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It was another busy week at the Capitol with committee work and meeting with constituents. In Transportation we passed four more bills out of committee.

SF 51 is a bicycle safety bill requiring a red light on the rear of a bicycle.

SSB 3002 creates a special minors’ farm license. This is very similar to school permits but it allows 14 year olds with proper training to drive for farm work.

SSB 3021 makes Iowa code conform with federal law. This act disqualifies a person convicted of human trafficking involving the use of a commercial vehicle from operating a commercial vehicle for life.

SSB 3022 is another bill that conforms Iowa Code with federal law and it deals with odometer readings and title transfers.

In an effort to inform the Transportation Committee of what all the DOT does for transportation we took a short trip to the DOT Traffic Management Center (TMC) in Ankeny. This is where they monitor accidents on the interstates via remote cameras. This allows them to alert travelers and law enforcement of problem areas and to avoid possible accidents. Note: These cameras are not used for ticketing, and only for safety management.

The Senate Republicans have proposed a more than 91 million dollar increase in the K-12 education budget. The final number will be negotiated between the House, Senate, and governor’s office. We continue to fund education in Iowa. As a matter of fact, since Fiscal Year 2017 we have increased K-12 funding over 300 million dollars, and we are addressing transportation and student equity issues among school districts. Also, once again we are committed to getting the K-12 numbers of Fiscal Year 21 within the 30 days of the governor’s Condition of the State address as defined by Iowa Code.

Author: Tim Kapucian

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