Capitol Letters: The Sitzmann Scoop Week 13

The week in a recap:

This week was a very short but effective week.  The highlight of the week was that  we voted on SSA and passed a final version (see details below).  

Monday:

Monday I toured  Wray and Rachel Wright’s farm outside of Whiting.  They have a drip irrigation system that was very neat to learn about.  Monday we had no committee meetings or votes; so I traveled to Des Moines late on Monday.  

Tuesday:

Tuesday morning  we gaveled in at 8:30AM and we (house republicans immediately caucused).  After Caucus we went to the house floor and voted on and passed the following bills:

-         HF HF651/ SF588 – Local Gov Notices

-         HF 771 / SF 275 Purple Star School Initiatives

-         HF 835 School Seizure Training

-         HF 947 / SF 592 Accessory Dwelling Units

-         SF 460 Home Inspections

-         SF 491 Regulation of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Over Farm Properties

-         HF 782 Electronic Devices in Schools

-         SF 167 SSA (Supplemental State Aid)

We were done for the day around noon on Tuesday.  With no committee meetings (that I am on) or visits planned the rest of the week in Des Moines I decided to travel home.  

The Rest of the Week

The rest of the week I spent time catching up on emails, and studying up on upcoming legislation (Mainly property tax reform).  I also had a meeting with my boss at my day job!  As a CITIZEN LEGISLATOR;  I do also have a fulltime job that I am currently on leave from.  Once we wrap up session by  5/2 I will return to work there.  

Where will I be This Weekend:

This Next weekend I will be at the Cherokee Farm Bureau Forum at 11:30AM in Cherokee.  

Looking Ahead:

This coming week (week 14) will be fairly similar to week 13.  Things are somewhat slow right now.  Once budget proposals are complete we will be spending a lot of time on the house floor voting on budgets.  

Week 13 Legislative Update:

Senate File 167:SSA Final Agreement

•      This week, we passed a final SSA agreement after months of negotiations. While our original proposal included more money for schools, this final agreement includes a couple of key wins secured by Iowa House Republicans.
•      This final agreement includes:

o   A2% increase in SSA for Fiscal Year 2026 plus an additional $5 per student. This results in more than $105 million more in school aid.

This year also brings phase two of the teacher salary increase. This will include almost $35 million additional dollars for public schools.

o   The State Cost Per Pupil amount increases to $7,988 per student which includes an additional $5 for per pupil equity, which was a key component fought for by House Republicans. This is an increase of $162 per pupil.

o   The operational sharing cap increases from 21 to 25, an additional $942,087 for public schools.

o   An additional 3% increase in transportation equity, in addition to the 2%increase. This equates to $1,554,938 more for public schools.

•      Altogether, these increases equate to a 2.8%increase in state funding to public schools.
•      House Republicans secured more than $4.7 million in additional investments for public schools through our negotiations.
•      These increases represent many of the specific funding issues we hear from our school districts. While each line item may not affect each individual school district equally, one line item may have a big impact on addressing the issue a specific district is facing.  
•      House Republicans are working to respond to the specific concerns we’re hearing from our schools in a responsible manner.

Democrats’ False Claims on School Funding

•      Democrats repeated the misleading claim that we are increasing ESA funding by 44% while increasing public school funding by 2%.They say this to make it sound as if we are spending more on private schools than on public schools. But that is far from the truth.
•      The cost per pupil of ESAs increases each year at the same rate as the number we set for SSA. This year is the final year of expansion in the ESA program that allows all families to qualify. This is why the increase looks greater this year.
•      Even with this expansion, the cost of the ESA program does not even come remotely close to the amount we spend each year on public schools. Check out the graph below for a side by side comparison.
•      In the FY 2025 budget, state aid to public schools accounts for 43.62% of the entire state budget. That’s the biggest piece of the pie by far. ESAs, meanwhile, account for 2.01% of the total state budget.

House File 782: No phones during instructional time

•      This week, we once again passed a bill limiting students’ cell phone use during class, sending it to the Governor’s desk.
•      This bill requires school districts to implement a policy that, at a minimum, prohibits the use of cell phones during instructional time.
•      Schools can implement a more stringent policy, but this is the minimum standard. The policy must also contain exemptions for medical reasons students may need access to their phones and must outline methods for parents to communicate with students during emergencies.
•      We know the dangers of smart phones and social media. It’s time to protect our kids from the danger of their devices.
•      This will ensure that the classroom remains a place where students can be free from the distraction of their phones and can focus on learning.
•      Iowa schools that have implemented policies restricting cell phone use on their own are already seeing results of better grades and lower suspensions.
•      This is our second time passing this bill. The Senate amended the original legislation to clarify that the Department of Education must have model policies for schools available by May 1^st.

House Study Bill 328: Updates to the Property Tax Overhaul Bill

•      Last month, we introduced a major property tax overhaul bill to kickstart a broad conversation about property tax reform.
•      In the time since, we have been taking feed back from Iowans and different entities to gain a complete understanding of how any change we make to the system would affect Iowans across the state.
•      As a result of this feedback, Iowa House Ways and Means Chairman Bobby Kaufmann and his counterpart in the Senate have introduced new legislation, updating the bill proposed several weeks ago.
•      Iowans have been loud and clear about their complaints with property taxes and their fear that they may be priced out of their homes. Based on the feedback we hear from Iowans, the current system is disliked by both taxpayers and taxing entities. We should not be afraid of big changes to the system. 
•      House Study Bill 328 makes the following changes to the original proposal:

o  Increases the homestead exemption benefit to$50,000 to help bring relief to residential property taxpayers

o  Removes the rollback for all classifications except agriculture, effective for the FY27 budget

o  Implements a CPI adjustment alongside the 2%revenue restriction to help local entities manage times of high inflation

o  Provides a minimum budget guarantee to provide small communities certainty in their budgeting process

•      Once again it is time to get additional feed back from Iowans on this legislation.

House File 835: Seizure Management in Schools

•      This week we passed House File 835 to provide additional safety measures for Iowa students.
•       This bill introduces new training requirements for school personnel on seizure recognition and management.

o   By July 1^st, each school must have at least one trained employee to administer or assist with medications for seizure disorders and manual doses of  prescribed electrical stimulation using a vagus nerve stimulator magnet.

o   By December 31^st, 2026, all school personnel must receive training on seizure recognition and first aid.

•       It also ensures collaboration between schools, parents, and healthcare professionals in developing health plans and seizure action plans for students who need them.
•       And finally, it provides liability protection for school employees assisting students with seizure needs ensuring there is no hesitation preventing them from taking immediate action. 
•       This bill improves student safety and raises awareness about epilepsy and seizure disorders.

House File 947: Affordable Housing Through Accessory Dwelling Units

o  This week we passed House File 947 to remove red tape preventing more access to affordable housing through “accessory dwelling units.”

o  An accessory dwelling unit is defined as an additional residential unit located on the same lot as a single-family residence. It can either be attached or detached from the single-family residence.

o  The bill states that accessory dwelling units shall comply with all applicable building regulations. It cannot exceed the larger between 1,000 square feet or 50% of the size of the single-family residence.

o  It also says that counties and cities cannot adopt more restrictive requirements on an accessory dwelling unit than the single-family residence.

o  By making it easier to create accessory dwelling units, this bill will increase the supply of affordable housing options and will allow for more efficient use of existing residential properties. 

Verse of the Week:  John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  

Quote of the Week

“ It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”  

                                                                                          -Theodore Roosevelt