We have completed week 13 of the session, which marks 91 days out of the 100 official days of the second legislative session of this, the 91st General Assembly. If we go past 100 days, the legislators no longer receive their per diem expenses, and our legislative clerks are dismissed for the year.

On Monday of this week, the House passed House File 2751, which defines obstruction of a first responder and adds penalties. This bill provides that a person who is given a verbal warning by a first responder to stay away or not approach must stay back 25 feet and not impede, interfere, harass, or threaten the first responder. If the person violates that verbal warning, then they commit a Serious Misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to 1 year in jail and up to a $2,560 fine. A House amendment to the bill added a requirement that anyone committing assault against a law enforcement officer must submit to testing for communicable diseases.

As we approach the budget season, I have been advocating for funding two new programs that will assist victims of human trafficking and victims of sexual assault.

This first program, passed earlier this session by the House, seeks to create a Human Trafficking Task Force in Iowa, with the state divided up into four quadrants divided by Interstates 80 and 35, with a task force housed in each quadrant. These task forces are needed to focus on human trafficking crimes, which often entail lengthy and complex investigations that are difficult for local law enforcement to dedicate staff to. This bill has been killed in the Senate, but I am pressing for the bill’s language to be added to an appropriations bill, along with the needed $5 million in annual funding.

The second program, embodied in House File 705, deals with providing Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) Centers in Iowa, possibly 5 such centers located so that no one is more than two-hour drive away. These centers would provide the privacy that sexual assault victims need, along with medical staff trained in the specifics of immediate medical care and evidence handling required in these horrific situations. These centers are needed because a local hospital emergency room does not provide the privacy these victims need, nor do they always have staff that is trained and certified in handling forensic exams and evidence chain of custody. A SAFE Center would be designed to provide all the immediate services and support that a victim needs under one roof, saving these victims time and the added grief of having to navigate multiple locations for the services needed. House File 705 passed the House Public Safety committee earlier this session and awaits approval and funding in the Appropriations Committee. Funding for this program is roughly $3 million per year.

I feel strongly that these two programs can, and must, be created and funded this year. I would much rather see the state fund these programs using funds from much larger programs that can afford a slight reduction, or through new funding mechanisms that are also being considered.

For example, the legislature sends nearly $600 million each year to the Regents colleges, over $250 million each year to the community colleges, and over $55 million each year for Iowa Tuition Grants, on top of hundreds of millions of dollars for other state programs. With a nine billion dollar annual budget, we can easily afford to reduce other programs by the $8-9 million needed to fund the Human Trafficking and SAFE Center programs. These programs would place Iowa first in the nation in terms of dealing with these horrific crimes and spare these victims of horrific crimes the added insult of having to negotiate a complex web of services.

As always, I look forward to seeing you at the Capitol or in the district.