KDSN RADIO News
Cell phone restrictions, cancer research top topics in Iowa Governor’s policy agenda
Governor Kim Reynolds is raising concerns about Iowa’s cancer rate and about cell phone use in schools and vehicles — and proposing legislation.
Governor Reynolds delivered the annual “Condition of the State” address Tuesday night at the Capitol, outlining her policy priorities for the year. She’s asking legislators to require that public schools, at a minimum, ban students from using cell phones while they’re in class.
“Of course there’ll be common sense exceptions, like during an emergency, but the evidence is in and it’s time to act. Let’s make sure the classroom is a place for learning, growth and connection,” Reynolds said. “Let’s pass this bill and give students their best chance at success.”
Reynolds also said it’s time for legislators to require motorists to only use a cell phone in hands-free or voice-activated mode while driving. “Cell phones are a distraction in the classroom. They’re deadly on the highway,” Reynolds said. “…Let’s finally pass legislation that requires drivers to keep their eyes on the road and away from their phones.”
Later in the speech, Reynolds told the crowd her husband’s lung cancer is in remission and she praised Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver for his fortitude as he undergoes treatment for a brain tumor. “Every case of cancer is a tragedy and I’m concerned by the data showing that these tragedies disproportionately affect Iowans,” Reynolds said. “Our state has ranked second for new cancer cases two years running and we’re one of just two states with rising rates.”
Reynolds is asking lawmakers for $1 million to support University of Iowa research into the factors that may play a role in Iowa’s cancer rates. “We shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but we need to get to the bottom of this,” Reynolds said. “Iowans don’t need more speculation. They need answers.”
Reynolds submitted her overall state budget plan to lawmakers yesterday as well. It includes nearly $14 million for disaster aid. Most would go toward repairing homes hit by historic floods and powerful tornadoes last year.
“I’ll never forget the devastation and the heartbreak, but I also witnessed Iowans lifting each other up,” Reynolds said, “volunteers clearing debris, residents comforting neighbors and first responders and local officials working around the clock.”
The governor is proposing a tax exemption for developers building homes in communities hit by those disasters. The governor is again recommending a cut in the tax Iowa businesses pay into the state trust fund that pays out unemployment benefits, but she is not making a recommendation on how legislators should approach their debate about property tax relief. However, the governor is issuing an executive order to create a task force to find more efficiencies in both state and local government.
“Because to pass meaningful property tax reform, we also need to be lean at the local level,” she said.
After the speech, House Speaker Pat Grassley told reporters he isn’t surprised Reynolds did not offer her own plan to limit property tax growth, but Grassley says the governor will be a partner as Republican legislators review options. “She just knows, like we do, it’s a very complex, complicated issue that may take a couple of different versions,” Grassley said.
Democrats like House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst say the governor failed to address long-term housing needs throughout the state or how to make child care more affordable for Iowa parents. “I don’t think that we need to be talking about giving corporations another tax cut right now,” Konfrst said. “What we need to do is talk about how we can help the thousands of Iowans that have been laid off in the past year.”
Senate Democratic Leader Janice Weiner said rather than cutting the taxes businesses pay to support unemployment benefits, the number of weeks Iowans are eligible for unemployment should be extended. “It seems like every other day you pick up a newspaper or you listen to the news and you hear of another layoff,” Weiner said. “…How are they going to get back up on their feet?”
Last year, Governor Reynolds signed a bill that cut the maximum number of weeks someone is eligible for unemployment from 26 to 16.
