Capitol Comments by Rep. Curt Hanson

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

The following is his report for Week Eight of the 2015 Iowa Legislative session.

Now that we have passed the first funnel deadline for legislation, the House and Senate are focused on debating through our list of eligible bills and sending those that pass to the opposite chamber. This week we discussed a number of bipartisan substantive bills in addition to the more controversial topics, such as gun control, absentee ballot procedures for voting and women?s reproductive rights.

Among these bills was HF 287, a bill making it illegal to sell or install counterfeit or nonfunctioning airbags in a vehicle. I am sure until this was identified as a problem, it was never necessary in the Iowa Code, but recent incidents have identified the issue of counterfeit or nonfunctional airbags being installed in vehicles that are rebuilt from parts and undetected by the vehicle purchaser. I hope this legislation deters installation of these improper airbags.

We also voted on HF 527, which has come to be known as the gun omnibus bill. After reviewing correspondence from my constituents and considering the effects of the bill, I voted in favor of HF 527 on Tuesday (March 10). I consider the bill to be a reasonable compromise supported by most gun owners and law enforcement authorities.

Although we do not have many bills moving through the Natural Resources Committee this year, there are still a number of projects we are working on. I have been closely following the issue of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) prevalence for a number of years and am pleased that the Iowa DNR remains vigilant of monitoring CWD in our state. The most recent DNR report finds that there have been no additional cases of CWD in the initial test results of wild deer in counties in Northeast Iowa. CWD is a contagious, always fatal, disease that was first found in deer at the Iowa captive (tame) deer facilities.

I also had the opportunity to attend the Iowa Deer Classic, the annual expo for deer hunters held at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. There were thousands of hunting enthusiasts in attendance. The show featured a wide range of sportsmen?s gear, including a very robust electrical trail bike. The entrepreneurs showcasing the bike explained that it is very quiet and has a long range, in addition to having an extremely low environmental impact.

On Monday (March 9) I attended one of the University of Iowa?s ?Lunch and Learn? events at the Capitol. The topic this week was rural health issues. Rural Iowa is rapidly changing, with populations continuing to decline as the average age in rural communities continues to rise. These changes mean we must reevaluate delivery of health services to rural populations to maintain affordable and quality services. Regional health service delivery is an increasing popular solution. As I have said many times, it is important that we focus on making healthcare affordable, accessible and acceptable.

We continue to remain in a holding pattern on school funding, as the Governor?s Office has told the House Republicans that the Governor will not sign off on anything above the 1.25 percent proposed in the House version of the bill. This makes reaching a compromise between the House?s 1.25 percent and the Senate?s 4 percent quite difficult.

Since the Legislature has not set the state supplemental aid percentage within 30 days of Governor Branstad?s budget proposal, we are now in violation of Iowa law. A superintendent from Davenport made some compelling points at his school board meeting last week. He argued that if the Iowa Legislature can violate the law, seemingly without consequence, it follows that it would be acceptable for his district to violate the law by spending more money than is legally allowable, so long as his district has funds in the cash reserve account. I think superintendents, school boards, teachers and staff across the state are experiencing similar frustration. I have received a flood of emails from local educators explaining why 4 percent is necessary and asking for action on setting the growth percentage, and I could not agree more.

The passage of a school funding bill is critical and we have reached a point in the year where schools must begin making financial decisions for the upcoming school year. I would urge concerned citizens to contact the Governor?s Office expressing their concerns and suggestions. I don?t think that a school funding solution can be found in a timely manner without this type of intervention by concerned Iowans.

To learn more about these and other issues the Legislature has been addressing this session, I would invite you to attend any of the following legislative forums:

? Saturday, 7:30 a.m., Best Western Fairfield Inn, hosted by the Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

? March 28, 9 a.m., First Street Grille, Keosaqua, Coffee with Curt.

? March 28, noon, Rancho Centinela Café, Bloomfield, Coffee with Curt.

As always, please phone or email me with your concerns. Your message is important to me and the people of this district.

Contact Rep. Curt Hanson by emailing Curt.Hanson@legis.iowa.gov or calling his cell at 919-2314 or his home at 472-3349.