Iowa House Report

We believe that Iowa parents know what is best for their children. They want options that match their Iowa values. Parents understand that early childhood is not a one-size fits all program. The House Republicans are committed to empowering parents and communities to identify the needs of their children. We want to allow them to develop and enhance these services.

The Governor's approach empowers government to make those choices for families. While it is our intention to have 100 percent of our children in a quality setting, the Governor is proposing to have 90 percent of our children in government-run programs.

Currently, there are high quality early childhood options in rural and urban Iowa, in public and private settings, in centers or family child care service. In fact, there are 22 state-run programs, worth $222 million, exclusively dedicated to early childhood. Our proposal builds off of these existing programs by pulling them together and focusing on parent choice, local priorities, and quality care.

House Republican Plan

* 24/7 State Level Collaboration: Co-locate 22 state-run early childhood programs in three agencies under the Iowa Community Empowerment Board. $100,000 for the Administrator of Community Empowerment

* Strengthen Community Empowerment: $7 million increase to Local Community Empowerment Areas to address locally determined needs in preschool, child care and 0-3. $4 million of this appropriation is dedicated to Local Community Empowerment Areas to assist low income parents with preschool tuition.

* Child Care Eligibility: $2.7 million increase to increase the child care eligibility from 140% of poverty to 145%. $100,000 to raise the eligibility for special needs children 200%.

* Quality PLUS Professional Development: $1 million in NEW money to Local Community Empowerment Areas to work with AEAs and community colleges to provide child care and preschool providers with easy access to high quality professional development.

* Quality Childcare Initiative: $1 million in NEW money to provide hands-on assistance to child care providers under a collaborative effort between the Iowa Community Empowerment Board and Iowa State University Extension.

* Easy Access: Create a web-based single point of contact in each local empowerment area. Parents then have easy access to health care, parent education programs, child care and preschools in the region. Parents can also access best-practice parenting tips.

* Reporting back to Community: Formalize community accountability through public annual reporting of results on state and local indicators.

* Explore New Avenue of Collaboration: Pursue a proposed President Bush budget initiative to improve early childhood collaboration. Iowa should apply to become one of nine state Head Start pilot programs designed to promote coordination of State preschool programs, child care programs and Head Start into a comprehensive system of early childhood.

Next Week in the House

The following Bills will be eligible for debate as of Monday, Feb. 28:

HF 276 - A bill for an act requiring that meetings relating to postsecondary school registration held by the Iowa coordinating council for post-high school education be open to the public;

HF 282 - A bill for an act relating to various conservation and recreation activities under the purview of the department of natural resources, modifying fees, and making penalties applicable;

HF 312 - A bill for an act relating to campaign finance committee reporting, use of committee funds or property, independent expenditures, placement of campaign signs, and use of public resources;

HF 370 - A bill for an act allowing the Iowa Finance Authority to issue qualified residential rental project bonds under the private activity bond allocation Act;

HF 373 - A bill for an act relating to equipment dealerships, by providing for the sale or transfer of a dealership and providing for the Act's applicability;

HF 374 - A bill for an act relating to veterans by providing for the compensation of members of a county commission of veteran affairs, providing for the issuance of combined hunting and fishing licenses to certain veterans, concerning funds in an account for a state veterans cemetery, and providing an effective date;

HF 375 - A bill for an act relating to the duties imposed on a real estate broker by a brokerage agreement;

HF 399 - A bill for an act relating to the disposal of solid waste by planning areas and related solid waste management plans and reports;

HF 400 - A bill for an act providing for an individual income tax deduction for contributions made to a qualified tuition program established by certain educational institutions and including effective and retroactive applicability date provisions;

HF 419 - A bill for an act relating to free resident landowner deer and turkey hunting licenses;

HF 420 - A bill for an act relating to third-party payment of health care coverage costs for biologically based mental illness treatment services;

SCR 3 - A concurrent resolution relating to the compensation of chaplains, officers, and employees of the eighty-first general assembly;

SF 74 - A bill for an act relating to financial institutions, by prohibiting the deceptive use of name, and providing remedies and penalties; and

SF 75 - A bill for an act allocating funding appropriated to assist individuals assigned to active duty military service and providing effective and applicability date provisions.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns that you have. I can be reached at chuck.gipp@legis.state.ia.us or by phone at 515-281-3054.