Legislative Updates And Action Alerts

Updated March 26 2010

Call or e-mail your legislator TODAY!

To find your legislator, visit http://www.legis.state.ia.us/FindLeg/.

Things are moving quickly, please call or e-mail your legislator, ask them about the bills, and share your opinion!
 
Support

SF 2265 (formerly SSB 3096) Land Use Planning Bill passed out of House (51 Yes - 41 No - 8 absent or not voting) on March 26. The bill has been sent to the Senate. Representatives need to hear from Iowans about the importance planning with the smart planning principles and establishing guidelines for comprehensive planning. Please continue to help us work toward solutions which will create state level guidelines and support for Iowa's 947 cities and 99 counties to embrace coordinated and comprehensive planning. Please make an extra effort to let them know your thoughts.

SF 2317 (Rebuild Iowa Committee) HUC 8 Watershed Management Authorities are formed This bill is in the Rebuild Iowa and Disaster Recovery Committee. Allowing for the formation of Watershed Management Authorities through 28 E agreements, this bill will offer great flexibility for local collaboration of diverse partners to address issues within watersheds, with local consideration for unique landscapes, and cultures that vary throughout the state. Agencies are good at what they do but often entrenched bureaucracies have evolved into control and complacency.
 
SF 2310 Trust Fund This bill passed out of Senate on February 23. The fund will provide a permanent and protected funding source for Iowa's natural resources to improve and protect our diverse natural environment and outdoor recreational opportunities including parks, trails, and fish and wildlife habitat, and conserving agricultural soils and natural areas in Iowa. A ballot initiative in November 2010 for the constitutional amendment to establish the fund would allocate 3/8 of one cent from sales tax revenue the next time the Iowa Legislature approves a sales tax increase. It will only require a 50% + 1 vote of the public. If approved by Iowa voters, the Trust Fund would provide approximately $150 million dollars per year in additional funding. This type of initiative has been working in Minnesota and Missouri.
 
SF 2354 (formerly SSB 3210) Committee Bill A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including political campaign activities and independent expenditures by corporations, and making penalties applicable. This bill is on the Senate calendar for debate today.
 
Do Not Support

HF 2206 Extends the Dates for Compliance in Capping Ag Drainage Wells Ag drainage wells are currently being systematically capped to prevent surface water drainage, septic tank connections and associated pollution from being discharged to the drainage well and the groundwater aquifer. The bill was amended in the House ag committee to further extend the deadline for compliance to 12-31-2020.

The bill is on the House debate calendar. 1000 Friends believes that land owners should have to comply with current law to assure water quality isn't jeopardized for others.
 
Monitoring
 
HF 2318 (formerly HF 2041) Removing Term Limitations on State City Development Board Unfortunately, this bill passed the House February 23. Please call subcommittee members, Senators Beall, Olive and Reynolds, and Senate Local Government Committee Members before 1:30 today and ask them to reinstate the term limits on this bill! The bill has been amended to change the six year terms to four year terms but still removes the limitation that prevents City Development Board members from serving more than two complete terms. Please tell legislators that City Development Board members need to have term limitations. The positions are by gubernatorial appointment. Having unlimited terms for appointments defeats the purpose. This is a small but mighty important ruling.

Died in Committee

HF 619 Restore Original Intent to TIF Laws HF 619 is dead, but Iowans need to call their legislators yet this session and demand TIF reform in light of budget shortfalls. This could be accomplished with an amendment.

1000 Friends believes TIF laws should be restored to their original intent and eliminate economic development as a purpose. However, cities have become so dependent on TIF there is little political will to touch TIF laws. Currently the State of Iowa reimburses school districts over $45 million per year directly from the general fund to compensate for the money lost to school districts because of TIF. Since 1978 in Polk County alone, more than $1.7 billion in city property taxes have been directed towards TIF financing and away from public services such as schools. Read more about TIF in 1000 Friends of Iowa's Summer, 2009 Land Use Bulletin.

Legislators claim they aren't hearing constituents ask for TIF reform. Let's change that! Please tell your legislators as soon as possible that the Iowa legislature needs to address TIF reform if they are sincere about plugging holes in our state budget. All legislators need to hear from each of us, but a word from folks in their home district has more muscle than any lobbying method - so please call or email, and let them know you're watching!

HF 76 Campaign Finance This bill relates to political campaigns, and campaign finance and disclosure, containing limitations on certain contributions to candidates for statewide office or the general assembly.

As elections approach, and legislators wring their hands about the skyrocketing costs of running for office and claim they support campaign finance reform, please remind them that HF 76 has languished in committee for five years.  Run each year by Republican, Scott Raecker and Democrat, Geri Huser neither party shows any will for true campaign finance reform by advancing the bill.  Be an informed voter and ask them why this fall.  Is it true you can't buy a politician, you can only rent them for one session?  With this law, we wouldn't have to worry about either!.

