Contact Legislative Committee Members

Here's where to find them: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/Schedules/committeeInfo.aspx
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From IAAE Lobbyist Cal Hultman

This was a short week with the King Holiday on Monday and a late start on Tuesday for those who participated in the Monday inauguration. The full appropriations committee met on Wednesday in both chambers and had a briefing from the LSA on the Governor’s budget which is a broad overview. Thursday the joint budget sub committees met to start their work on the budget. The standing committees subs have started to meet and work on legislation and so far there does not seem to be a flood of bills being introduced.

The main point of contention between the chambers and the Governor so far has been the allowable growth increase for K-12 schools. The Governor wants his education reform bill passed before the allowable growth, since it also has funding in it and he also wants to take it off property tax and use general fund money. The Senate is working on a 4% allowable growth and using existing system of property tax to fund it. The law specifies that this needs to be passed in first 30 days of the session, which is rarely accomplished. This is the first of probably many partisan issues.

Executive and Advisory Boards Meeting

On February 2, 2013, both the Executive (10am) and Advisory Boards (11am) of IAAE will be meeting at the State Historical Building. The snow date for both meetings is February 9. Here is the agenda for those meetings: https://docs.google.com/file/d/1IDyicPZkPcZV1PIgUSvbYsQiV2MxzWDTOydMxjF-zYrrE26NJ2xMPkiNrmf4/edit

From Cal Hultman, IAAE Lobbyist

The first week of this General Assembly is history. The legislators were sworn in Monday, and committees and seat assignments were made. Out of the 100 in the House only 49 have 2 years or more in the legislature and 20 out of 50 in the Senate have 2 years or less in that body. This is a direct result of reapportionment. This also shows why Iowa has never passed term limits.

Tuesday the Governor presented his condition of the state and budget message. His main priorities are tax relief and K-12 education reform. He has modified proposals from last year and the general mood of the Legislature is more receptive than last year. The 2-year budget still has the Democrats concerned, but the last 2 years were not that disastrous. The Governor’s speech brought out some loud protesters for the day. It’s difficult to see any effect they have on the process with that behavior.

Wednesday the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court gave his address on the state of the Judiciary. The controversy that surrounded the courts during the last 4 years seems to have subsided. No protesters were in evidence the day of the speech.

Organizing committees and setting the more routine of meeting schedules occupied the balance of time this week. Next week we can expect more committee activity and the start of the appropriations process.

If you have questions to the IAAE lobbyist, contact David Law.

Iowa Arts Council Scholarship for the Arts applications due Feb. 1

Iowa high school students planning to enter college next fall with a major in an arts discipline can apply for a 2013 Iowa Scholarship for the Arts by Friday, Feb. 1, 2013.

The Iowa Arts Council offers the scholarship annually to Iowa students who will graduate from high school during the 2012-2013 academic year and have a proven artistic ability in dance, literature, music, theater, traditional arts or visual arts. The application is available at www.iowaartscouncil.org.

Each recipient will receive $1,500 toward his or her 2013-2014 college tuition and related expenses as a full-time undergraduate at a fully accredited Iowa college or university with a major in one or more of the disciplines considered for the award.

To be considered for the award, students must complete the scholarship application available at www.iowaartscouncil.org, write an essay about their future career goals in the arts, provide a work sample and include two letters of recommendation.

Applications and attachments are due by 4:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, in the Iowa Arts Council offices at 600 E. Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50319. Incomplete, illegible, handwritten or faxed applications will not be accepted. Application review, criteria, approval and notification process information is available at www.iowaartscouncil.org. Please contact Veronica O’Hern at 515-281-3293 or veronica.ohern@iowa.gov for more information.

The Iowa Scholarship for the Arts was established in conjunction with a benefit concert by world-renowned opera singer Simon Estes for the state of Iowa’s Homecoming ’86 celebration. Two years later, IAC established an endowment to guarantee perpetual funding of the program. Initial partners that contributed funds to establish the endowment included Two Rivers Arts Festival and Raccoon River Brewing Company in Des Moines, the Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs, and private donations by Iowa Arts Council board members and private citizens.