Hite Capitol Update: February 21, 2019
Rep Dustin Hite (middle) and Sen. Ken Rozenboom (right) at the capitol engaging in conversation with constituents.
by Rep Dustin Hite
This week included many subcommittee meetings, the passage of an important judiciary bill, and the release of our budget targets.
First, I had the opportunity to serve on three subcommittees for judiciary bills this week. The first was on Tuesday, when we discussed House Study Bill 118. This gives juvenile courts jurisdiction over minor guardianship proceedings. Also, we passed House Study Bill 144 through subcommittee. This bill deals with situations around the indigent defense fund. And on Thursday, we passed House File 395 out of subcommittee. This concerns contact between a criminal defendant and a prosecuting witness who is a minor. In addition to these subcommittees, the full judiciary committee passed House Study Bill 110 this week. This legislation gives elected officials more say on judicial nomination committee appointments. If you would like any more information on these bills, I encourage you to visit the Iowa Legislature website at www. legis.iowa.gov.
Next, development of the state budget took a major step forward on Tuesday when House Republicans unveiled our framework for a responsible, conservative budget in Fiscal Year 2020. The House proposal provides $7.668 billion from the General Fund to support state programs beginning July 1, 2019.
Our plan allows for the state to address a number of priorities that Iowans have brought to us. These include providing additional resources for mental health services to both children and adults, as well as addressing Medicaid reimbursements to nursing homes and rural hospitals. Additional resources can also be committed to worker training, through the Future Ready Iowa program, and the assistance provided to Iowa’s higher education institutions.
This framework includes 2.06% increase to state school aid and increases for school transportation costs. The budget design also allows for new resources to be used for Iowa’s public safety, corrections, and judicial systems. This is all done while keeping the taxpayer in mind and ensuring that state spending is less than what Iowa is projected to collect in tax revenue for the year.
Our targets are very close to what Governor Reynolds proposed in her Condition of the State speech last month. The House plan spends $9.5 million more than what the Governor recommended in her budget, but both plans spend below the limits imposed by Iowa’s expenditure limitation law ($7.8807 billion).
Finally, I had the opportunity to meet with a couple members from District 79 this week. Thank you to Jennifer VanEe from Leighton for meeting with me at UNI Day, and Myron Linn from Iowa Lutheran Services for meeting with me during their Day on the Hill. I also had the opportunity to visit with Senator Chuck Grassley this week when he visited the Statehouse.
I encourage anyone to reach out to me at dustin.hite@legis.iowa.gov if you have any questions of concerns about current and future legislation.
