~by State Sen Jesse Green
February 13, 2021
The fifth week of the legislative session included more debate on important education issues, as well as continuing our work in subcommittees and committees.
One of the bills the State Government Committee discussed this week is Senate File 163, which provides an extension for professional and occupational licenses for those working on continuing their education. This means Iowans licensed by the state for their occupation can apply for an extension to their licensing board if they were unable to meet continuing education requirements by the renewal deadline due to an unforeseen financial or medical hardship. While we work to bring more Iowans into our workforce and get our economy back on track, this is one way we can help our state and those people working hard to succeed.
This week the Judiciary Committee discussed Senate File 84, requiring employers use E-Verify to make sure they are not violating federal immigration law, which prohibits the employment of illegal immigrants. Currently, the law makes this practice voluntary, and while many employers use it, many also do not. This is an important bill to keep Iowa’s business climate fair for both employers and potential workers.
One of our priorities for this legislative session is getting Iowans back to work and growing our state’s economy. Iowa’s unemployment rate in December was the third lowest in the country at 3.1 percent. This rate has returned to pre-pandemic levels in many areas. In fact, the Iowa Business Council recently noted the significant demand from Iowa’s employers for qualified people to fill the job openings in the Iowa economy. The strength of the recovery is more evidence of the success of the reforms implemented over the last several years to improve the economy. It also emphasizes the importance of keeping the economy open, getting Iowa students back in school, funding schools with reliable and sustainable increases, and improving public education.
Reliable Funding for K-12 Education – This week, the Senate passed Senate File 269, approving additional education funding for the next school year. This bill allocates an additional $45.2 million for K-12 education in the fall. It appropriates money for a regular increase in education spending, for costs schools have incurred for in-person learning throughout the last several months, and for per pupil and transportation equity.
The pandemic has posed many challenges, and education in our state is no different. Iowa’s education spending formula depends on the number of students enrolled in school, and with thousands of families keeping their kids home, the potential effect for future budget years could create compounding funding challenges. Senate File 269 allocates a sustainable amount of funding for this year and future budget years in anticipation of enrollment returning to normal next year.
Education spending is one of the biggest allocations of funding we make during the legislative session. Iowa spends $3.5 billion on K-12 education in our state. In total, the average amount spent on Iowa students for their education annually is $14,000. Like other education bills we have talked about this year, there have been a number of unsubstantiated claims with this bill and education funding. K-12 education has been fully funded while Republicans have been in the control of the budget. There have been no cuts throughout these last several years. We have promised and delivered every single dollar. For the last five years, Senate Republicans have passed sustainable and reliable budgets for the state, education funding included. This practice has put our state in a strong financial position through the pandemic. Despite a decline of hundreds of millions of dollars in state revenue, every promise made to education funding was kept. This budget commitment will ensure promises to Iowa schools continue to be kept.
Life Amendment Passes Committee – This week the Iowa Senate passed SJR 2 out of committee. It is an amendment to the Iowa Constitution stating the highest state law is neutral on the issue of abortion.
One of the reasons the issue of abortion is so volatile is because so much policy around it has been decided by unelected judges instead of the people through their elected leaders. As a result, many people who strongly believe the unborn child is a baby entitled to the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, feel they have limited recourse on issues like public funding of abortion and late term procedures.
This scenario played out in Iowa. Four unelected members of the Iowa Supreme Court heard a challenge to the state’s law requiring a 72-hour waiting period before an abortion could be performed and created a constitutional right to an abortion with no foundation other than the opinion of those four judges. Many Iowans rejected not only this policy but also the process by which it was implemented.
owa has a clear process in place to amend its constitution. The exact same language must pass both chambers of the Iowa Legislature in consecutive General Assemblies, notice must be made of the proposed amendment between General Assemblies, and the people of Iowa must ratify that proposed language in a statewide election. That process is the appropriate way to amend the constitution, precisely because that method is how the constitution itself prescribes an amendment be made. It is a process full of public involvement and accountability. Ultimately, every Iowa voter has a say over changes to the constitution, instead of only four unelected people in a courtroom in Des Moines.
This amendment will likely be debated on the floor later this session. It will be an early step to amending the Iowa Constitution in the way prescribed by law and not by judicial fiat. With the eventual adoption of this language, policy on abortion will be determined by the people of Iowa through their elected representatives and not through unelected judges.
