CALL TO ACTION AGAINST CHANGES TO MECHANIC'S LIEN LAW!
Senator Zaun is on record in opposing this bill but there are two other Senators on this subcommittee who we have yet to hear from. If you have not heard back from the Legislators you contacted, please contact them again. It is not too late to contact them if you have not been able to do so yet.
If this bill moves out of subcommittees to the Judiciary Commitees, it will be that much more difficult to stop.
There are just too many gaps in the bill as it is written. Some in favor of the bill have said to pass it and work on the details later. That is not a good approach to writing good legislation.
Bill Wimmer, our lobbyist, has forwarded us the names of the committee members reviewing these bills. Please call:
House subcommittee members to NOT SUPPORT HSB 559
To call them at the Capitol, dial (515)281-3221
Eric Palmer (D-Oskaloosa), eric.palmer@legis.state.ia.us
Nate Willems (D-Lisbon), nate.willems@legis.state.ia.us
Doug Struyk (R-Council Bluffs), doug.struyk@legis.state.ia.us
Senate subcommittee members to NOT SUPPORT SSB 3076
To call them at the Capitol, dial (515)281-3371
Rob Hogg (D-Cedar Rapids), rob.hogg@legis.state.ia.us
Herman Quirmbach (D-Ames), quirmbach@legis.state.ia.us
Brad Zaun (R-Urbandale), brad.zaun@legis.state.ia.us
Please email me if you call or email if you contact the Legislator. Tell me your response so we can track it.
(800)469-9078
Comparison of ILA Concerns with Iowa Title's November Proposal
You can view the table on our web site by clicking here Comparison Table
Lawmakers tout new health care plan
Legislative leaders are touting a plan to make health care easier for poor and moderate-income Iowans to find, but they acknowledged the meatiest parts of the plan couldn't take effect without increased federal money.
One of its main methods would be to expand access to IowaCare, a health-insurance plan for poor adults who don't qualify for Medicaid. Currently, most IowaCare members can only get care at University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City or at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines. The bill would allow such patients to get primary care at federally financed "safety net" clinics around the state. To pay for that, legislators said, the state has found a way to draw down $8 million to $10 million in extra federal money.
The bill also aims to cover hospitalization of IowaCare patients, and to double the income limit for people wanting to join, which now is about $22,000 annually for a single person. Better-off members would have to pay part or all of their premiums.
However, both of those changes would require significant infusions of federal money. The Democrats said they hope to get that money from health-reform bills being considered in Congress, but they noted those bills are languishing.
The new Iowa Senate bill also would set up an "informational exchange," which would help Iowans compare health-insurance policies offered by private companies. Unlike full-fledged insurance exchanges being considered nationally, the Iowa program wouldn't provide subsidies to help poor people buy policies. It also would not include a government operated plan.
Rep. Linda Upmeyer of Garner, who is one of the Republicans' leading Iowa voices on health care, said later Tuesday that she doubts much federal money could be found for the more ambitious parts of the bill. "I hope we're not taking up time for something that isn't going to happen," she said.
Upmeyer said she has few qualms about an informational insurance exchange, as long as it doesn't turn into a way for the government to sell policies. She also said she supports the idea of letting IowaCare patients get treated outside of Des Moines or Iowa City. But she objected to the idea of dramatically increasing IowaCare's income limits, even if relatively well-off members paid for their own premiums.
Bill Tracking
(Bill numbers beginning with the letter "H" are House bills and those beginning with the letter "S" are Senate bills):
The following industry-related legislation was introduced last week
Senate Transportation Committee: Voted Out:
SSB 3001TRUCK REGISTRATION FEES
Multi-purpose: Strikes an obsolete flat fee registration schedule and treats all multipurpose vehicles the same, so that the fee for all multi-purpose vehicles from 1992 or older is $50. Disabled: Establishes an annual registration fee of no more than $60 for trucks equipped to assist a disabled person. Requires that the owner be the disabled person a member of that person's household. Includes persons who are confined to wheelchairs. PASSED
The following industry-related legislation was introduced this past week in the Iowa House and Senate. For full details of the legislation, please visit www.legis.state.ia.us.
HF 2152 NON PROFIT HOUSING Strikes the requirement that a non-profit operate at least 150 units in a city of more than 110,000 to be exempt from property taxes and includes all such units. Strikes provision allowing such an organization to receive the exemption for 2005 & 2006 without filing. Effective January, 2011.
HF 2168 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Includes buildings with fewer than three housing units as residential property. Excludes motels, hotels and similar buildings.
HF 2182 ELECTRICAL LICENSING Exempts farmers, and employees or relatives, from licensing rules on electrical work, from needing to have a permit, and from needing to have the work inspected.
HSB 632 MANUFACTURED HOME TAXES Requires that the use tax on manufactured homes be paid by the buyer to a licensed manufactured home retailer, and for the retailer to apply for a certificate of title. Requires the tax to be forwarded to the county treasurer or the DOT, and then to the DOR. Allows the county treasurer to keep $1 for each tax payment. Includes other provisions.
The following general business legislation related to our industry was introduced this past week in the Iowa House and Senate. For full details of the legislation, please visit www.legis.state.ia.us.
HF 2135 PAID TIME OFF Defines paid time off and adds it to the definition of wages. Requires that an employee who is suspended or fired be paid for the accrued paid time off. Allows the employer to reduce the value of paid time off by a 1/3 if the employee did not receive vacation pay. Allows an employer to have a policy to not pay for paid time off if the employee is fired for misconduct. Requires an employer who offers sick leave and paid time off to allow the time to be used for prenatal care and maternity leave.
HSB 652 FEDERAL TAX COUPLING Updates the Iowa Code with the federal tax code. Includes provisions from 2008 and 2009, including bonus depreciation and other matters.
SF 2097 HEALTH CARE MANDATES States that Iowa will not implement any federal mandates on health care that are not fully funded
SF 2112 WORKPLACE LACTATION Requires employers to give an employee reasonable time at work, whether paid or unpaid, to express milk, and to make reasonable efforts to give her a private place. Requires the DWD to make information available on its website. Includes definitions.
SF 2122 TOBACCO COVERAGE Requires individual and group health plans to offer coverage for tobacco cessation efforts for persons over the age of 18 for policies delivered after September, 2010. SF 2132 HEALTH COST DEDUCTIONS Allows an employer to deduct health benefit costs to the same extent that federal law does. Requires the insurance commissioner to work with all businesses on implementing plans that qualify.
SSB 3175 WORKERS COMP OVERTIME Requires worker's comp benefits to include compensation for premium and overtime pay. Requires worker comp disability benefits to be indexed by the disability COLA used by Social Security.
SSB 3176 SAFE & SICK TIME Requires that employees who work 20 hours a week or 1,080 hours a year accrue safe & sick time as of July, 2010. Requires new employees to wait 60 days before using any such time. Establishes conditions for use of such time and a formula for computing it. Allows an employee to use no more than 144 hours per year. Does not require an employer to pay off sick and safe time when the employee leaves the company. Allows an employer to recover the money paid for such time if an employee takes it with meeting the conditions. Allows employees to make complaints to the Labor Commissioner.
Lobbyist Contact Information:
Wasker Dorr Wimmer & Marcouiller, P.C.
4201 Westown Parkway, Suite 250
West Des Moines, IA 50266-6720
TEL: 515-283-1801
FAX: 515-283-1802
Bill Wimmer Craig Schoenfeld
515-371-8920 (cell) 515-371-8921 (cell)
bwimmer@wdwm.net cschoenfeld@wdwm.net