State Sen. Eric Giddens (D-Cedar Falls)

Greetings friends and neighbors! I’d like to wish you a belated happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I am grateful for Dr. King’s work and his legacy that reminds us to treat everyone with dignity and respect. His lessons are especially important to me as I work with all of my colleagues in the Iowa Senate regardless of their party affiliation.

In spite of the challenging winter weather we’ve had in the last week, we have been busy at work in the Capitol. I am honored to be the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee again this year, and am excited about the good bipartisan policy work we’ll be doing in that committee. I also serve on the Education, Transportation, State Government, Agriculture, and Appropriations Committees, and am looking forward to engagement with my colleagues in those policy areas as well.

A Better Deal for Iowans: Opportunity for All

I am advocating for a Better Deal for Iowans in 2024, with an agenda driven by our core values of Opportunity, Freedom, and Accountability. This week, we’re highlighting our Opportunity Agenda and the policies we’re pursuing to ensure opportunity for every family, every kid, and every worker in Iowa.

I believe that every family in every community deserves a fair shot at success; that every child should have access to a high-quality public education; and that every worker should be able to earn a paycheck that supports their family. That’s what Opportunity looks like.

To make that a reality in Iowa, here’s what we’re working on in 2024:

-Plans and policies to make life more affordable for Iowa families.

*SF 460 and SF 62: Lower costs and increase access to childcare.

*SF 2062: Cap the cost of insulin at $25/month.

*SF 459: Double the Earned Income Tax credit to reward working Iowans.

*SF 76: Improve housing options in rural, suburban, and urban Iowa.

-Strong public education that supports students, parents & teachers.

*SF 467: Full-day preschool for the kids who need it most.

*SF 375: Support students and close achievement gaps.

*New investments for school and classroom safety.

-Worker-first policies that protect employee rights and build a strong middle class.

*SF 95: Paid family and medical leave.

*SF 435: Protections for pregnant workers.

*SF 396: Equal pay for equal work and protections against wage discrimination.

Ensuring opportunity for Iowans also means pushing back on bad ideas from politicians, special-interest insiders. That includes:

-Repealing the school voucher scheme enacted last year or, at a minimum, requiring more accountability and data reporting (SF 322).

-SF 458: Reinstate bargaining power and basic labor rights for Iowa workers.

-SF 226: Restore unemployment insurance for seasonal workers.

Making Iowa the best it can be requires bold ideas and bold action. That’s what I’m working for in 2024.

AEAs At Risk

The biggest story of the legislative session so far is the governor’s plan to consolidate and eliminate services provided by Iowa’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs).

I’ve heard from educators and constituents from across the district who are worried about what the governor’s proposal would mean for children, families, and schools in our communities – and I am, too. Here’s what you need to know about our AEAs, as well as the cuts and changes this proposal is attempting to make.

WHAT ARE AEAS?

AEAs are regional education service hubs that provide critical services to public and private schools in the areas of special education, mental health, media, curriculum & instruction, professional development, and more. Iowa has nine AEAs, covering every corner of the state and ensuring rural communities have the same access to resources as their more populous neighbors.

Take, for example, the response to the school shooting earlier this month in Perry: After the first responders, crisis counseling teams from the local AEA were the next on the scene to help the community recover – and they’re still there.

WHAT IS THE GOVERNOR PROPOSING?

Just about everything the AEAs do would change under the governor’s plan. She proposes to eliminate various AEA services and restrict others to districts that specifically contract for those services. After huge backlash across the state, Gov. Reynolds on Thursday announced that she was scaling back her plans, but we’ve yet to see the details on the new approach.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

The governor’s plan will slash funding to the AEAs and consolidate services now provided at the community level into the state bureaucracy in Des Moines. It’ll raise costs for providing key services – or make it hard to access them at all.

I have deep concerns about changing a system that delivers such essential services to Iowa families. And I’m worried that rural Iowa will be hit the hardest. I’ve received an outpouring of support for our AEAs already. If you have a story about how your local AEA helped your family, please share it, so we can make the most effective case possible to resist these changes.

Sign the petition

Senate Democrats are working hard to secure $29 million in federal food aid for 240,000 hungry Iowa kids this summer. We introduced Senate File 2039 to require the state to participate in the Summer EBT program, and if we move quickly we can get it done. Sign our petition to hold lawmakers accountable to families in need: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sign-your-name-to-feed-hungry-iowa-kids

ACA coverage update

The Affordable Care Act marketplace at healthcare.gov has experienced record high enrollment in low-cost health insurance plans. While open enrollment for 2024 has now closed, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period if you lose alternative coverage or have a qualifying life change.

Bow hunting lessons

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is offering a six-month workshop to teach skills needed to hunt, field dress, and cook white-tailed deer to individuals who have little to no archery hunting experience. DNR instructors will lead the workshop, which includes hunting opportunities throughout Iowa’s archery season in Adel, Ames, Davenport and Iowa City. Iowans can spend the summer months becoming proficient archers with compound bows provided by Iowa DNR and learn deer-hunting basics such as proper equipment, where to hunt, safe shooting practices, and tree stand placement. The course costs $200, including course supplies and archery loaner equipment. Applications open now: http://tinyurl.com/fieldtoforkiowa

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.