We have advanced land use legislation further this session than in the past decade.  We invite you to continue supporting our efforts through active engagement.  If engagement isn't in your comfort zone, your generous donation will help sustain our efforts at the Capitol.  We are off to a good start. We need to be sure we finish the job. Your support will make that possible.

Links for each of the bills are embedded in the name of the bill. Simply click on the bill to view it. Or if you prefer, right click on the link and copy/paste the link into your browser.

To find your legislator, visit http://www.legis.state.ia.us/FindLeg/.

HF132 Voluntary Annexation A bill relating to public land included in territory subject to voluntary annexation and providing an applicability date.

1000 Friends does NOT Support:

HF 2318 (formerly HF 2041) Removing Term Limitations on City Development Board This bill removes the limitation that prevents City Development Board Members from serving more than two complete six-year terms. Please tell legislators that City Development Board members need to have term limitations. The positions are by gubernatorial appointment and having unlimited terms for appointments defeats the purpose. This is a small but very important ruling.

SF 2088 (formerly SSB3030) Eliminates the Organic Advisory Council This is the reorganization bill focused on state spending and it needs to be amended. Section #268, lines 6-22, proposes to eliminate the the Organic Advisory Council. Organics is a segment of agriculture that has grown by 20% steadily. But the biggest reason not to eliminate the Organic Advisory Council is because it doesn't save the state of Iowa any state funds and will probably end up costing us money in the long run. All the members of the Council had previously agreed to volunteer their time and have waived any reimbursement or per diem to them at their July 29, 2009 meeting in Des Moines, IA. This clearly shows the high level of commitment by these Council members to support organic agriculture in Iowa.

HF 480 and SF255 Right to Enter Private Property This bill creates a right of entry for a licensed land surveyor or a person under the direct supervision of a licensed land surveyor. The bill provides that a surveyor may enter public or private land or water in order to occupy, locate, relocate, install, or replace survey monuments, to locate boundaries, Rights-of-way, and easements, to determine geodetic positions, and to make surveys and maps. We feel that landowners should have the right to refuse a surveyor to be on their land.

HF 2324 Fast Track Bill will gut DNR's manure management rules. DNR has proposed rules that would require existing facilities need to have at least 100 days of storage in order to qualify for an emergency exemption for winter application because of full storage structures. But HF 2324 exempts confinement feeding operations constructed before July 1, 2009 from this rule.

Monitoring:

SSB 3189 (Rebuild Iowa Committee) HUC 8 Watershed Management Authorities are formed Bill allows for the formation of Watershed Management Authorities through 28 E agreements.

HF131 Urban Renewal Plans A bill for an act relating to approval of proposed urban renewal plans and amendments to urban renewal plans including effective and applicable date provisions. 

Iowa Caucuses Saturday, January 23rd

Resolutions are issue-specific statements that are considered at the precinct-level, the county convention, the district convention, and finally the state conventions of the Democratic and Republican parties. If the resolutions pass at all levels, language gets inserted into the party platform. This is a useful way to get citizens discussing important issues and to show grassroots consensus about what Iowans want their political leaders to stand for.

When an issue makes the platform, it challenges elected officials to be more responsive. It sends the message that this is an important issue, and a priority to voters in their district. It also lays the groundwork for us to hold them accountable.  We urge you to be an involved citizen.

Make sure and get out to your caucus Jan. 23!

Find a Democrat Caucus meeting
Find a Republican Caucus meeting

Click the link below to download and print the resolution:

Download the Resolution to Support Sustainable Development and Responsible Land Use

Resolution: Support Sustainable Development and Responsible Land Use

WHEREAS, sprawling development and poor land use decisions have resulted in the rapid loss of valuable farmland, destruction of natural areas, and auto-dependent communities that cost us more to build and maintain;

WHEREAS, with the rising costs of gasoline, depleting fossil fuels, increasing greenhouse gas emissions generated from driving, and limited transportation funding, we know that the need for smarter planning, development, and infrastructure investment has never been more apparent--or more critical;

WHEREAS, Iowa’s existing urban areas and small towns contain an abundance of vacant lots, abandoned buildings, and brownfields, and redevelopment of these areas can build a healthy tax base, create jobs, and enhance community character;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Iowa legislature is encouraged to act quickly and decisively to adopt measures designed to encourage development and redevelopment inside our cities and towns, to limit taxpayer subsidies for new growth on farmland and natural areas, and to encourage transportation choices and principles of sustainable development.