Nereida Castro is among hundreds of Iowans who have lost their hard-earned money due to wage theft. She talked with Sen. Mike Gronstal and me about what she has been through. Iowa workers and honest Iowa employers suffer when bad actors short paychecks, confiscate tips, misclassify workers, take unauthorized deductions and fail to pay overtime. Ultimately, Iowa workers are cheated out of more than $600 million a year.
ENSURING IOWANS GET PAID FOR THEIR WORK
Iowa workers and honest employers are hurt when some businesses short paychecks, confiscate tips, misclassify workers, take unauthorized deductions and fail to pay overtime. These bad actors cheat legal workers out of their hard-earned money, drive down wages for all Iowans and are unfair to businesses that play by the rules.
An epidemic of wage theft is taking Iowa workers for $600 million annually. For fiscal year 2013, more than 600 cases of wage theft were reported to the state.
Until the Legislature took action, Iowa Workforce Development had just one wage investigator to work on the concerns of our state’s 1.3 million private sector employees. That’s why we approved enough money last year to add a second wage investigator.
Iowans should always get paid for the work they have done. Senate File 2328 will help by setting minimum standards to ensure Iowans get paid and allow wage investigators to more easily go after businesses that fail to pay what they owe.
You can learn more about the problem of wage theft in Iowa in this report from the Iowa Policy Project: www.iowapolicyproject.org/2012docs/120827-wagetheft.pdf.
LOCAL SCHOOLS SELECTED FOR TEACHER LEADERSHIP EFFORT
Burlington and Muscatine are among the first Iowa school districts selected to launch the state’s teacher leadership effort starting next school year.
Top teachers taking on leadership roles to improve classroom instruction and raise student achievement was a key piece of our 2013 Education Reform.
This new effort will allow teachers to work in collaboration with colleagues and learn from each other instead of operating in isolation in their classrooms.
Teacher leadership systems will be phased in over three years, with the goal of all Iowa school districts participating on a voluntary basis by 2016-17. For the first year of the program, $50 million will be divided among selected schools. The second year will see a $100 million investment and the third year, $150 million. The funding will become part of the school aid formula that determines how much state money schools receive each year.
A Teacher Leadership Commission selected 39 school districts for the first year of funding from a pool of 146 applicants. Districts selected will receive about $309 per pupil next school year to implement their teacher leadership systems. The next step for school districts is selecting their teacher leaders.
Teacher leadership systems promise to help students learn more by better meeting their individual needs. They also will help Iowa classrooms attract and retain the most effective teachers by enhancing career opportunities and paying stipends for taking on extra responsibilities.
With higher expectations for students, it’s no longer realistic for one principal to provide all the instructional leadership in a school. Teacher and principal leadership teams are the key to supporting more complex efforts to prepare students to complete in a global, knowledge-based economy.
COLUMBUS CITY STUDENT AWARDED KEEP IOWA BEAUTIFUL SCHOLARSHIP
Congratulations to Elijah Sents of Columbus City, recipient of a 2014 Keep Iowa Beautiful Environmental Scholarship. Elijah will receive $1,000 toward college expenses in environmental studies at Iowa State University. He was selected for the scholarship based upon academic achievement and community service.
Keep Iowa Beautiful works with citizens, neighborhoods, communities and regions in improving the quality, beauty and cleanliness of our state. For additional information, visit www.keepiowabeautiful.com.
LOCAL BUSINESSES SUCCEED WITH HELP FROM DEVELOPMENT CENTERS
Iowa’s small businesses are the heart of our state’s economy. According to the Small Business Administration:
• Small businesses represent more than 97 percent of all firms in Iowa.
• There are more than 260,000 small businesses in our state.
• More than half of all Iowans work for small business.
We need to maintain and expand our efforts to support Iowa small businesses as they rebound from the national recession. With policies that
encourage their start-up and growth, we can create local jobs and help our communities thrive. Iowa’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) are a great example of wise investment in jobs and economic growth. In 2013, local SBDCs helped 69 clients in Des Moines County, 7 in Louisa and 9 in Muscatine.
Since 1981, SBDCs have conducted research, provided counseling and trained Iowa business people in management, financing and operating small businesses. Today, there are 16 Small Business Development Centers throughout the state. They have stayed busy helping clients in good and sluggish
economic times.
