State Sen. Eric Giddens (D-Cedar Falls)

Greetings friends and neighbors!

I hope you’re all doing well as we settle into fall. It’s been another busy month for me in Senate District 38. I’ve enjoyed attending meetings and events with the Waterloo Career Center, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the new Cedar Valley Lakes Trail in George Wyth State Park, the Northeast Iowa Board of Realtors, a continuing education class for cosmetologists in Cedar Falls, the new Hawkeye Community College Automation and Robotics Center at Techworks in Waterloo, the Black Hawk County Gaming Association Annual Celebration of grant awards, the Iowa Chiropractic Society, UNI’s new Applied Engineering building, and the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa Grant Awards Ceremony.

As a new member of the Iowa Council on Agriculture Education, I attended my first meeting of that group last month and enjoyed getting acquainted with their work and the other members of the council. As ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, I’ve been attending Iowa Utilities Board meetings to review utility ratemaking in our state. This is an important process that could lead to reforms in our policies that govern the way utility rates are set in Iowa.

On Sept. 16, I marched in the final town parade of the season in Evansdale. It was a beautiful early fall day and it was great to see so many constituents lining the streets. I’ve also continued visiting constituents at their doors almost every evening, and it has truly been great to hear your thoughts, concerns, and a little bit about what you want your state government to be focused on.

And, on a personal note, I attended the UNI Music Scholarship Benefit Concert that my son Henry performed in during UNI Family Weekend on Sept. 29. I’m so proud of him and can’t wait for UNI’s Homecoming the weekend of Oct. 20-22.

Best wishes for a wonderful fall to you all! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at eric.giddens@legis.iowa.gov or (319) 230-0578 if I can be helpful with anything or if you’d like to share your thoughts or concerns with me.

It is an honor to serve you!

Boards and Commissions Under Fire

Despite serious questions raised by Iowans from all across the state, Gov. Kim Reynolds is advancing a plan to eliminate more than 100 citizen-led state boards and commissions and end Iowa’s first-in-the-nation law that requires gender balance on state boards and commissions.

I’m concerned that this rushed and politicized process will make our state government less accountable to the people and may actually threaten the safety and wellbeing of Iowans. This is yet another example of Iowans’ voices being silenced, as Reynolds’ office seizes more control over state government with less oversight from the Legislature and every day Iowans.

Here’s the background: this summer, a new Boards & Commissions Review Committee – stacked with top Reynolds administration aides and appointees – held a series of meetings aimed at reviewing and reforming the state’s many citizen-led panels. It’s not a bad idea – a thorough, thoughtful review could certainly find improvements and efficiencies. But that’s not what happened. The process, instead, felt like a charade, and ended, predictably, with a report suggesting exactly what the governor wanted: big cuts reducing the influence and expertise of Iowans in their government.

Among the suggestions are an end to Iowa’s gender-parity law, which ensures equal representation for men and women on boards, commissions and other state panels. This law is a national model, and has helped diversify state government and ensure all voices and perspectives are considered. Getting rid of it is a mistake.

The specific boards and commissions up for elimination are worrying, too. Consider just one example: under the committee’s recommendation, the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Board would be eliminated. This board sets standards for the installation, use, and maintenance of boilers, and is staffed by industry experts with decades of experience. A boiler is a complex, dangerous industrial machine that, if not properly maintained, could literally explode. Shouldn’t oversight be left to the experts?

So, what’s next? The committee’s recommendations will now be translated into legislation and considered by the Iowa House and Senate in the upcoming session. If that bill becomes law, over 100 boards and commissions will disappear, as will the gender-parity requirement. I will be monitoring this new legislation closely, and will be working to ensure any changes are good for Iowans – not just the governor’s office.

Vouchers, Book Bans, and Ongoing Attacks on Iowa Education

The big story last spring was the majority party’s rush to undermine and politicize public education in Iowa with private school vouchers, book bans, attacks on students, and limits on curricula.

The big story this fall is how these heavy-handed intrusions are affecting kids, parents and teachers in the classroom.

Vouchers Here’s what we know: Gov. Reynolds private-school voucher scheme is an open-ended taxpayer giveaway, transferring more than $100 million in public money to exclusive private schools to subsidize families who have already chosen to attend private schools.

And here’s what we don’t know: How much this scheme will actually cost, how much funding school districts will lose due to vouchers, and how many voucher recipients were denied admission to private schools, and why.

Gov. Reynolds’ administration has been slow to provide details about the voucher program, even as it transfers money out of the state treasury, through an out-of-state vendor, and into exclusive, unaccountable private schools.

Book Bans Senate File 496 bans books in Iowa schools, forcing teachers and administrators to remove classic literature from classrooms and libraries before school started this fall. To make matters worse, Gov. Reynolds’ Department of Education refused to issue any guidance on how schools should follow the vague and confusing law, leading to a patchwork of different approaches across the state and potentially threatening educators with disciplinary action if they’re later found to have violated the law.

Senate Democrats believe in intellectual freedom, and trust parents, teachers, and kids to determine the books that are right for them without government intrusion.

We’ll continue monitoring these extreme attacks on education, and fighting to turn back these unfair and unnecessary laws.

Yes, child labor expansion violates federal law

In a recent letter sent to Iowa lawmakers, the U.S. Department of Labor confirmed that the child-labor expansion bill passed by my colleagues across the aisle earlier this year and now written into Iowa Code violates federal law. The expansion puts young Iowans at risk in dangerous jobs and has created confusing, contradictory rules for Iowa businesses to follow. More child labor is not the solution to our workforce crisis.

Honor your favorite ag-ed teacher

Nominations are open for the 2023-24 Golden Owl Award, honoring excellence in agriculture education. Nominations can be submitted by current or former students, parents, fellow educators, school administrators and community members. Seven finalists will receive a $500 prize and the grand prize of $3,000 will be presented to the winner at the Iowa FFA Convention next April. More information: https://www.iowaffafoundation.org/golden-owl-award.aspx

Free Covid tests

With Covid cases rising, every U.S. household may once again order four free COVID-19 rapid tests for home delivery. Before you throw out “expired” tests, though, check the FDA’s website to see if your existing tests’ expiration dates have been extended.

Food for kids

Food assistance cards distributed under the federal P-EBT program should be arriving now in mailboxes at households with children who qualify for free or reduced lunch at school. The cards come pre-loaded with $120 dollars to purchase groceries for each qualifying child. Be sure to check your mail for these cards, and contact Iowa Department of Health and Human Services at 515-420-6048 with any questions or issues.

Scam warning

Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand is warning Iowa school districts and local governments about check scams and email fraud asking them to redirect payments to a new address. Two Iowa school districts recently lost thousands of dollars to this scam. Follow these guidelines for avoiding fraud and theft:

-Monitor financial accounts for irregularities, including unauthorized withdrawals or missing deposits.

-Requests to redirect payments should be independently verified by calling vendor directly.

-Contact information contained in the suspect email or other correspondence should not be used to verify the payment method.

State Senator Eric Giddens represents Iowa Senate District 38 including Cedar Falls, Hudson, Traer, Dysart, Evansdale, Elk Run Heights, Gilbertville, Washburn, LaPorte City and Mount Auburn. Contact Sen. Giddens at 319-230-0578 or eric.giddens@legis.iowa.gov.