Apr 19, 2019

This Week at the Statehouse – Week 14

Budget bills and their status:

HF 759 - ADMINISTRATION & REGULATION (Passed House 54-46; on Senate floor)

SF 609 - AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES (Passed Senate 32-18; Amended and Passed House 54-45; on Senate floor with House amendment)

SF 608 - ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (Passed Senate 32-18; on House floor)

HF 758 - EDUCATION (Passed House 54-46; on Senate floor)

HF 766 - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (Passed House 54-44; in Senate budget subcommittee)

SF 616 - JUDICIAL BRANCH (Passed Senate 35-15; on House floor)

SF 615 - JUSTICE SYSTEMS (Passed Senate 32-18; on House floor)

HF 765- INFRASTRUCTURE (Passed House 100-0; on Senate floor)

SF 600 - TRANSPORTATION (Passed Senate 46-0; Passed House 100-0; to Governor)

SSB 1262 – STANDINGS AND MISCELLANEOUS (in Senate Appropriations Committee)

The Senate provided their version of the infrastructure budget bill this week. The Senate adds a $1 million appropriation in FY 2021 for the Industrial Technology Center (ITC) planning money to start our renovation and expansion. They did not provide any out-year funding to complete the project. Both budget chairs have said UNI’s ITC building project is at the top of their list for next legislative session.

The Senate provided their version of the education budget bill this week. The Senate funds UNI as follows:

  • $12 million to the Board of Regents to distribute to the three universities for general aid operating budgets (House is at $15.9 million). This is $6 million below the Board and the Governor’s recommendation of $18 million ($4 million for UNI and $7 million each to ISU and UI). The money is to support new strategic initiatives, meet needs caused by 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.
  • $300,000 increase for the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, which is housed at UNI. The House has a $1 million increase.
  • Status quo funding of $175,256 for UNI’s recycling and reuse center, same as the House.
  • Status quo funding of $125,302 for UNI’s real estate education program, same as the House.

The House provided their version of the economic development budget bill this week. The House funds UNI as follows:

  • Maintains the $1,066,419 appropriation for the metal casting center, the MyEntreNet internet application, and the Institute for Decision Making. From this appropriation, $617,638 is allocated to support entrepreneurs though UNI’s Center for Business Growth and Innovation and Advance Iowa. This is the same as the Senate.
  • Fully funds UNI’s $400,000 request for the expansion of the UNI Metal Casting Center's additive manufacturing capabilities related to investment castings technology and industry support. The Senate funds this request at $300,000.
  • Maintains the $3 million appropriation for the Regents Innovation Fund; UNI’s Business and Community Services (BCS) receives $900,000 from this appropriation.

Differences between the House and Senate on all budget bills still need to be ironed out before the bills can go to the Governor’s desk and the Legislature can adjourn for the year. The final day they receive per diems is May 3.

The Senate passed the sports wagering/fantasy sports betting legislation this week, SF 617. The bill is on the House debate calendar for Monday. Language is included in the bill that says sports betting does not include bets on the performance or non-performance of any individual athlete participating in a single game or match where a collegiate team from the state of Iowa is a participant. This would not allow any bets to be placed on an in-state college player, or on the opposing team’s players for that specific game; no matter if the game is played in Iowa or in another state.

The bill specifically says: “Sports wagering” does not include placing a wager on the performance or nonperformance of any individual athlete participating in a single game or match of a collegiate sporting event in which a collegiate team from this state is a participant, or placing a wager on the performance of athletes in an individual international sporting event governed by the international Olympic committee in which any participant in the international sporting event is under eighteen years of age.

When this language was included in the House bill, HF 748, the Board of Regents released a statement stating they were pleased this language has been added to the bill. Maintaining the integrity of our student-athletes is of paramount importance to the Board. This language is a positive step in that direction.