From the ground up

Guest Column
By: 
Dan Zumbach
Iowa State Senator, 48th Dist.

     This was the ninth week of the legislative session. Last week was our first funnel week, meaning this week was full of debate on the Senate floor as we come up on more deadlines for bills. The second funnel week is at the end of March, when Senate bills need to be through House committees in order to be considered this session.

     With a large amount of floor debate, we passed a series of bills this week. Some of these include:

     SF 197 authorizes public buildings to display the POW/MIA flag on POW/MIA Day, Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day. The bill also states that the POW/MIA flag, when displayed, shall be no larger than the U.S. flag and flown second in the order of precedence immediately below or adjacent to the U.S. flag in accordance with federal guidelines.

     HF 312 permits a person to leave a vehicle unattended while the engine is running. Under current law, a person is prohibited from letting a vehicle stand unattended without first stopping the engine. The bill still requires motorists to turn their wheels to the curb if they are on any perceptible grade. 

     The Governor also issued a disaster proclamation for Appanoose, Muscatine, Scott and Wayne counties due to the severe weather earlier last week. This means state resources can be used to help these counties recover from the storms. This declaration also triggers the Iowa Individual Assistance Program, which provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level or a maximum annual income of $40,320, for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and for the expense of temporary housing. The grant application, instructions, and more information are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation (March 8) to submit a claim.

Project Labor Agreements

     Project labor agreements, otherwise known as PLAs, are pre-hiring agreements between employers and employees that establish the terms and conditions of employment for specific construction projects. Recently, several local governments have passed requirements that contractors enter into PLAs as a condition of performing work on taxpayer funded construction projects.

     PLA requirements make it nearly impossible for the 85 percent of Iowa’s construction workforce that chooses not to join a union to compete for projects funded by their own tax dollars. These mandates increase cost to taxpayers because fewer bidders mean less competition for the project. A lack of competition drives up the costs of these projects for taxpayers. Several recent studies have repeatedly shown that PLA mandates can increase construction costs by up to twenty percent. Taxpayers deserve the best value when they are paying for public buildings.

     The Iowa Senate Republicans are addressing this growing prevalence of PLA mandates by passing SF 438. The bill says government organizations shall neither prohibit nor require a PLA for projects for performing work on public construction jobs. However, this bill does not stop a government organization from choosing a contractor’s bid that includes a PLA when it is in the best interest of taxpayers.

Ensuring Resources Are Available for Asbestos-Related Injuries

     The Senate took measures Wednesday, March 8 to give future victims suffering from asbestos-related injuries a voice in the future. Protecting their voice in the conversation today is important so that funds relating to their asbestos-related claims in the future are available, if needed. 

     Iowa would join more than 20 states, which have passed similar legislation, if Senate File 376 becomes law.

     In some cases, plaintiffs have filed claims against multiple trusts set up by companies with asbestos-related liabilities. This bill would provide a mechanism to require plaintiffs to file and disclose their trust claims before trial against existing non-trust businesses. If this bill becomes law, it would not add new burdens on plaintiffs, it changes the timing of when trust claims are filed. Presently, trust claims are routinely filed after trial thus hiding trust claims from the jury in the trial. Senate File 376 calls for those claims to be filed before trial. 

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