Legislators debrief as high-impact session winds down

WASHINGTON — Iowa State Sen. Dawn Driscoll and Rep. Heather Hora, both Republicans, met with constituents at Washington County Hospital and Clinics Friday afternoon, for the Washington Chamber’s last forum of the 2023 legislative session.

Question-askers and comment-makers on both sides of the aisle agreed on one thing: 2023’s session was a big one in Des Moines. A massive cabinet restructuring bill, a laundry list of education policies, and cultural debates on LGBTQ issues were just some of the session’s headline-grabbing highlights.

“This year’s legislature, whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or independent, is historic,” said Washington resident and former Iowa Newspaper Association Head Bill Monroe. “There has never been so much legislation that has so much impact, on so many Iowans, passed in such a short period of time. Whether you like it or not, it’s fact, and you’re living through historic times as you see this legislature in action.”

Driscoll said much of the legislation was highly anticipated, with years of behind-the-scenes work before coming to a vote.

“A lot of them that we have been working on … they have been around for a long time,” she said. “But so many of them, they don’t make it across the finish line in the house or in the senate, and so you have to go back.”

Lawmakers discuss popular policy movement

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Legislators opened the meeting with updates on major bills they’ve passed — or expect to pass soon — including deregulation on the sale of raw milk, additional eligibility monitoring of people who qualify for food stamps, and proposed tax cuts.

Hora said the majority of this year’s legislation was popular, and flew under the radar with little fuss.

“One of the things that does not get covered enough is all of the bipartisan legislation that does get passed,” she said. “I would say a majority of bills that we pass are unanimous … that doesn’t make the news because it’s not a hot topic.”

Specifically, Driscoll said she was excited about House File 424, a bill the legislature has filed under “unfinished business,” making it eligible for debate and votes even after the funnel period.

The legislation aims to update and lower supervision requirements for physician assistants in the state. Driscoll said legislators were still negotiating with medical professionals about the proper amount of oversight for the positions.

“A lot of the PAs that are in hospitals, they have to still be overseen by a physician 100% of the time,” Driscoll said. “What we’ve heard from the rural hospitals is, they will still be having oversight and they will still work with them directly, but what we’re doing is taking away a lot of the mandated … chart signatures and things like that. I think it’s going to be amazing for health care in the whole state of Iowa.”

Hospital higher-ups at the meeting said they were open to the idea. WCHC CEO Todd Patterson said the facility avoided employing PAs because of current restrictions on them, while Chief Medical Officer Stephan Schomer said the status quo’s regulation was redundant.

“We provide oversight for all of our staff, and the younger, less-experienced, we provide more oversight,” Schomer said. “We apply this across the board, and I would be very comfortable with this bill.”

Controversy persists on several fronts

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Many issues tackled by the legislature this year were divisive, with policies on education reform and gender identity issues drawing massive public attention and even protests.

Still, some of the people giving comments at Friday’s event had only positive things to say to their elected state officials.

“I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your work and for the conservative values, the family values, restoring biblical values to our state, because that’s what’s going to save our country,” said Richmond resident Vickie Hodgeman.

Others were more critical, however.

Citing bills that regulate schools’ bathroom use, gender identity curriculum, and library content, Roger Stutsman was among a handful of speakers to voice frustration with the majority party’s priorities.

"I would say 50% of the garbage that’s been passed in the state legislature this year would not poll,“ he said. ”If I was a teacher, I’d get out of this state, and if we were 20 years old, I’d move away … This has got to stop, we can’t go on like this. We can’t beat up on these kids, they’re human beings.“

A few at the forum asked Hora about House File 654, a bill recently passed by the house — but not yet the senate — that would allow guns in school parking lots, as long as they’re owned by a valid permit-carrier and remained in a locked vehicle. The house version of the bill also directs state officials to draft curriculum for gun safety classes in public schools, and requires that public schools offer such courses for grades 7-12.

Bonnie Bender said she worried the legislation would worsen safety at schools.

“What prompted that bill in the first place?” she said. “It’s very concerning.”

Hora, who voted in favor of the legislation, said it would keep schools safer, claiming the presence of firearms would disrupt potential shootings on campuses.

“These are not just random people who have guns in their cars, these are people who have a permit to carry,” she said. “I understand that there are people that are against it, but a gun in a good person’s hands is a good thing to have.”

House File 647, another bill currently tagged as unfinished business, served as one more point of concern for some constituents.

Washington resident and City Council Member Illa Earnest said she was skeptical of the proposal, which would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to serve alcohol at work, with a parent’s written permission, and allow children age 14 and up to work a laundry list of jobs currently illegal under state law in certain parts of kitchens and laundromats.

“You could have a great musician in there, great football player, great basketball player, they wouldn’t have the chance to play sports or music or whatever, if they had to go out and work,” Earnest said. “I was thinking about homework. It’s hard enough to do, sometimes, if you’re just a regular kid, but if you’re working until nine o’clock at night, you’re not going to be able to get much done.”

Driscoll said she didn’t expect the bill to reach the governor’s desk this year, but defended the senate’s version of it.

“It was just giving them the opportunity because not everybody is going to be out for sports and things like that,” she said. “We were just trying to give the opportunity to the high school students that wanted to go out and work, have the ability to go out and get a job.”

Ron Semler, executive director of Parkway Home in Wayland, said he favored the proposals.

“I was a farm kid … I was 13 or 14, came to town to work, and I couldn’t do anything, I was used to working,” he said. “I worked and I worked and I worked, and it didn’t hurt my grades. I’m just saying, I’m an Iowa kid and I worked hard, working until nine at night wouldn’t affect me at all.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com