By Tom Chapman
For The Catholic Messenger
Gov. Kim Reynolds has decided not to seek re-election next year. She said it was time to be more present to her family. The most recent Iowa gubernatorial election without an incumbent candidate occurred in 2006.
The Iowa Catholic Conference (ICC) spoke in support of House File (HF) 965, which would substantially increase the tax credit available to adoptive parents. The bill has advanced to the House Ways and Means Committee.
The ICC opposes proposed constitutional amendment SJR 11, which would require a two-thirds majority of the Legislature to approve a tax increase. The bill passed the Legislature last year and if it passes both chambers this year, it will go to a vote of the people of Iowa.
During a subcommittee hearing, we said that locking a two-thirds requirement into the Constitution would allow a relatively small minority to stop what might be needed legislation. Proposals such as the “heartbeat” abortion ban or starting Education Savings Accounts would not have been approved, for example. In addition, the government’s obligation to protect the common good also entails funding essential services such as education, healthcare, infrastructure and social safety nets. SJR 11 has advanced to the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
No action took place last week pertaining to the “fetal development video” or human smuggling bills. The ICC opposes the human smuggling bill. It is already against federal law to harbor immigrants without papers, and it is already against federal and state law to traffic in humans. The ICC is concerned the bill could be interpreted to criminalize providing basic charity to immigrants.
In other news, the Legislature wrapped up work on public school funding, which received a 2% increase, or about $127 million. Public schools will receive more than $4.2 billion in state general fund aid next year, not counting local property taxes or federal funding. About $314 million has been allocated for Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). All parents with children in an accredited nonpublic school now are eligible to apply for an ESA.
Federal issues
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has announced its decision not to renew the cooperative agreements with the federal government related to children’s services and refugee support. From its very founding, the USCCB has been concerned with helping families who are fleeing war, violence and oppression to find safe and secure homes.
In a letter to Congress last week, the USCCB said the Religious Workforce Protection Act would help advance the religious exercise of Americans. “We would not be able to serve our diverse flocks, which reflect the rich tapestry of our society overall, without the faithful men and women who come to serve through the Religious Worker Visa Program,” Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the USCCB, and Bishop Mark J. Seitz, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, said in the letter.
They called on legislators to advance the bipartisan, bicameral Religious Workforce Protection Act (RWPA) (S. 1298 and H.R. 2672). Its passage, the bishops asserted, would further the free exercise of religion in our country for the benefit of all Americans.
The bishops of Iowa have sent letters to our members of Congress, urging them to “reject cuts to the vital services provided by Medicaid and SNAP and to support dignity-affirming access to nutrition and health care for those who need it most.”
Resources for Earth Day
The Catholic Climate Covenant has assembled resources for the 55th anniversary of Earth Day (April 22) and/or the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Si’.” Here in Iowa, the group formerly known as Iowa Interfaith Power and Light is now the Iowa Faith and Climate Network. You can view their resources (iowafaithandclimate.org) and see an assessment of current legislation.
(Tom Chapman is executive director of the Iowa Catholic Conference.)
