Collins Capital Connection

Editor’s note: this is an abridged version of Rep. Collins’ weekly newsletter.

To the People of House District 95

Our second week of session was a shortened one with all state employees celebrating Martin Luther King Day, and legislators caucusing back in their districts on Monday night. Once we got back to the Capitol Tuesday morning, it was another busy week of subcommittees, committees, and further conversation regarding major proposals introduced by our own caucus and the governor.

Combating Terrorist Sympathizers in Iowa

Yesterday morning, as pro Hamas protesters filled the Capitol, Rep. Austin Harris (R — Moulton) and I introduced legislation that would ensure students who have endorsed or promoted terrorism, or the actions of a foreign terrorist organization, be barred from receiving state aid to help pay for their higher education. The bill also orders that student organizations at any public institution of higher education in Iowa who have endorsed or promoted terrorism, or the actions of a foreign terrorist organization, be decertified. To ask Iowans to give their hard-earned money to people who support our enemies and want death to America, and our allies, is an egregious request. We've made promises to our constituents to be responsible with their tax dollars, and this bill will deliver on that promise by sending a clear message to anyone in Iowa who supports our enemies.

House Commerce Committee Hears Energy Rate Presentation

This week, the House Commerce Committee heard a presentation from London Economics International on Iowa utilities rate-making procedures. This report was required by House File 617 from last session, the first review of Iowa investor-owned utility rate-making in over 20 years in Iowa. The report can be found in a link through the online version of this article.

The report makes the following high-level policy recommendations after receiving public stakeholder feedback throughout the summer and fall and reviewing comparable states policies:

The House Commerce Committee will be reviewing this report and considering legislation this session based on the recommendations.

Education Committee Hears from the Iowa Reading Research Center

On Tuesday, the House Education Committee heard from the Iowa Reading Research Center (IRRC). The Reading Research Center is housed at the University of Iowa College of Education and its purpose is to improve the literacy proficiency of prekindergarten through twelfth-grade students. The IRRC’s work is done in four main categories: research, professional learning, technical assistance, and family resources.

The Reading Research Center began in 2013 and celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2023. In the past 10 years 37,565 students participated in IRRC research, 10,406 educators completed an IRRC eLearning module, 5,265 teacher preparation students received dyslexia training certification from the IRCC, 148 families received assistive technology consultation appointments from the IRRC., and 99 counties were impacted directly by IRRC services, professional learning, and research

In 2021, the Dyslexia Specialist Endorsement launched. The endorsement builds educator’s knowledge of the literacy development of students with characteristics of dyslexia. The program focuses on the scientific principles of dyslexia, typical and atypical development of reading, interventions for students with dyslexia, and more. This type of training continues to be a priority in the House.

House HHS Committee Hears Presentation on Mental Health

This week, the House Health and Human Services Committee heard a presentation from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services on recent updates in mental health in the state. The presentations can be found in links through the online version of this article.

In the presentation, DHHS announced that there will be legislation this session to establish a new Behavioral Health Services System. The Committee looks forward to reviewing the legislation when it comes out and seeing how the state can move the system forward to provide services equally to all corners of the state.

Mental Health and Disability Services — House File 471 comes from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to specialize the Independence Mental Health Institute to behaviorally complex youth and the Cherokee MHI to acute and forensic adults, makes changes to the Regional MHDS Governing Board makeup, and adds competency-based restoration to the core service domains of the MHDS Regions.

Election Security & Integrity Remain a Top Priority

As the 90th General Assembly resumes, it is important to look at where Iowa stands on election integrity. House Republicans have already enacted several key election integrity laws. Important measures to build upon Iowa’s already safe elections to limit and secure ballot drop boxes, enforce routine voter registration maintenance, require signature verification for absentee ballots, and to prevent absentee ballot harvesting.

Following the city and school elections in November, the Secretary of State’s office conducted their postelection audit in all 99 counties. Following elections, the Secretary of State randomly audits one precinct in each county to ensure that the results match the ballots and the paper receipt from the tabulators. Once again, the postelection audits had 100% match rates in each county.

Iowa has continued to lead the way in the requirement of paper ballots to conduct elections. In a 2022 Bloomberg study on every state’s election susceptibility, Iowa received high scores for its ballot security. Of the major benchmarks for ballot security, Iowa has had many of them for years. The election policies Iowa has in place that earned its high ranking in the Bloomberg study include widely supported measures such as voter ID requirements. Others that have recently been enacted that have strengthened Iowa’s score were things like voter roll maintenance which removes deceased voters and voters who have moved out of state and/or districts from legal voter lists. Additionally, having a mail ballot deadline and regular election audits earned Iowa additional marks in the study.

Ensuring election integrity is an ongoing responsibility of the legislature and House Republicans will continue to lead the way in protecting the election process while enabling Iowans the fundamental right to vote.

Staying in Touch

As always, you also can shoot me an email with any questions or concerns at taylor.collins@legis.iowa.gov or you can call the Capitol Switchboard and leave me a message at (515) 281-7340.

Sincerely, Rep. Taylor Collins