This Week at the Statehouse – Week 16
This week we’ve finally seen copies of the budget bills. All of them have been filed except for the health and human services budget bill. We are also waiting on the tax bill agreement.
Here are the bill numbers for the budget bills that have been filed:
SF 2416 ADMINISTRATION & REGULATION – on Senate Calendar
HF 2491 AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES – on Senate Calendar
SF 2409 AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES – on Senate Calendar
HF 2493 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – on Senate Calendar
SF 2410 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – on Senate Calendar
SF 2415 EDUCATION – on Senate Calendar
HF 2495 JUDICIAL BRANCH – on House Calendar
SF 2411 JUDICIAL BRANCH – on Senate Calendar
HF 2492 JUSTICE SYSTEMS – on House Calendar
SF 2412 JUSTICE SYSTEMS – on Senate Calendar
SF 2414 REBUILD IOWA INFRASTRUCTURE FUND (RIIF) – on Senate Calendar
HF 2494 TRANSPORTATION – on Senate Calendar
SF 2413 TRANSPORTATION – on Senate Calendar
HSB 690 STANDINGS – in House Appropriations Committee
Education Budget Bill
The education budget bill passed out of Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday. Our fiscal year 2019 (FY 19) budget line-items, which are agreed to with the House, are all funded at the same level as FY 18:
- General Operating Budget funded at $93,712,362
- Recycling and Reuse Center funded at $175,256
- Governor's STEM Advisory Council funded at $5,446,375
- Real Estate Education Program funded at $125,302
The bill does provide a lump-sum increase of $8.3 million to the Board of Regents to distribute to the three universities. This was a recommendation from the Governor and is agreed to by the Board of Regents. Here's the exact language from the bill explaining the appropriation: For allocation by the state board of regents to the state university of Iowa, the Iowa state university of science and technology, and the university of northern Iowa to support new strategic initiatives, meet enrollment increases, meet the demand for new courses and services, to fund new but unavoidable or mandated cost increases, and to support any other initiatives important to the core functions of the universities: . . . . . . . . . . $ 8,300,000.
Economic Development Budget Bill
The economic development budget bill passed the House on Thursday. It provides status quo funding to our Business and Community Services (BCS) programs; the state appropriations are at the same funding level as FY 18. The Senate and House agree to these funding levels.
Infrastructure Budget Bill
The infrastructure budget bill passed out of Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday. This bill is not agreed to, but all the appropriations to the Board of Regents institutions are the same. There are no state appropriations for our Industrial Technology Center (ITC) building renovation that we requested. We've laid some great groundwork for next year with the hope of getting more legislators and key legislative staff to tour the building this summer and fall.
Bills of interest that were acted upon this week:
HF 648: The Governor signed this career and technical education programs and partnerships bill. The bill went into effect upon enactment of April 26, 2018.
SF 385 - Revised uniform athlete agents bill. The House gave final approval of this will so it now goes to the Governor for her consideration.