Should the State demolish the Wallace Building?

Let me address a sort-of-random legislative issue right away. In the photograph above, the Capitol is reflected in the Wallace Building. I am chairing a subcommittee this week on whether the state should demolish the Wallace Building and sell the ground it sits on.

Demolish, sell or hold?

The Wallace Building is part of the complex surrounding the Iowa State Capitol building. It … will soon be completely vacant.

We have been told by the Department of Administrative Services that the building is in such disrepair that it would cost $85 million to renovate it. DAS is proposing to demolish it for $7 million and then sell the parcel.

I am very much in favor of reducing the size of our state government wherever we can, and hanging on to unnecessary office space wastes your tax dollars. So any proposal to reduce state expenses appeals to me.

But I have some concerns about this proposal.

For example, DAS proposes to spend $7 million of taxpayer money to demolish the building in order to recognize a $500,000 increase in the sale price of the ground. This looks like a poor return on investment.

  Buy Photo

Another part of the proposal is to spend roughly $2 million on tuckpointing (waterproofing) the building during this sale process. If the building is a tear-down, I don’t view this as a good use of your money.

Finally, while the Wallace Building may no longer serve a purpose, I am not yet sure why we would sell such a valuable parcel of land that sits next to the Capitol. I don’t want the state government to unnecessarily own land (and take it off the property tax rolls), but given its location, we might regret selling it later.

We’ll learn more this week. There may be good answers to all my questions. I’d be curious to hear your thoughts.

Human smuggling

Unchecked illegal immigration has led to a large amount of human trafficking. This week (March 30), we passed House File 572, which criminalizes the smuggling of people in Iowa.

HF 572 defines smuggling as (i) using vehicles to transport individuals while concealing them from law enforcement, (ii) encouraging illegal entry into the country or (iii) guiding individuals onto private property without consent.

Human smuggling is a Class C felony. If a person being smuggled is put at risk of serious harm, if minors are involved or if firearms are used, the crime becomes a Class B felony.

In the most severe cases, where smuggled individuals suffer serious injury or become victims of sexual abuse, the offense can be classified as a Class A felony.

By criminalizing human smuggling, the state can better protect vulnerable individuals who may be at risk of being exploited for labor or other illicit purposes. The bill empowers law enforcement to take decisive action against those who engage in smuggling.

The bill also enhances public safety by targeting individuals who may contribute to broader criminal activities associated with smuggling, such as drug trafficking and violence.

HF 572 passed the House with bipartisan support.

Dignity in work

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, over 100,000 Iowans on Medicaid expansion are not working.

Medicaid expansion is supposed to be a safety net for low-income Iowans. It is not intended to be a program that creates people that are permanently dependent on the government.

House File 748 requires that able-bodied adults on Medicaid expansion work part-time.

There is dignity in work. It provides financial stability. It gives a person purpose. It helps a person develop skills and good life habits.

It makes a person independent and then gives them a chance to help others. And it prepares a person for life after government assistance.

HF 748 gives DHHS flexibility to look at the needs and abilities of each individual that seeks assistance. Exemptions from the work requirements exist for disabled individuals, stay-at-home parents with children under six years old, individuals receiving unemployment, individuals under 19 or over 64, high-risk pregnant women, individuals in substance abuse treatment and medically frail or medically exempt individuals.

The goal continues to be helping those who need help while requiring those who can make a contribution to do so.

Nutrition assistance

House File 970 requires the purchase of "healthy foods and beverages based on necessary nutrition for good health," in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The bill emphasizes the nutrition aspect of this taxpayer-funded program to assist low-income individuals.

According to a 2016 USDA study, 20% of SNAP funds were spent on sweetened beverages, desserts, salty snacks, candy and sugar.

The same report ranked categories of food purchased by SNAP households. Sweetened beverages was the second most-purchased category, and prepared desserts was the fifth most-purchased category.

SNAP already bars the purchase of alcohol. This bill does even more to ensure that taxpayer funds are not going to fund poor health outcomes that do not alleviate hunger.

This bill also provides a $1 million appropriation to support additional purchases of fruits and vegetables through the Double Up Food Bucks Program. Hopefully, this will lead to the purchase of more local, Iowa-grown produce.

SNAP recipients, of course, may spend their own money on whatever they like. But this bill would prevent them from using your money on unhealthy food.

If you’re wondering, “What about property taxes?”, don’t panic. The session is scheduled so that tax bills and spending bills become the focus right about now.

Property tax reform is a priority of mine, so you’ll be hearing more about that soon.