GAC Legislative Meeting Agenda

The ILA Government Affairs Committee looks forward to seeing you at our annual Legislative Reception, this Tuesday, March 11. We'll meet at 2:30 p.m. in Room 310 of the State Library Building for the briefing (see agenda below). After that, we'll hike over to the State Capitol to lobby our legislators.

We should be ready to head for home by about 6:00 p.m. With DST coming early this year, we should be on the road well before dark. The forecast for Tuesday is excellent: Temps in the mid-50s and sunshine! I plan on driving down from Waterloo with a friend from Cedar Falls and could take one more--send me an email and we'll make arrangements. At least one of the LSAs will be providing vans; contact your local LSA for details.

If you've never been to a legislative reception, you really should try to make it. Seeing the State Library Building, the State Capitol, and the Law Library would by themselves justify a trip. And, no one wants to miss an opportunity to chat with legislators while munching hors d'oeuvres.

ILA Legislative Reception Briefing – 3/11/08
2:30 p.m.
310 Ola Babcock Miller (State Library) Building
Reception: 4:30-6:00 p.m.
State Capitol Law Library

Barbara Peterson, ILA President-welcome and introductions.

Mary Wegner, State Librarian-review of proposed funding reductions and how they will harm the SLI, the LSAs, and programs funded by direct aid.

Amy Campbell/Craig Patterson, ILA Lobbyists-review of legislative issues, focus on reductions proposed for SLI, LSAs, and Enrich Iowa. How to talk to your legislators.

Mike Dargan, Governmental Affairs Committee chair-introduce GAC members who will assist in finding legislators not at the reception, explain how reception works, reinforce our opposition and dismay for proposed reductions in state funding for library services.

Restoring state funding for library services to FY08 levels is our Primary Goal!

Top Priorities: Library Issues 2008
Þ Provide statewide access to additional high-demand databases, such as test preparation software through the State Library of Iowa.
Þ Increase funding for Enrich Iowa to raise reimbursement rates of the popular and heavily used Open Access program.
Þ Increase funding for the Library Service Areas (LSAs) to support the Early Childhood Initiative and encourage family literacy, and provide valuable support services to Iowa’s libraries.
Þ Support full implementation of the teacher librarian requirement and the end to the two-year waiver period.
Þ Preserve hometown governance in Iowa public libraries by maintaining support for the local decision-making.

Bills of Interest – As of March 9, 2008

HF 2396 & SF 2176 - Cultural Affairs Changes (House Floor/Senate Floor)
Requires the Historical Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) create a digital collection of records for research purposes and make the collection available to the public. Requires DCA establish a statewide culture, history, arts, and tourism program, and to implement the program by creating regional committees for the coordination of cultural efforts. Establishes a Civil War Advisory Committee to help the Historical Division plan a sesquicentennial commemoration of Iowa's role in the American civil war. Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Rep. Miller (Floor Manager); Sen. Black (Floor Manager) Position: Monitor
Amendment: By Sen. Black: Takes out "Tourism" from the regions (because there are already tourism regions) and replaces it with "Teams" so that the CHAT acronym remains (Culture, History & Arts Teams).

HF 2516 - Property Tax Changes (House Ways & Means Committee)
Division I of the bill makes the assessment limitations of residential, agricultural, and commercial property mutually dependent by limiting the percentage increase in all of those classes of property to the percentage increase of that class of property that is the lowest percentage increase under the allowable (4 percent) limit. Division II of the bill requires that if an equalization order issued to an assessing jurisdiction that is a percentage increase in assessed values, then property taxes are limited to the amount certified in the previous year, unless the city or county adopts a resolution declaring that it does not intend to reduce its levy rates to compensate for the increase in valuation due to the equalization orders. Division III of the bill provides that if an increase in allowable growth causes an increase in property taxes the state shall pay that increase rather than property owners. Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Not yet assigned Position: Undecided

