Thursday, February 28, 2013 N/Warren Town and County News Page Thirteen
Legislative News
By State Representative Julian B. Garrett
julian.garrett@legis.state.ia.us
Education Reform Passes
The Education Reform Bill (House File 215) was
passed by the Iowa House last Wednesday morning af-
ter we had debated the bill until midnight, Tuesday
evening. The vote was 52 Republicans in favor and 44
Democrats against. Four Represefitatives were absent
or did not vote. I voted for the bill. If you have read my
newsletters over the years or attended the forums that I
have held, you know that I have many times pointed
out that while Iowa was at the top in test scores, in com-
parison with other states, as recently as 1992, we have
stagnated in recent years. We are now in the middle of
the pack when compared to other states. Our current
effort began with Governor Branstad's Education Sum-
mit in the summer of 2011. Much work has been done
since then resulting in the bill that the Governor pro-
posed at the start of the current legislative session. I was
able to get onto the House Education Committee this
year. I wanted to be able to have some input into the
final version of the bill. Those who know my family
know that education has always been very important to
us and I want to give all our students the opportunity
to be the best that they can, with the best education we
can provide for them. I reported last week on some of
the main provisions in the bill. An important part of the
bill for me is the annual evaluations of teachers and
administrators, taking student achievement into ac-
count.
By a unanimous vote we added a new amendment
to the bill during floor debate, providing for supple-
mental state aid to schools of 2% in fiscal years 2014
and 2015. This supplemental aid replaces what we used
to call "allowable growth." There is more than a change
in name. Our amendment provides that the whole 2%
increase will be borne by the state. Under the "allow-
able growth" concept part of the increase was paid by
the state, but part was paid for by a property tax in-
crease. There is still more additional state aid available
to schools that choose to participate in the career lad-
ders for teachers program established by the bill.
Another new provision that we added to the bill is
home rule for schools. Generally schools can only do
those things that the law allows them to do. Home rule
would mean that they could do anything that the law
does not prohibit them from doing. This would give
local schools more flexibility to adopt policies that they
believe would benefit their schools.
The bill now goes to the Senate. Hopefully the Sen-
ate will act soon and will work with the Hc;use to pro-
vide meaningful reform. Schools need to know the fi-
nal provisions of the reform bill and how much money
they will have to work with as they plan for the coming
years.
I expect the Senate to pass some amendments and
send the bill back to us. It is likely that the bill will end
up in a conference committee where a committee of
members representing the House and Senate meet to
try to resolve differences in their respective versions of
the bill. It would be a shame if no agreement is reached
and nothing gets done to improve our schools.
Norwalk Forum
I will be at the Norwalk City Hall for our monthly
legislative forum Saturday, March 2, at 10 a.m. We will
discuss the current legislative session and respond to
questions and comments from the audience. The public
is welcome.
As always, feel free to contact me vith your ideas or
concerns at 515-281-3221 or Julian.Garrett@legis.
iowa.gov.
Importance Of Family
Caregivers
(HAPS)--More than 65 mil-
lion family caregivers play a
major role in maximizing the
health and quality of life of
individuals with acute and
chronic illnesses.
"Family caregivers make a
valuable contribution to
patient care," said J. Fred
Ralston Jr., M.D., FACP, pres-
ident, American College of
Physicians (ACP). "A proper
pgtient-physician-caregiver
relationship will contribute to
a positive caregiving experi-
ence and may decrease rates
ofpatdent hospitalition and
institutionalization."
Respect for patients' rights
should guide all patient-
physician-caregiver
interactions.
ACP has issued =Family
Caregivers, Patients and
Physicdanm Ethical Guidance
to Optimize Relationships" to
guide ethical relationships
among patients, physicians
and caregivers. The paper,
available on www.acponline.
org, outlines principles to
guide the patient-physician-
caregiver relationship. ACP
also encourages all adults to
document their health care
wishes in a living will, and
for providers to respect those
decisions.
IDid You Know?
(NAPS)--Scholars and
bargain hunters agree that
lapteps, tablets and e-read-
ers are just some of the high-
tech gadgets that students
want to have when they
return to school. Learn more
at www.Staples.com/back
toschool.
