling $263
million to the senior living trust
fund out of ending balance
77.
Allow customers to place “credit
freeze” to stop identity theft (SF
2277)
78.
Require notification by companies of
any “security breach” of personal
information (SF
2305)
79.
Continue funding to operate office
of substitute decision-maker
($250,000) (SF
2425)
80.
Establish insurance consumer
advocate (HF
2555)
81.
Authorize “final disposition
directives” to designate person who
controls remains (SF
473)
82.
Restrict stranger-originated life
insurance policies (SF
2392)
83.
Regulate mortgage “foreclosure
consultants” including prohibition
on reconveyances (HF
2653)
VETERANS
84.
Require VA offices in every county
to improve services and obtain more
federal benefits (SF
2134)
85.
Expand and fund ($1.6 million)
veterans’ homeowners assistance
program (SF
2432/SF
2354)
86.
Expand use of Veterans Trust Fund to
include prescriptions, nursing care,
and dental care (SF
2124)
87.
More than $20 million for expansion
and improvement of the Iowa Veterans
Home (SF
2432)
88.
Require employers to maintain
employment for service members upon
return from service (HF
2065)
89.
Protect parental rights of service
members; no change in custody or
care based on service (SF
2214)
90.
Expand eligibility for educational
assistance for children of soldiers
killed in active duty (SF
2289)
91.
Create new lottery games dedicated
to Veterans Trust Fund (HF
2359)
GOVERNMENTAL IMPROVEMENT
92.
Require Section 527 campaign groups
to disclose fundraising and spending
(HF
2700)
93.
Statewide uniform voting machines
with voter verified paper trail (SF
2347)
94.
Reform absentee ballots to make
ballot requests easier (SF
2089)
95.
Provide expanded scope of bargaining
for parity for public sector
employees (HF
2645)
96.
Limit on special elections/Change
school board terms from 3 to 4 years
(HF
2620)
97.
Authorize and fund fully searchable
database of campaign contributors (SF
2400)
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
98.
Projected record high levels for
cash reserve and economic emergency
fund ($620 million)
99.
Restore funding to the
snowmobile/all-terrain-vehicle fund
“scooped” in 2001 (HF
2662)
100.
Begin restoring shortfall in
judicial retirement funding (HF
2647)
101. Provide
$44.4 million from general fund
toward local property tax credits (HF
2700)