HSB 656 & SF 2194 - Oversight of Nonprofits (House Government Oversight Committee/Senate Floor)
This bill creates a charities oversight fund and establishes an appropriation from the fund to the attorney general to support the oversight, including regulation, of persons organized or doing business in this state on a nonprofit basis (domestic nonprofit corporations and domestic charitable trusts). The fund would be supported by moneys collected by the secretary of state from domestic nonprofit corporations who must file a report each odd=numbered year with the secretary. The amount of the fee, determined by the secretary in consultation with the attorney general, would be based on the amount necessary to support the attorney general's efforts. Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Rep. Swaim (Chair), Lensing & Baudler; Sen. Connolly (Floor Manager) Position: Monitor

HSB 715 & SSB 3236 - Combined Corporate Reporting (House Ways & Means Committee/Senate Ways & Means Committee)
This bill is a major revenue raiser (~$70-75 million) in the Governor's budget proposal, however legislators do not believe they have the votes to pass this proposal. This bill requires that the net income of affiliated groups of corporations engaged in a unitary business be computed on a combined return basis for corporate tax purposes if the group meets the requirements for filing a consolidated return for federal tax purposes. The affiliated group would include corporations with common ownership whereby one or more corporations own 80 percent or more of another corporation. The bill would require that one Iowa corporate income tax return be filed that would include all unitary members of an affiliated group. Any nonunitary member that is subject to Iowa tax would file its own separate corporate return. Only Iowa sales of those corporations doing business in Iowa would be included in the numerator of the Iowa sales ratio. The bill also provides that only those corporations doing business in Iowa are jointly and severally liable for the tax of the combined return. Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Rep. Shomshor (Chair), Reasoner & Sands; Sen. Bolkcom (Chair), McCoy & McKibben Position: Monitor

SSB 3058 - Tax Code Clean-Up (Senate Ways & Means Committee)
Allows a privately owned library or art gallery being used for public purposes (and not for private profit) to receive a property tax exemption. Effective 7/1/2008. Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Sen. McCoy (Chair), Dotzler & Putney Position: Monitor

SSB 3164 - Open Records & Public Meetings (Senate Floor)
A new bill number will be assigned. Makes many changes to Iowa's open records and public meetings laws, and clarifies many areas of the law that have been misunderstood or misinterpreted. Library patron records are exempted from open records laws, unless the custodian of the record (the library director) permits the access. This bill adds a sentence to the exemption of library patron records clarifying that the custodian of the records may release records of a minor to the minor's parent. Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Sen. Connolly (Floor Manager) Position: Monitor
Amendment: SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENT: Took out library section.

SSB 3243 - Local Income Surcharge (Senate Ways & Means Committee)
This bill authorizes a city that is not part of a combined incorporated area to impose a local income surcharge after an election at which it is approved by a majority of those voting. A combined incorporated area is an area that includes all contiguous cities. The bill contains several provisions and stipulates that revenues would need to be deposited into a property tax relief fund for purposes of providing property tax credits, and the remaining revenues, if any, are to be deposited into the city general fund to be used for any lawful purposes of the city. Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Sens. Quirmbach (Chair), McCoy & Angelo Position: Monitor

DEAD Bills – Bills ILA was tracking that died in the 1st Legislative Funnel
Bear in mind that some of these dead bills may have an identical companion that is still alive.
HF 2442 - Early Childhood Iowa Advisory Council (DEAD) Creates this Council to support the development of an early childhood system for Iowa by integrating early care, health and education systems. Changes the name of the Community Empowerment "Gifts & Grants Account" to "First Years First Account." Council membership is open to any organization that touches the lives of children zero to age five. Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Rep. Petersen (Chair), Mascher & Roberts Position: Monitor

