House Republicans are Advancing Common Sense Legislation to Move Iowa Forward

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1 Week 7 I am very happy to say that earlier this week we passed the amended version of Senate File 455, to give rural school districts additional funding to address unequal transportation cost. Some districts spend as little as $100 per student while others spend almost $1,000. Our plan provides $11.2 million in funding to bring the maximum transportation cost for districts down to $432 per student. It also commits $2.9 million to work towards the per pupil equity issue that some schools in the state face. This is the first time since the 1980s that the per pupil equity gap has been narrowed permanently. This is great news for WD and District 57! Western Dubuque School District is the largest geographicial district in the state covering 555 square miles. To put that into perspective that's 1/2 the state of Rhode Island. By addressing these inequities that rural schools face, we are able to put more money back into the classroom and our students!

2 Last Saturday I visited with a group of Veterans from our District at the VFW in New Vienna. It was a very informative visit, and we discussed a few bills in the House that have passed funnel that I am looking forward to supporting. If you are interested in Veterans Bill they are as follows: HF2405 Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment HSB2153 National Service Corps Program HSB58 Veterans Benefits HSB587 National Guard Morale HSB538 Enlarging the Veterans Commission HF2377 (The Opioid Bill) is scheduled for Debate on the House Floor on Monday afternoon or evening. HF2327 (The Mental Health bill) Should be debated on Tuesday at some point. You can watch our sessions live at I am available to meet with groups or organizations from our district on most weekends. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please feel free to reach out by or phone. House Republicans are Advancing Common Sense Legislation to Move Iowa Forward Card Skimmers As millions of Americans move away from buying goods and services with cash, criminals are finding more and more innovative ways to steal people s money. A common tactic is through card skimmers that are installed on gas pumps, ATMs, and credit card readers, which are used to steal money from hard-working Iowans. House File 2199 will protect Iowans from these types of 21st crimes by penalizing criminals who use skimming devices to steal Iowans credit

3 Improving the Workplace Every session, House Republicans look for ways to reduce red tape on small businesses and ensure a safe work environment for employees. Two bills passed this week will help us move forward on reaching those goals. House File 2240 helps reduce costs for businesses and allows them to modernize their accounting practices by allowing employers to provide employees with electronic pay stubs. This gives businesses four different options for providing their workers with pay stubs. Another bill, House File 2383, ensures a safe work environment by reducing the standard alcohol concertation allowed in an employer policy from.04 to.02. This change matches Iowa law to the current federal regulation. Employees that come to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol put everyone in the workplace at risk. Telehealth Many rural parts of Iowa have limited access to a doctor and other important health services. Faced with these barriers, Iowans often don t get the care they need. One solution to this problem is the expansion of telehealth services, which would allow an Iowan to speak with, visually see, and be treated by a doctor using audio/ visual technology. House File 2305 expands insurance coverage so that telehealth care is covered by health insurance, just like health insurance would cover a face to face visit between a patient and their healthcare professional. This will make Iowans healthier by ensuring more access to essential health care services in rural areas of the state.

4 Reforming Iowa s Tax Code Iowa s tax code is outdated and overly complex so a review is well in order. The last time that Iowa reformed its tax code: Hayden Fry was still the head football coach at the University of Iowa Titanic was the #1 movie at the box office and was released in a 2 VHS box set Seinfeld began its final season on television Steve Jobs had just returned to Apple iphone had not yet been invented House Republicans believe Iowans deserve a tax code that is simpler, fairer, and more competitive. Any tax reform package needs to focus on the average, middle class Iowan. Additionally, it will require a pragmatic approach that protects the key priorities of Iowans. Tax reform at the federal level has caused Iowans state taxes to increase due to federal deductibility. It was never Congress intent for federal tax cuts to be used to grow government. That money needs to remain with Iowa taxpayers. Governor Reynolds has released a plan that reduces the number of tax brackets, significantly lowers tax rates, raises the standard deduction, and includes safeguards to protect budget sustainability. Her plan provides significant and immediate relief to middle class Iowans. The House will work off of the Governor s plan and will continue listening to Iowans to gather more input. Senate Republicans have released their own plan and we are still reviewing it. House Republicans aren t going to pass a tax cut without understanding what is

5 proposal will go through the normal committee process and Iowans will have plenty of opportunity to weigh in. Photos of the Week!

6 Monday was UNI Day here at the Capitol and boy, do these students have a lot of panther pride. Jamal White (left) is the Student Body President and a good friend of my daughter, Sydney. Thanks TC (The Cat) for taking a photo with us. Go panthers!

7 As Vice-Chair of Economic Growth, it was my pleasure to invite Dyersville Economic Development Corporation s Jacque Rahe and our city Administrator Mick Michels as well as Greater Dubuque Development Corporation s Rick Dickinson and assistant city manager Teri Goodman to present to our committee this week.

8 It was my pleasure to meet Leslie & Scott Carpenter to discuss my mental health/complex needs bill. They have been long time advocates of mental health.

9 It was great to take some time to chat with NAMI Dubuque directors, Britni Farber, Brenda Rhoads, Holly Kelley, and Lindsay Jackson.