Week 5 Wrap-up

This week at the Capitol, legislators dealt with increased taxes and possibly changing labor laws.
The Dr. Shopping bill was rushed out of committee this week and if passed would give workers injured on the job the ability to visit multiple doctors until they receive their desired diagnosis. This will result in a 14% increase in the cost in workers compensation insurance to employers in Iowa. This bill will have huge ramifications on schools and businesses in this state. It will put undue strain on the taxpayer and as a result, employers could potentially reduce benefits and institute layoffs. Injured workers already have many options – we don’t need to fix a system that is not broken.

Also on the horizon is the gas tax. Democrats in the House and Senate filed bills to raise the tax by 4 cents upon the Governor’s signing and another 4 cents by January 1, 2010. This tax is designed to improve roads and tax people traveling through the state, but Iowans already contribute to the Road Use Tax Fund, an increased license fee that passed last year. This bill has been controversial and I will be sure to keep you updated on it.

Finally, in an effort to rid the state of inefficiency, a Democrat proposal was introduced in the Senate that would effectively close every rural school in Iowa with 750 pupils or less. Taking away local control of the issue and forced consolidation is not the answer to inefficiency. Rural schools are top performers in education in Iowa and the lifeblood of the state.

On a lighter note, the 13th Annual Child Congress has been meeting in Des Moines this week. Today, they were at the Capitol, meeting with legislators and talking about early childhood care and programs. Pictured at left are Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley, Republican Whip Steve Kettering and Senator James Seymour with representative from early childhood education programs.