HOUSE TO HOUSE

By Polly Granzow

State Representative

 

Bills Passed in the House

Last week, the House passed numerous bipartisan bills.  HF790 establishes group health care plans for small businesses.  HF836 provides an equine industry promotional commission for Iowa.  HF846 provides an Iowa farmers’ market nutrition program.  HF767 allows injured veterans in the grant program if they are from another state but served in the Iowa Guard when injured.  HF671 prohibits remote control or internet hunting of wild animals.  HF650 requires an identification number on each keg of beer, recording the purchase of beer by the keg, to name a few.

 

One controversial bill, HF653, allows same day registration.  People will be able to both register and vote on election day, effective 2008.  Minnesota is one of seven states that has this law.  Auditors from Iowa visited Minnesota to find out how it works.  They have safeguards to diminish fraud, but the new Iowa law does not include some of these protections.  I fear the door is left open to fraud for those who register and vote on election day.  I sponsored an amendment to require these votes be a provisional ballot.  Provisional ballots count, but they are set aside to make sure the person is a resident, a citizen, or does not vote more than once.  Otherwise, once a person votes, it will count and cannot be withdrawn, even though the penalty is a class “D” felony and a fine up to $7500.  It was defeated on a partisan vote.  I am sure same day registration will be helpful to those who are not registered ten days before an election, but we still need safeguards in place.

 

Grandparents and Siblings, give and take

Two other bills debated give more visitation rights to grandparents, and more visitation rights to siblings of foster children.  At the same time, a bill coming up for debate will require all regular child caregivers with four or more children, to be registered and have their homes inspected by the Department of Human Services for safety under their rules.  There are no exceptions, even if they are grandparents or siblings.  I will support amendments to improve this bill:  exempting immediate family members, exempting cases where the caretaker is in the home of the parents, and others.  I fear this will cause unintended consequences in rural areas and many caretakers with few children will choose not to participate.  There are up to 12,000 of these.

 

Budget increases ten percent!

On Monday, March 19, the Democrats finally released the General Fund balance sheet detailing all tax increases and spending, including the targets for the Standings bill and state employee salaries.  The total will be a whopping $528 million increase, or ten percent above the budget enacted last year.  This level of spending increase is not sustainable without significant tax increases.  Also, there is no appropriation from the General Fund to the Health Care Trust Fund.  The bottom line is that all cigarette tax revenue is going to the General Fund and not designated for health care.

 

I am still waiting to receive any bills regarding property tax and immigration reform.

 

Visitors this week were the L.I.F.E group from Iowa Falls, Marshall and Hardin County ABATE group, and Carol Balvanz with the Soybean Association.

 

As always, you can contact me at polly.granzow@legis.state.ia.us or at 641-858-5210 on weekends.