Holly’s Headlines Update from the House for District 80 – April 17th, 2020
Education, Budget, and Regional Updates
Hello friends,
Another week has passed, and I continue to be proud of our state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ways we are working together to find solutions and support each other. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions, comments, or concerns. Below is the latest update on the changing Coronavirus situation as of April 17th, 2020.
Please like and follow my Facebook Page for the latest updates. I will continue to post frequent updates as they become available to me.
Schools will not reopen this school year, says Governor Reynolds
At her press conference this morning, Governor Reynolds announced that schools will remain closed for the remainder of the school year out of an abundance of caution. I’m thankful for all of the school teachers and staff across the state who have worked incredibly hard to continue to provide our students with learning opportunities, even while schools are closed. Iowans are strong and we will get through this difficult time together!
New Coronavirus Dashboard Providing Information to Iowans
Yesterday, Governor Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Public Health released an additional coronavirus dashboard to provide even more data to Iowans during this public health emergency. Visit the website at: https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/.
The dashboard contains county specific information showing the number of confirmed cases, total deaths, total people tested, and total cases recovered. This information is based on the county of residence of the individuals tested. The site also contains up-to-date information showing Governor Reynold’s data driven approach to determining what mitigation strategies and resources are needed throughout the state.
I encourage you all to visit this website for the latest accurate information as the situation progresses.
Last Friday, Governor Reynolds gave an additional proclamation regarding a few important things. Here is a summary:
Graduation Requirements
For the high school class of 2020, the Governor suspended a number of graduation requirements including:
Required curriculum standards and completion of specific units of credit
CPR training
Closed Business Activity Clarification
The closure of retail establishments shall not be construed to limit service to the public through online or telephone sales, delivery, or curb-side pickup. This order does not supersede any other applicable federal or state law that regulate the sales or delivery of the goods or services.
Regulatory Relief for Health Care
Additional regulatory relief was provided to health care facilities and providers in Sections 1 through 30. Many of the sections comply with regulatory relief provided by waivers by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and apply to hospitals specifically. Many of these regulations being loosened come from the Department of Inspections and Appeals, which enforces the majority of these provisions. Additionally, Section 30 relaxes requirements on mandatory reporter training requirements being completed within the first 6 months of employment. These health care sections are in addition to many provided in past proclamations.
State Prepared to Respond to COVID Emergency
When the COVID-19 pandemic reached Iowa, the Legislature responded by suspending the session, ensuring the state budget would be stable, and provided Governor Reynolds with the tools she needed to respond to this public health emergency.
With many companies being required to close temporarily and workers being laid off, there is little doubt that Iowa’s economy will be negatively impacted by the COVID emergency. One of the biggest questions that has emerged during this unprecedented situation is how the state budget will be impacted. The President and Congress have provided states with additional funding, however, it is yet to be determined how these resources can be used or if they have strings attached. Many questions remain which is why responsible budgeting at the state level will play a key role moving ahead.
House Republicans knew how important it was to plan for unexpected situations like the one we face today. For the last decade, House Republicans have championed responsible budgeting practices by spending less than the state collects, funding priorities at a responsible level, and building in a reasonable cushion to account for fluctuations in revenue.
It’s due to those efforts that Iowa’s finances are in great shape now as we enter this public health emergency. When the Legislature suspended session:
The state had a large projected surplus for this year of about $540 million to account for unforeseen circumstances like fluctuations in revenue, inaccurate revenue estimates, and disasters. A healthy surplus ensures that we can continue to fulfill commitments that have been made (Note: this figure is based off of a revenue projection that has not yet accounted for the impact of COVID-19 so it will likely change in the months ahead)
The Economic Emergency Fund is fully filled with $196 million in resources to respond to the COVID emergency. The Governor has already tapped some of these funds to provide grants to several small businesses around the state.
The Cash Reserve Account is at their maximum level of $588 million so the state can continue to fund its obligations.
While the full impact of the COVID emergency is yet to be determined, House Republicans have put the state in a strong position to react and respond when necessary.
I want to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you, and specifically to our healthcare and essential service workers in District 80! We will get through this together, hang in there!