HSB 654 - Open Records & Public Meetings (DEAD) Senate version is alive. Makes many changes to Iowa's open records and public meetings laws, and clarifies many areas of the law that have been misunderstood or misinterpreted. Library patron records are exempted from open records laws, unless the custodian of the record (the library director) permits the access. This bill adds a sentence to the exemption of library patron records clarifying that the custodian of the records may release records of a minor to the minor's parent. Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Rep. Lensing (Chair), Abdul-Samad, Jacoby, Boal & Jacobs Position: Monitor

HSB 682 - Lifelong Learning Accounts Program (DEAD) This bill directs the treasurer of state, in coordination with the department of workforce development, to establish a lifelong learning accounts program within the Iowa educational savings plan trust. The purpose of the program is to encourage employees and their employers to save for worker training and retraining. The bill provides a refundable tax credit for the employer for contributions to an employee's account equal to 50 percent of the first $500 of the employer's contributions made during the employer's tax year. The tax credit may be used to reduce the tax liability under the individual and corporate income, franchise, insurance premiums, and moneys and credits taxes. The bill applies to tax years ending after the effective date of the bill. Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Rep. Bailey (Chair), Ford & May Position: Monitor

SF 2107 - Video Restrictions/Minors (DEAD) Requires public libraries that receive state funds to adopt policies allowing a child under 17 to check out only G, PG, and PG-13 rated videos. Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Sen. Kreiman (Chair), Connolly & Zaun Position: Oppose

SSB 3068 & HSB 577 - Statewide Preschool Program (DEAD/DEAD) Makes several changes to the statewide preschool program, including requiring a child to be age four on or before September 15 of a school year to enroll in the program, striking authority for monthly proration of preschool foundation aid for school districts that are approved to participate for each month after September 1 that the programming begins, and reallocating and increasing the FY2008 amount designated for purposes of the pay-for-performance program to an early childhood professional development system. Also provide that the receipt of funding for purposes of the program, the need for funding for the program, or the enrollment count of eligible students cannot be used to grant supplemental aid to or establish modified allowable growth for a school district. Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Sen. Appel (Chair), Schmitz & Zieman; Rep. Mascher (Chair), Gayman & Tymeson Position: Monitor
Top Priorities: Library Issues 2008
Þ Provide statewide access to additional high-demand databases, such as test preparation software through the State Library of Iowa.
Þ Increase funding for Enrich Iowa to raise reimbursement rates of the popular and heavily used Open Access program.
Þ Increase funding for the Library Service Areas (LSAs) to support the Early Childhood Initiative and encourage family literacy, and provide valuable support services to Iowa’s libraries.
Þ Support full implementation of the teacher librarian requirement and the end to the two-year waiver period.
Þ Preserve hometown governance in Iowa public libraries by maintaining support for the local decision-making.
Important Dates of the 2008 Legislative Session
Þ March 7th, 2008 – First funnel deadline. A House bill must have been approved by the committee of jurisdiction in the House in order to remain alive (and vice versa). Bills exempt from funnel deadlines include any bills in the Committees on Appropriations, Oversight and Ways & Means.
Þ March 11th, 2008 – ILA’s Legislative Day at the Iowa State Capitol.
Þ March 28th, 2008 – Second funnel deadline. A House bill must have been approved by the committee of jurisdiction in the Senate in order to remain alive (and vice versa). Bills exempt from funnel deadlines include any bills in the Committees on Appropriations, Oversight and Ways & Means.
Þ April 22nd, 2008 – 100th Calendar Day of the 2008 legislative session. Per Diems for legislators expire.



Talking with your legislator:
Legislators want to hear from YOU! You are the expert on library issues and you can tell them how legislation passed in Des Moines affects their local libraries.
--State your goal: For example, help in restoring the State Library of Iowa or Library Service Area budget to FY08 levels.
--List one or two supporting points: Reductions in State Library Funding will stop the expansion of access to online databases; Reductions in LSA funding will hinder the early childhood reading program.
--Personalize your message with a story about why this issue is important to you and
your library. Especially useful would be descriptions of programs funded by Enrich Iowa funding.
--Thank them for their time and support and invite them to your library.