More than 700,000 Iowans are living in a child care desert. A new report out this week found working families continue to struggle with finding dependable childcare.
According to Early Childhood Iowa (ECI), 63 percent of parents reported that child care costs influence the direction of their careers and working parents miss work nearly two weeks per year because of child care issues. Iowa also has one of the highest rates of two parent working families in the nation.
Early Childhood Iowa (ECI) is a collaborative system of Iowa partners that work to develop strong early childhood services. There are 38 ECI boards in Iowa that provided services to 1,555 children last year.
In 2017, ECI funding was cut by state lawmakers. I disagreed with these cuts, and will work to restore funding for this program. I feel this is a valuable investment in the prosperity and well-being of Iowa families.
In 2018, ECI provided financial assistance to 2,000 children who attended preschool. This represents 361 fewer preschool scholarships than Iowans had access to only two years.
I am currently working with my colleagues on several bills to help families deal with childcare. These include bills to increase the child care provider reimbursement rate and to increase the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.
For more information about the report visit: https://bit.ly/2EcmSq7.
A program designed to help locate at-risk veterans who have gone missing recently passed the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
The Green Alert Program will use the same notification system used for Amber Alerts, which sends out emergency mass messages to the citizens of Iowa.
This system is especially important considering with the high rate of veteran suicides. In 2014, there was an average of 20 suicides per day by service members or veterans across the nation. Two-thirds of these deaths were veterans age 50 and older.
I am in favor of doing anything in our power to ensure the health, safety and well-being of our American heroes.
The business of crafting of the state's budget cleared the first hurdle this week.
I and my colleagues released estimated budget targets for the upcoming fiscal year. The budget outline spends $7.668 billion in fiscal year 2020, which is $9 million more than the governor's recommendations and $48.6 million more than the previous budget year.
The targets released this week are the appropriation estimates that lawmakers in the House would deem reasonable. Individual programs and services have yet to receive their appropriations, as these will be determined in budget subcommittees in the coming weeks.
While Republicans are in the majority in both the House and Senate, the numbers released this week are not agreed to by the Senate, meaning negotiations are ongoing and will continue throughout the legislative session.
The next fiscal year begins on July 1, 2019.
New legislation advanced this week that would make it illegal to linger in the passing lane on a multi-lane highway.
Under the legislation, a driver would need to return to the right lane after passing. This is currently just proper courtesy when highway driving; under the proposed bill, "left-lane camping" will become a violation that would be punishable by a scheduled fine of $100.
The bill does not apply to situations when traffic conditions, inclement weather, obstructions or hazards make it necessary to operate the vehicle in the left-most lane; or when directed by a peace officer or traffic control device; or when exiting the roadway; or when operating an emergency vehicle.
As I reported last week, the House Judiciary Committee passed a bill that will inject politics into Iowa's judicial selection process. House Study Bill 110 was passed without any support from Democratic legislators, and with one dissenting Republican vote. Many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have indicated to me they have grave reservations regarding this legislation.
The bill will give politicians and special interests greater influence over selecting judges. Under current law, half of the commissioners on state and district commissions are selected by the governor and half are chosen by a vote of active lawyers in the state. Under the bill, commissioners currently selected by lawyers, would instead be appointed by partisan politicians.
The rising cost of higher education is not just about rising tuition. Expensive textbooks and course materials are also a barrier to college affordability and access. Since 1980, text book costs have increased at a rate of three times that of inflation.
Legislators on the House Education Committee received an update this week on the availability of Open Educational Resources. OER provides for the availability of materials that can be downloaded, edited and shared to better serve students by providing access to textbooks, lesson plans, assignments, games and other educational materials.
In Iowa, most colleges are in the early stages of developing courses with OER classes. The University of Northern Iowa collected data in 2018, and UNI students saved over $200,000 on course materials. At Iowa State University, nearly 1,000 students are using OER in place of traditional materials. Northeast Iowa Community College has launched a "Z Program" where students can earn an Associate of Arts degree with absolutely zero textbook costs.
One of the biggest barriers to the use of OER is lack of awareness among institutions and faculty. High quality OER options are available across many disciplines. The Iowa Open Education Action Team is available to work with Iowa colleges and universities to provide these resources.
On April 29, the World Food Prize is hosting the Iowa Youth Institute at Iowa State University. The institute is open to all students in grades 8-12. The day will feature STEM fields and activities with a focus on combating global hunger and poverty. Students who complete the whole program are eligible for scholarships to Iowa State University.
For more information about the program and how to apply, visit www.worldfoodprize.org/iowayouth.
The World Food Prize is hosting a Norman Borlaug poster contest. All high school students are invited to submit a poster portraying some aspect of Norman Borlaug's life, work and legacy. The contest is open through May 30. The winning poster will be featured at the Hunger Summit on Oct. 14.
For more information visit the World Food Prize website at www.WorldFoodPrize.org/PosterContest.