Statewide in 2013, Iowa SBDCs:
• Counselled 2,552 clients
• Saved 1,545 jobs
• Started 209 new business
• Raised $48.9 million in new capital
SBDCs receive federal and state funding. For every $1 invested in the program in 2013, Iowa saw a return of $2.33 in new sales and income taxes because of SBDC assistance to clients. This is a good return on investment, and we can expect even better returns as the economy continues to improve.
Are you interested in starting or expanding a small business? Be sure to work with your local Small Business Development Center. SBDCs provide practical business expertise, free one-on-one counseling and affordable workshops on financing opportunities, market research, cash flow projections, accounting, writing a business plan and much more. Go to www.iowasbdc.org to see what SBDCs can do for Iowa small businesses.
BUDGET SHOULD FOCUS ON GROWING MIDDLE CLASS
Iowa must continue to be a place of opportunity where those willing to work hard and play by the rules can succeed. That means making smart investments in the economy, education and health care, while defending the right of Iowa workers to earn a decent living. It also means a fiscally responsible budget that is balanced, does not raise taxes and keeps our “rainy day” and reserve accounts full.
Democrats and Republicans agreed this week on the framework for a fiscally responsible budget. Now we must work together on the details to address the top priorities of Iowans. For Senate Democrats, that includes a 4 percent increase in state support for local schools, paying for property tax cuts and working family tax cuts approved last year, increasing community college funding and freezing tuition at our state universities for the second year in a row.
I’ll keep you updated as we work out the specifics in the coming weeks.
PROTECTING SENIORS FROM ABUSE & EXPLOITATION
Many Iowa seniors are at risk for abuse, neglect and financial exploitation every day, particularly those who depend on others to help them with the most basic activities of daily living.
Iowa has a lot of senior citizens. In fact, our state is among the top five in the country when it comes to the percentage of our population age 65 and older. However, we have little on the books to ensure they get the help they need when faced with abuse and exploitation.
The Senate is addressing that concern with passage of SF 2239, a comprehensive approach to combat incidents of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of Iowa’s seniors. The bill follows two years of work by a task force that looked at the challenges state and local agencies face in collaborating to address elder abuse issues. SF 2239 takes statewide a successful pilot program implemented in 22 Iowa counties by establishing an Elder Abuse Resource & Referral Program within the Area Agencies on Aging. The goal is to empower all older Iowans to maximize their autonomy, increase awareness of the risks and signs of elder abuse, and serve as a single point of contact for seniors seeking help. The bill also establishes criminal penalties for elder abuse and financial exploitation, allowing law enforcement to better protect of Iowa seniors and punish those who take advantage of them.
Iowa seniors deserve respect and dignity. This is one step toward protecting some of our most vulnerable citizens. SF 2239 is now under consideration in the Iowa House.
A MODEL OF CIVIC & VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT
One of the best parts of being a state legislator is encouraging more Iowans to get involved, whether it is though civic engagement or volunteer work in their communities. This week, we saw those two things come together in a bill that passed the Iowa Senate.
Senate File 2129, introduced by Senator Steve Sodders, would allow schools to create a philanthropy account within their student activity fund. The money raised could be used for educational, charitable, humane, scientific, public health or welfare, environmental or disaster relief purposes. This includes charitable causes related to the school district or to local students.
The idea behind this bill is extra special because it came from a group of government students at West Marshall High School. They wanted to raise money for a family that had gone through an especially hard time. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a way for the money to be kept separate from other student activity funds, and the state Department of Education did not permit setting up a separate account.
Rather than giving up, the West Marshall students researched the problem, came up with a solution, proposed legislation, advocated for it and saw it pass the Senate this week.
I enjoy going “back to school” by visiting with students and educators in classrooms across my senate district. I always encourage students to think of things they’d like to improve and then to get involved to make those changes a reality.
While the conflict we see in Washington, D.C., can be disheartening, there are plenty of opportunities to make a difference in our communities and in the lives of our fellow citizens. Senate File 2129 and the students who proposed it are proof that in Iowa, civic action makes a difference.
PREVENTING DANGERS OF UNDERAGE DRINKING
Because we want to keep Iowa children safe, we sometimes have to set limits on them for their own protection.
In a unanimous vote, the Senate approved “social host” legislation. SF 2310 sends a message that it is not OK for adults to host underage drinking parties. Those who do will pay a $200 penalty for the first offense and a $500 penalty for a second or subsequent offense.
