From our inbox – State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott has a special place in my political heart for defeating Jake (teachers have sinister agendas) Chapman. Here is her informative newsletter posted on Friday.

There were 89 subcommittee meetings last week in the Senate, with topics ranging from snowmobile registration fees to allowing physicians to deny best practice medical care based on personal preferences.

There is a lot of legislation on the move and these subcommittees are an important opportunity for the public to weigh in. It’s very difficult to keep track of everything going on, even for legislators. Not everything will get covered by the press. For your reference, there’s more information below about the legislative process. As a legislator, I try to highlight the issues on my radar and offer direction to the public so you all can be a part of the process. I also recommend finding advocacy groups focused on the issues that are important to you—they can give you timely updates and help your voice have greater impact as part of a community.

Just a quick update on the Area Education Agencies: the Governor’s proposal has not moved forward and no revised proposals have been presented…yet. Advocacy — especially the advocacy of rural and small-town residents — is making a powerful impact. This week I asked folks from agribusiness groups about the importance of AEAs. Almost everyone had a personal story about the AEAs. One of these agribusiness leaders shared that the quality of AEA services their children were receiving was key in making career decisions, choosing to work for a company in Iowa rather than pursuing opportunities out of state. These personal stories matter and members of the House and Senate Education Committees need to keep hearing them.

I served on the subcommittee for a couple of education bills that I found troubling. On its face, Senate File 2009 seemed like a good idea. The bill proposed creating education supply accounts for educators. The problem was that these accounts were not funded. Instead, an estimated $8 million would be taken out of existing education funding. Each year this funding continues to lag behind increasing costs, and already cannot provide for badly needed raises and supplies.

This year the Republican Majority is proposing a 2.5% increase, again falling below rising cost of educating. SF 2009 also undermined its own supposed goal by pressuring educators to not spend these funds — indicating that unspent funds would be used for teacher pay increases at the end of the year. Educators need raises. Educators need more resources to purchase supplies. Moving the same money around will not accomplish either goal. Ask members of the education committees to put forth real solutions for our state’s educational needs.

I was also on the subcommittee for Senate Study Bill 3092, which allows school boards to directly hire unpaid “chaplains.” I have put the title chaplain in quotes because the bill specifically states that the board “shall not require” license, endorsement, or certification, and the bill does not define what supports, services, and programs these individuals would provide in our schools.

I served as a hospital chaplain in adult and pediatric hospitals, but only with significant training and oversight from an accredited program. Trained chaplains understand boundaries — they are not counselors or social workers or psychologists and they are especially not there to proselytize or convert. When working with a vulnerable population (children) it is incredibly important to make sure that those adults are trained, qualified, carefully vetted, and their work is clearly defined.

This bill asks school boards to directly hire staff and define their work — which with the exception of the Superintendent is never the role of a school board. The bill also prohibits the school board from putting in place the same standards that facilities that care for vulnerable and captive populations (hospitals, prisons, military) would follow.

The author of the legislation, House Rep. Helena Hayes said, “This bill is about ministers in the workplace.” As minister is a specifically Christian title, it seems the intent of the legislation is to bring Christian ministers into public schools, give them a title and the endorsement of the district. Supporters in the room also indicated that they had attended a conference in Texas promoting a similar policy passed by that state in 2023. Over 100 professional Texas chaplains and faith leaders issued a public letter in opposition to the legislation. Despite the concerns of many in the room, the bill passed subcommittee and now is eligible for consideration by the entire Senate Education Committee.

We need to provide more mental health support to our students, and that means employing qualified persons to provide mental health care. This week I filed Senate File 2082 to help schools bill Medicaid so they can pay counselors and therapists to provide those services to a broader range students in need. Reach out to the chair of Health and Human Services jeff.edler@legis.iowa.gov to ask him to give this bill a public hearing.

Make Your Voice Heard in Your Iowa Senate

The legislative process can be complicated, but to break it down: most bills pass through three key stages of review and discussion – and each one offers opportunities for regular folks to get involved and make their voices heard.

Here’s a quick guide to understanding the process and taking every opportunity to make your voice heard.

Step 1: Subcommittee

Subcommittees are public meetings where we hear from you.

• The first step for most bills under consideration in the Senate is a subcommittee. This is where a small panel of lawmakers review the bill and take public comment. If you want to make your voice heard on the pros or cons of a bill, this is the place to do it!
• Subcommittees take place in person at the Capitol, but are usually streamed online as well, with time set aside for public comment.
• What do to: If you want to speak on a bill in subcommittee, you can attend in person or participate online. You can also send comments to subcommittee members to read and consider.
• Find scheduled subcommittees here. Click “Agenda” for meeting details and the Zoom link. There is a “Comments” link to leave a public comment, which can demonstrate to the press and the public how people feel about this legislation. But know that these comments won’t be read in the subcommittee and legislators may never look at them.

Step 2: Committee

Committees are where we iron out the details.

• If a bill passes out of subcommittee (many don’t!) it is eligible to heard by a full committee of senators. A bill passed by a subcommittee does not have to be taken up by a committee. In the Senate, we have 17 standing committees focusing on various policy areas. Each committee has between 6 and 20 members, often with specific expertise in that issue area.
• If the committee chair chooses, the bill may be discussed by senators at one of the full committee meetings.
• Senators can amend the bill in committee — that is, the majority party can accept changes and additions to the legislation at this point.
• Committees take place in person at the Capitol but are also streamed online. The public is not allowed to speak but can attend or watch online.
• What to do: Attend in person to show public interest in the issue. Watch the committee live or later (it will be archived on website) to know what legislators are saying and how they vote. Contact senators on the committee to let them know what you think and how you want them to vote. Find committee schedules here. Click here to find senators’ contact information.

Step 3: The Floor

Floor debate is where we make our stand

• A bill that passes committee is eligible for floor debate (although the majority party leaders decides when or if a bill actually comes up). Again, a bill that was voted out of committee may not ever be brought to debate.
• If a bill is brought up for debate, the sponsor introduces it and then all 50 senators have a chance to speak and offer amendments to change it. At the end of debate, senators vote on whether or not to pass it.
• Floor debate is held in the Senate chamber and streamed online. Watch live here. Click here for archived floor debates.
• What to do: The Senate chamber galleries are open to the public. Attend in person or watch online. Contact your senator to make your voice heard. Legislators may share stories and comments from the public as part of their speech.

Step 4: What Happens Next

• What happens after the Senate passes a bill depends on whether the bill has also been considered by the House.
• If the bill originated in the Senate, it moves over to the House and starts the process from Subcommittee to Committee to Debate in that chamber. If there are no changes, it goes to the Governor. If there are changes, it needs to go back to the Senate for debate again.
• The same bill could be moving through both the House and Senate at the same time, cutting down the amount of time legislation would take to pass.
• If a bill already passed the House, and then passes the Senate, it moves on to the governor. The governor gets the final say on all legislation, choosing whether to sign it into law or veto it.

The next six weeks will be very busy with bills moving through the legislative process. It looks like we may already have debate next Thursday in the Senate. If there’s an issue you care about, now is the time to get involved and make your voice heard!