From Rep. Bob Kressig’s newsletter:
I sent in my request for the legislature to hold a special session to override Governor Reynolds veto of the Medical Cannabis Bill HF732. After years of work on this issue, I was thrilled we finally got a bipartisan bill passed this last session to help Iowans who are not getting relief from traditional medicines. I was stunned and very disappointed that Governor Reynolds vetoed the bill. Today, I’m joining my colleagues in calling for a special session to override the Governor’s veto. Iowans suffering from debilitating conditions like epilepsy, cancer, and MS have waited long enough for relief.
I am very disappointed to learn that the program called Teens Against Human Trafficking will not longer have funding to support trainings and outreach programming with middle and high school students. Human/sex trafficking is a big problem in our state and nation. The bottom line is state funding allocation often reflects and matches federal funding appropriation. In this case, Congress’ allocation to VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) has been substantially reduced, which means cuts in a competitive grant application cycle. This combined with the state’s (low) budget allocation, programs like TAHT are experiencing cuts due to the significant appropriation decrease.
Education funding this session fell well short of the investment needed to grow Iowa’s skilled workforce. Our K-12 schools will receive some additional resources, but not enough to keep up with rising costs. For students out of high school, tuition and job training at community colleges and universities will increase again next year leaving students with more debt.
As always, the Iowa Legislature’s webpage, www.legis.iowa.gov, has a great amount of information for you to read. In addition to reading bills and finding out what’s happening in the House or Senate on any given day, you can now listen to or watch our debates live, when we are in session. I currently serve on five committees for this session: Commerce, Local Government, Public Safety, Environmental Protection, and the Economic Development Budget Sub Committee.
Please check out all my other information and pictures from the current session on my website www.bobkressig.com. In addition to listening posts and forums, you can also reach me by email anytime or call me at home at 319-266-9021. We can also stay connected through social media, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. I appreciate hearing from you and I thank you for your continued support.