It is currently illegal to provide alcohol to anyone under 21, but it is not against the law to host a party for underage drinkers on your property if you don’t provide the alcohol. Many cities and counties have ordinances that prohibit hosting parties for underage drinkers, but state law does not prohibit it.
Underage drinking is a serious health and safety problem. In 2012, more than 200 Iowans under the age of 18 were convicted of Operating While Intoxicated when they drove after drinking. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens. About a quarter of those accidents involve an underage drinking driver.
Teens that drink are more likely to:
• Die in a car crash
• Get pregnant
• Flunk out of school
• Be sexually assaulted
• Become an alcoholic later in life
• Commit suicide
For parents who think teen drinking is inevitable, Mothers Against Drunk Driving has advice and resources that will help you talk to your kids about the dangers of drinking. Learn more at www.madd.org/underage-drinking.
REDUCING HEALTH RISKS WITH RADON TESTING IN SCHOOLS
Radon is a natural radioactive gas that can cause cancer. Even though you can’t see, smell or taste it, it is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in smokers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Radon is an especially big problem in Iowa. Our state leads the nation in the amount of radon in our soil. The average indoor radon concentration in
Iowa is more than six times the national average. Radon-induced cancer causes an estimated 400 deaths per year in Iowa. That’s about the same number of deaths caused by Iowa traffic fatalities.
I supported a bill this week requiring school districts to test for the presence of this silent killer and report radon levels to the Iowa
Department of Public Health (SF 2262). The results will be posted on the Department of Public Health website so that parents and teachers are aware of the radon levels in their local school buildings.
Currently, there is no requirement for public or private K-12 schools to test or mitigate radon levels if they are too high. However, childcare centers in Iowa must test for radon within one year of licensing or renewal and every two years following the initial test.
A recent public opinion poll shows that 71 percent of Iowans favor requiring schools to test for radon and to take steps to reduce levels if necessary. It’s time we know what the radon levels are in our local schools.
Cost for radon testing in a typical school building ranges from $500 to $1,500. It is a price worth paying for the health and safety of our kids.
MODERNIZING CRIMINAL LAW ON INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Iowa’s criminal law relating to transmission of HIV is outdated and severely punishes people who have no criminal intent to transmit the disease.
The law stigmatizes everyone who suffers from HIV and ends up discouraging people from seeking treatment. No other disease is dealt with in such a punitive way under Iowa law.
Over the years, advances in health care have resulted in big successes in controlling HIV with medication and other treatments. With the knowledge and understanding research has provided us in recent decades, it’s time to update Iowa’s law on infectious diseases. This week, the Iowa Senate unanimously approved Senate File 2297 to do just that.
Under the bill, it is a crime to intentionally transmit or try to transmit various infectious or contagious diseases, including HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis and meningococcal disease. However, a person who has one of these diseases who does not behave in a way that would transmit the disease would not be guilty of a crime.
The bill promotes public health by encouraging those who may be carrying a disease to seek treatment rather than live fear of being charged with a crime if they have intimate relations with another person.
For more information about HIV and other infectious diseases, go to www.cdc.gov/hiv.
GOOD POLICIES CAN HELP TROUBLED YOUTH
We need to take action as a state to ensure that Iowa’s female juvenile delinquents get the rehabilitation they need to become self-sufficient, upstanding members of their communities.
The Iowa Senate recently approved SF 2322, a bill that seeks to address the lack of services available to our state’s most troubled girls after the abrupt closure of the Iowa Juvenile Home in Toledo. Without the home, Iowa judges do not have an appropriate place to send many young women that need extensive treatment and education to get them on the right track. Iowa’s private mental health providers also do not have the necessary facilities and staff to care for these young women.
Legislators held numerous hearings and listened to advocates and experts to come up with the best possible solution. SF 2322 would establish a state training school for girls, which is accredited to provide high-quality treatment and educational programs. The bill emphasizes the importance of evidence-based, gender-responsive services for girls and training for staff.
The bill also ensures:
• Children are safe and getting their needs met.
• Education and training services meet state and federal requirements and prepare children for long-term success.
• The training schools develop plans that recognize individual treatment and needs to help youth transition into adulthood, including access to
educational and vocational opportunities.
• Guardians for “children in need of assistance” and attorneys representing juvenile delinquents visit the children under their watch.
SF 2322 is now under consideration in the Iowa House.
Contact Tom
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