Capitol Comments by Rep. Curt Hanson

State Representative Curt Hanson, represents Iowa House District 82, which includes most of Jefferson County and Davis and Van Buren counties, in the state Legislature.

It was wonderful to relax and enjoy a Sunday evening at the theater. My wife and I joined others at a nearly sold out performance of Irish Celtic Song and Dance at the Fairfield Civic Center. We were pleased to see friends from Van Buren County in attendance.

I am working on a bill that calls for a salary freeze of top state officials including the governor, department directors and legislators, until Iowa raises the minimum wage. It is just not right to raise top elected and appointed salaries when our lower-middleclass and minimum wage earners struggle provide for their families. Last week a meeting was held to explain this bill and listen to comments.

I was able to work with other members of the Education Committee in the passage of a bipartisan bill that will help local school districts fund transportation costs. Transportation costs average $306 per student in Iowa. However, they range in cost from about $30 to over $1,150 per student.

District costs in our area are above average because of our sparse population and the inability of buses to cross creeks and rivers. Some districts in our area are forced to spend about three times the state average just to get the students to school. In my opinion, the quality of a child?s education should not be compromised because of where their parents live.

With high fuel prices and some districts getting larger, transportation costs are taking up a greater portion of school budgets that should be used to keep class sizes low, hire teachers and improve student achievement.

The rural caucus heard from the Iowa Turkey and Poultry Producers. The average American eats 18 pounds of turkey each year and each turkey raised in Iowa adds $23 to the economy of Iowa.

The Subway and Jimmy John?s restaurant chains buy much of the West Liberty Foods production of processed turkey. It should be noted that before turkeys are allowed to leave the farm they are given blood tests to be sure they are not diseased and do not harbor pesticide or drug residues. These tests were mandated in the 1950s.

Iowa?s egg and poultry producers also are working hard to reduce their environmental footprint and do more with less. They have reduced their greenhouse gasses and lowered the use of energy and water in the production of eggs and poultry. Overall, 72 percent more people are being fed with just 18 percent more laying hens.

Water Quality: Do we have enough water or are we slowly running out? Reports of lower water tables continue, and when we look back at the drought of 2012 and 2013, it is important that community and rural water supplies are protected as well as those in agriculture who irrigate. Good planning and well-researched recommendations are important in the assurance of having adequate water supplies available in the future.

As technology demands continue to increase, the need for high-speed internet access also increases. The House Commerce Committee unanimously approved a new plan to expand broadband internet access to more Iowans, especially in rural areas.

A school anti-bullying proposal is among Gov. Branstad?s priorities for this session. Both the House and the Senate have now passed their version of an anti-bullying bill. I think we are all in agreement of the need to reduce the amount of bullying that happens in our schools and culture.

How we accomplish this goal and how much money we are willing commit to reduce bullying is the question. I?m concerned that the lack of funding in the governor?s budget proposal does not support the increased workload in asking the Area Education Agencies to develop programs and train teachers to reduce student bullying.

According to the Department of Natural Resources, Iowa hunters reported harvesting 99,406 deer for the 2013 season, a year that also marked the eighth straight year of decline. Hunters purchased nearly 18,500 fewer licenses than in 2012 and saw an 11 percent decrease in harvests. This is the lowest a harvest has dropped since the mid-1990s.

These numbers will be used during discussions when the DNR begins the process of setting hunting seasons for next year. In setting these seasons, we must realize that we still have areas with an unacceptable high deer population. Deer hunting alone brings an economic impact of $214 million to the state of Iowa, supports 2,800 jobs, and provides over $67 million in earnings.

The first funnel week date has passed. This is a self-imposed deadline by which bills that have not passed a committee face almost certain inaction. Only on rare occasion would we see a bill resurface.

Please continue to contact me.  I am working on the backlog of emails I am receiving during the legislative session.

Hanson serves on the House Agriculture and Education, Natural Resources committees, as well as the Education Appropriations Subcommittee.

Contact Hanson anytime by email at curt.hanson@legis.iowa.gov or by phone at 641-919-2314