This Week at the Statehouse – Week 8

We’re at the halfway point! Week 8 marked the 50th day of the 100-day legislative session.

The Iowa Department of Education released their high school graduation rates this week, which climbed to a record high of 91.6 percent in 2019. According to their statement: Data show 91.6 percent of students in Iowa’s Class of 2019 graduated within four years, up from 91.4 percent in the Class of 2018. Since 2011, Iowa’s four-year graduation rate has increased 3.3 percentage points overall, with significant gains in nearly every student demographic subgroup. For example, graduation rates for Hispanic students have climbed by 9.3 percentage points, students whose first language is not English have increased by 8.8 percentage points, and African American students have gone up 8.4 percentage points since 2011. For more information, visit the Iowa Department of Education’s website.

Floor debate and committee debate filled the week as lawmakers work to get their legislation to the other chamber for consideration. March 20 marks the Legislature’s second funnel, when Senate bills and joint resolutions must be reported out of House committees and House bills and joint resolutions must be reported out of Senate committees. This does not apply to budget and tax bills.

A few of the Board of Regents registered bills that had action this week:

HF 684 establishes some immunity for persons under 21 for various alcohol offenses (being under the legal age, public intoxication, open container) if, in good faith, the person seeks emergency assistance for another due to an alcohol overdose. Requires the Board of Regents to adopt rules prohibiting sanctions by the universities. The House passed the bill 98-0 and sent it to the Senate for consideration.

HF 2417 requires employers to treat employees who adopt a child in the same manner as a biological child. The House passed the bill 94-1 and sent it to the Senate for consideration.

HF 2443 strikes requirements for a student to show proficiency in reading, math and science to participate in the senior year plus program. The House passed the bill 98-0 and sent it to the Senate for consideration.

HF 2504 requires governments to use the definition of anti-Semitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance when considering whether there has been a violation of a law or policy prohibiting discriminatory acts. The House passed the bill 51-45 and sent it to the Senate for consideration.

The start of the appropriations and budgeting process will begin in earnest next week. On March 12, the Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) is scheduled to meet. This three-person committee meets in October, December and March to produce revenue projections. Iowa law limits the governor and the legislature to spending no more than 99% of the REC estimate. The governor and legislature must use the December REC estimate when producing the following fiscal year budget, unless the March estimate comes in lower. From everything I’m hearing, revenues will most likely be the same or higher for this upcoming March 20 estimate. Budget subcommittee chairs are currently working behind the scenes crafting next year’s budget bills for state agencies, including UNI, using the December REC estimate

If you have any questions, please email me at mary.braun@uni.edu.