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Your Capitol Voice: Details on health care, eminent domain bills that passed
by Bobby Kaufmann, State Representative · Op-Ed · June 07, 2013
Next week will be my final summary column. Last week I touched on property tax relief and reform and education funding and reform.
This week, I will provide details on health care and eminent domain. Leaders and members of both parties are calling this session one of the most productive in recent memory.
There was finally agreement on healthcare expansion to avoid a special session. Senate Democrats had wanted straight Medicaid expansion to cover over 100,000 Iowans. Governor Branstad wanted to do an Iowa-based plan that encouraged wellness and disease prevention. All along I advocated for a hybrid plan that incorporates the best of both plans. Since the federal Affordable Care Act was passed and the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality, doing nothing was not an option. In fact, doing nothing would have led to more federal co-opting of our health care. My concern with Medicaid expansion all along was that the State would eventually be shouldered with a disproportionate amount of the financial cost of Medicaid expansion. While the Feds have never defaulted on a Medicaid payment they certainly have shifted hundreds of millions of dollars onto Iowa taxpayers by shifting the percentage that they reimburse us. This remains a concern to me.
I was also concerned about expanding health care without any wellness and prevention encouragement. The hybrid expansion plan covers those in need but also requires them to pay according to their income level. The plan promotes health and wellness, stresses prevention, and gives Iowans an “exit option” if the federal government defaults on their funding promises. One final compromise was the addition of numerous cost containment strategies such as efficiency strategies, fraud prevention, and appropriate reimbursement, just to name a few. It is estimated that this will save Medicaid approximately $28.9 million dollars in FY2014.
The Health and Human Services budget was one of the largest in history, but passed within the confines of a balanced budget. The Department of Aging received roughly a $1.3 million increase. I have long been a supporter of the goals of the DOA. They provide a lot of critical services to the elderly and disabled and have a goal of keeping citizens in their home as long as possible. There were also increases for several new programs that aim to educate and help people of all ages to engage in healthy lifestyles and the prevention of illness. This HHS budget also places a special emphasis on autism. Starting January 1, 2014, the DHS will implement the autism support program which will provide education, treatment, and financial assistance to those families and children in need and affected by autism.
Finally, I wanted to update you on my final efforts on eminent domain. The basis for my fight for private property rights is that I believe it is one of the most fundamental and important tenets of our state and nation. Citizens who own property should not fear a government who can take it for recreational or economic reasons. This is truly not a Democrat or Republican or conservative or liberal issue. Some of the biggest defenders of private property rights are on both ends of the political spectrum. In 2005 the Supreme Court issued a ruling that placed private property rights in peril. The Iowa legislature passed a historic bill and even overrode a Governor’s veto to protect our citizens against government takings. Unfortunately a deep pocketed group of developers in Clarke County found a “loophole” and are attempting to condemn family farms and homes for the purposes of creating a recreational lake. These families include children, seniors on fixed incomes, and those with very limited incomes. Many of them have spent their life savings trying to fight this in court. I led passage of bills and amendments out of the House four times to correct this injustice, each time with significant bipartisan support. Dave Jacoby (D-Coralville) was instrumental in holding his caucus together with me to pass it with 90 plus votes each time. I also had significant support in the Senate on both sides of the aisle.
Representative Jacoby and I even attempted a last minute deal to merge an important Democratic issue (passenger rail) and eminent domain language together in order to save these family homes and farms. There are cheaper and more reasonable alternatives to this condemnation scheme. Unfortunately one man (Senator Gronstal) refused to allow any eminent domain language to be brought up for a single vote in the Senate. It is truly a flaw in our political system than one person can hijack an issue with such overwhelming bipartisan support. I will introduce legislation next year to try to prevent this flaw in our legislative system.
I hope and pray the folks in Clarke County can hold on one more year because I will not quit and I will do all I can to stand up to these deep-pocketed interests and help these people who are being financially bullied in their own backyards. I will also be introducing a bill that would provide an automatic mechanism that a bill be brought up for a vote if it passes out of either chamber with 75 percent or higher support. Everyone talks about doing this and says it is a good idea … look for a bill to be introduced to do just that.
You may contact Rep. Kaufmann at Bobby.Kaufmann@legis.iowa.gov, 563-260-3355 or 1527 330th St. Wilton, IA, 52778
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