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Senate
Democrats
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Tightening the state’s budget belt in troubled
times
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Iowa recognized
for great education benefits for veterans
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Where is
the federal recovery money in Iowa?
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Task force
recommends protections for dependent adults
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Ensuring
vulnerable adults get the help they need
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Streamlining
decision-making for adult caretakers
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Limiting
flooding through improved land use
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Enhancing
the availability of locally grown foods
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Medical
assistance for disaster victims
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Poll
watchers help ensure every Iowan’s vote is counted
We continue to adjust state spending and boost
job-creation efforts in response to the deepening national recession.
Although economic conditions have nosedived in recent
months, I am more committed than ever to balancing the state budget without
raising taxes and to increasing investment to create good-paying jobs across Iowa.
This legislative session, we’ve already responded to the
national recession by cutting the current year’s General Fund budget by
approximately $30 million. Democrats and Republicans are now working on an
overall budget that cuts an additional $133.9 million from the Governor’s
budget proposal.
There is plenty of evidence that national economic
conditions are getting worse. The state’s Revenue Estimating Conference (REC)
is scheduled to meet this week to review Iowa’s revenue forecast. If, as expected,
the REC lowers its estimate for the state’s projected revenues, the
Legislature will respond and make further budget cuts.
This year, we are tightening our belts, but we’ll work
hard to fulfill the promises we’ve made on health care, education, jobs and
renewable energy. Fiscal responsibility will help us keep our promises.
Iowa recognized for great education benefits
for veterans
Iowa
has been awarded the highest national rank for serving veterans under the GI
Bill.
Iowa’s
top-notch ranking means we’re doing a good job for our veterans by providing
them with the education and training they need and deserve.
In Iowa,
the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs works with the state Department of
Education to approve GI Bill programs. The state Department of Education is
reviewed annually on its efforts to ensure full and fair educational
opportunity for every veteran.
The Department also must inspect and supervise qualified
educational programs, on-the-job training and apprenticeship programs, and
licensure and certification tests. In
addition, it provides outreach activities and career assistance for veterans
and serves as a liaison with educational institutions and other organizations
and agencies.
Iowa
is expected to receive approximately $1.9 billion in one-time, direct
assistance as part of the new federal stimulus package.
You can see how that money is being used at http://recovery.iowa.gov. The website
helps Iowans learn about the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
and also track state efforts to make the best use of Iowa’s funds, providing accountability and
transparency.
In addition, the Iowa Department of Transportation, which
was awarded $56 million in construction projects from ARRA funds, has created
a similar website on the benefit of federal funds to the state’s
transportation system at www.iowadot.gov/recovery.
This week the Government Oversight Committee focused on
preventing and reporting abuses of dependent adults.
The committee heard testimony from the Dependent Adult
Task Force, which was established after the revelation that Henry’s Turkey
Service recruited mentally retarded men to live in a decrepit, unsafe
bunkhouse while working in an Atalissa slaughterhouse for almost no pay.
John McCalley, director of the
Iowa Department of Elder Affairs and leader of the Task Force, described how
the many problems revealed in Atalissa are being addressed. He outlined a
list of initial recommendations focused on how state agencies exchange
information on potential abuse violations. Future recommendations will
include ideas on reorganizing the Department of Human Services to better
identify abuse.
A future meeting of the Oversight Committee will also hear
from John Quinn, director of the Division of Criminal Investigation of Public
Safety, on the criminal investigation in to the Atalissa case.
Vulnerable adults must rely on their caretakers. It’s difficult
to believe, but some caretakers fail to fulfill their duties to those they
are responsible for and even mistreat them.
Iowans care about our vulnerable citizens. That’s why the
Senate passed a bill this week that increases protections for Iowa’s dependant
adults.
Under this legislation, the Department of Human Services
can go to court to force caretakers to accept services that dependant adults
need. The bill also makes it a crime to intentionally and knowingly commit
dependent adult abuse and expands the definition of sexual exploitation of a
dependent adult.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has acted to help Iowa families who must
establish legal responsibility for family members and others who are unable
to care for themselves or their property.
Families often must make decisions about the care of
elderly family members and their property. Under Iowa law, guardians can legally able make
decisions about the care of another adult who is unable to make those
decisions themselves. Iowa
law also provides for conservatorships, which allow one adult to make
decisions about the property of another adult who cannot make those decisions
himself. .
Because retired persons and families often spend time and
have property in more than one state, Senate File 444 provides guidance on
guardianship and conservatorship issues involving multiple states. .
The Greater Iowa Alzheimer’s Association supports this
legislation in response to problems they have seen involving guardianships
and conservatorship situations.
One thing that we learned from the floods of 2008 is that
we haven’t done an adequate job of protecting Iowa from catastrophic flooding.
Land use has a major impact on the ability of a watershed
to handle a significant rain. That’s why the Senate Rebuild Iowa Committee is
focusing on flood prevention policies that will make our watersheds and
cities are less susceptible to devastating floods. .
We must plan now to prevent a repeat of last year’s
disasters. With better planning, our
watersheds can help reduce flood damage, which will reduce recovery costs for
both property owners and taxpayers.
The Senate Commerce Committee has voted to establish a
local food and farm task force to study how our state can improve the
availability locally grown foods.
This task force would make recommendations to the 2010
Legislature on how to expand local and organic food production, customer
access and consumer education. It will also review regulations and suggest
ways to increase locally grown food production while maintaining food safety.
Senate File 404 now goes to the full Senate for its consideration.
We are continuing our efforts to help Iowans and
communities recover from last summer’s floods and tornadoes.
The Senate unanimously approved a measure to allow
disaster victims to participate in the Prescription Drug Donation Repository
Program. This program helps low-income Iowans obtain the often-costly
prescription medications they need.
The program is another way we can extend a helping hand to
disaster victims.
This week, the Senate passed a bill requiring county
auditors to notify political parties of satellite voting operations so that
the parties can have observers on hand at the stations.
Senate File 436 also requires the county auditor to
provide the notice at least seven days in advance of the scheduled satellite
voting date.
Poll watchers observe the satellite voting process to help
ensure that all voters are treated fairly and that all election laws are
followed.
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