The VA Travel Nurse
Corps Program is a VA-oper-
ated internal pool of regis-
tered nurses who are avail-
able for temporary short-term
assignments at VA centers
throughout the country.
Nurses are compensated for
their time and travel and
receive per diem allowances.
For more information, visit
www.travelnurse.va.gov or
call (866) 664-1030.
***
LifeLock members get
Boys Gymnastics Meet Results
Pictured, left to right: Jude Norris, Tanner Gearheart, Chantz Nittler, Matthew
Nguyen, Jackson Mellencamp
Pictured, left to right: Ben Eyles, Grant Ernzen, Colin Pitz, Kylar Desmond, Tyson
Trimble (with trophy), Noah Scigliano.
The Chow's Boys Gym-
nastics teams competed in
the Presidential Classic In-
ternational Gymnastics
Meet February 15-18 at the
ESPN Wide World of
Sports Complex at Disney,
Orlando, Florida. In team
competition, the Level 5
team placed 1st and the
Level 6 team placed 4th.
Individual All-Around
Awards for the Level 4
team included: Age Group
1: Kevin Chow 5th, West
Des Moines and Michael
Nguyen 6th, Fort Dodge.
Individual All-Around
Awards for the Level 5
team included: Age
Group 1: Matthew Nguy-
en 1st, Des Moines and
Jude Norris 3rd, Altoona.
Age Group 2: Jackson Mel-
lencamp 1st, Prole and
Tanner Gearheart 6th, An-
ii i'[iz
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Pictured, left to right: Kevin Chow, Michael "Nyen::
Photos submitted.
ed: Age Group 2: Carter Group 3: Will Garrison
Tope 5th, Urbandale. Age 7th, West Des Moines.
support; stolen or lost wal- alerts °f P°tential identity keny" Age Gr°up 3: Chantz [ I@ll C0 team competition, g Iris ]
threats; identity monitoring Nittler 5th, Prole. The Lev-
for exposure of personal el 5 team placed 1st in
information; constant phone okin as
PHOTO PRINTING 1
let remediation services to Individual All-Around (NAPS)--You don t have F -- ]
help cancel and replace Awards for Level 6 team to spend a lot of dough to get | K" ,,€.r ]
is a full commercial printer. I credit and debit cards; and included: Age Group 1: good food foryour family, l " I
comprehensive recovery ser-
| vices. It's at www.lifelock. Tyson Trimble 5th, West The experts at Share Our [ " [
*Flyers
Strength s Cooking Matters I I I
*Letterhead /=m= I[ corn and (800) 543-3562. Des Moines. Age Group 2: can show you how at www. / £% r / J___ /
Noah Scigliano 2nd, Des CookingMatters. org. [ "K , [
*Envelopes I] I I Moines and Grant Ernzen Enjoy th:hol*iday season / /
*Brochures I1-1111 I I 9th, Urbandale. Age without feelingsorryabout | ____:--'-,p, |
*Magazines [ Group 3: Benjamin Eyles calories by using USA Pears | --(..-- |
1st, Ames, Colin Pitz 5th, to add natural sweetness to _ I
*Newsletters - [ Ankeny and Kylar Des- m00nydJshesi00onenutrie.t-
dense package. December is greens to nearly any pasta
*Books, etc. Call for a free estimate! mond 6th, Norwalk. The National Pear Month, and dish," says Smart Balance
Photo Printing, Inc. [ Level 6 team placed 4th in you can celebrate with this Registered Dietitian Wammi
Hubert Booth gets credit team competition.- seasonal fruit in sweet or Hancock. When you use
210 S. 1st St., Carlisle, IA 50047 [ tor inventing the firs! Individual All-Around savory dishes. Smart Balance ® Fat Free
* * * Milk and Omega-3s instead
!
modern vacuum cleaner Awards for Level 7 includ- "Adding spinach is a sub- of whole milk, you can save
515-989-3251 ! in 1901. tle way to bring nutrientrich on fat and calories, too.
