With passage of two Farm Bills behind him and the nation in the midst of a debate over health-care reform, U.S. Senator Tom Harkin's decision to give up his chairmanship of the Senate Agriculture Committee disappointed but didn't surprise Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey.
"While there are still issues in front of the ag committee, it's not the same as if there's another Farm Bill just around the corner," Northey said in an interview with IowaPolitics.com. "With all the action on health care right now, I would certainly understand why he'd look to be involved over there."
Harkin this week gave up his ag chairmanship to instead lead the Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee.
Northey said that with Harkin and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley still on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Iowa will retain influence, but he noted that the chair has a special position. Northey, a Republican, said his office has worked well with the Democratic senator's staff, some of whom have 10 to 20 years of experience in agriculture.
"Especially with our [U.S.] secretary of agriculture [Tom Vilsack] from Iowa, it was a special opportunity to have him [Harkin] as chair of the committee," Northey said. "I'd still love to have him over there. ... I'm disappointed not to have him there because I know he does a lot of good."
The Agriculture Committee is still expected to tackle some bills that will have a big impact on Iowa agriculture, including the food-safety bill and the climate-change bill.
But during the August congressional recess, those issues were drowned out by health-care reform. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Michael Kiernan said Wednesday night that he was "thrilled" to learn that Harkin is taking over the HELP Committee because "an Iowan will play a key role in determining the makeup of health-care reform as it moves toward passage this fall."
Harkin has served on the Agriculture Committee since joining the Senate in 1985 and was chair during enactment of the 2002 and 2007 Farm Bills. As a U.S. representative, he also served on the House Agriculture Committee.
The Iowa Pork Producers Association said it's pleased to know Harkin plans to remain a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
"He has always been available to listen to and address pork-industry concerns, and the Iowa Pork Producers Association applauds him for all of his efforts," the group said in a written statement. "Senator Harkin has been especially helpful in trying to find solutions to the current crisis in the pork industry."
"Any time we have an Iowan in a national position representing agriculture, it creates opportunities for Iowa agriculture," said Marty Schwager, national policy adviser for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. "Senator Harkin had an open ear to Iowa farmers as chairman of the Senate Ag Committee, especially as Congress has taken on important actions such as the Farm Bill. Of course, we will continue to look for his support as he will remain a member of the Senate Ag Committee."
Cost Savings Proposed for State Computer System
Officials with Google and Microsoft this week said the state of Iowa could save millions of dollars if it used third-party systems for its computer needs and consolidated its information technology, but some lawmakers expressed concerns about the potential risks and whether the cost savings would be worth it.
Tom Howe and Chris Russell with Google told the State Government Reorganization Commission that their company could offer e-mail and archive services comparable to the current state-run service at a fraction of the price. It would be done through a "cloud computing" system, which uses third-party systems for computing needs such as e-mail, data storage, and software.
"Cloud computing has got, we think, some substantial potential benefits for the state," said Howe, regional sales manager for Google. "Our statistics show it's less than one-third the cost of on-premises systems to run your e-mail on the cloud. That's an easy one."
Howe and Russell estimated the state pays somewhere between $300 and $400 per year for each of the roughly 22,000 e-mail accounts the state maintains. They said they could offer comparable services for around $80 per year per account -- amounting to savings between $4.84 and $7.04 million.
Colin Nurse, the chief technology officer of Microsoft, suggested the state move to using "modern unified messaging tools," allowing the state to save anywhere between $20 and $60 a year per voicemail account.
"It's less expensive to run, uses less staff, and supports the aging workforce crisis," Nurse said of the possible IT consolidation. "You do get greater economy to scale, more efficient use of assets, and consistent service levels. It's more secure, faster security patching, management of risk, [and] less Internet-exposed accident points, and it's very green."
Despite potential cost savings, members of the committee expressed some concern about moving to a cloud computing system. Senator Jeff Danielson (D-Cedar Falls) said it would be "one of the nightmare scenarios for government" if access to personal information were somehow exposed.
Russell said there are "vulnerabilities in everything" and "anyone that tells you they have something that isn't vulnerable is lying."
Senator Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) asked Howe what would happen to the state's current IT staff if the government made a move to a cloud computing system.
Howe said Google typically sees a "redeployment" of IT staff when cloud computing is instituted in similar instances. "You're going to put those people on other projects," he said. "You're going to have some kind of yield for the organization that you're just not able to do today. So you do receive a benefit that ends up translating into dollars."
Ethics Committee Takes No Action Against Pharm Association
The Iowa Senate Ethics Committee quickly voted 5-0 today to take no further action on the complaint against the Iowa Pharmacy Association for filing a disclosure report about a legislative reception five months late, but the committee promised to review filing rules early in the 2010 legislative session.
"As far as any further action today, there will be none," said Senate President Jack Kibbie (D-Emmetsburg), chair of the Senate Ethics Committee, during a meeting that lasted only a few minutes.
But Kibbie went on to say: "This committee, ... early part of the session, we're going to review these rules and see if there's any statutes that need to be changed, or rules. ... We want 100 percent transparency on any dealings with the legislature as far as the lobby is concerned. There's been some suggestions about electronic filing."
The late filing came to light because Representative Kerry Burt (D-Waterloo) was arrested hours after attending an Iowa Pharmacy Association legislative reception at the Embassy Suites.
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) officials said their complaint wasn't just about the Iowa Pharmacy Association, but about "accurately monitoring and regulating these type of events." They said another 26 disclosure reports for legislative receptions (of the 90 filed this year) were submitted late.
Adam Mason, CCI's state policy organizing director, said today he was encouraged by the plan to further review the laws and rules surrounding legislative lobbyist reports but was concerned that lawmakers plan to retain the authority over these reports.
"The larger concern to Iowans are why special-interest groups are wining and dining our legislators," Mason said. "CCI members and other Iowans across the state are sick and tired of special interests, big-time lobbyists, buying and gaining influence to lawmakers. And when this is happening, we need to be assured that we know how much is being spent, when it's happening, where it's happening, and who's been there."
Vander Plaats Touts "True Conservative Principles" in Announcement Tour
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats of Sioux City pledged: to sign an executive order on his first day in office to stay future same-sex marriages until Iowans have a chance to vote on the issue; to pay down the state's debt; and to improve Iowa's tax and regulatory climate.
"I will be a governor who stands up for true conservative principles," Vander Plaats said after officially launching his campaign for governor. "I will work to reduce the tax burden on Iowans instead of increasing it. I will oppose the drumbeat of expanded gambling. And I will be a governor who supports a culture of life from conception to natural death."
Vander Plaats said the person he picks to be his lieutenant governor must share his core values. "I'm not looking to balance the ticket with somebody who's moderate or liberal, or who doesn't believe in those core values like I do," he said. "Hopefully, they bring different assets to the ticket, but they will believe in those core values."
Vander Plaats, 46, is a former teacher and principal, and he's currently president of MVP Leadership, a consulting firm that helps business executives hone their leadership and strategic skills. He was also Iowa chair for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign. Vander Plaats and his wife, Darla, have four sons.
Vander Plaats said that if elected governor, he would appoint home-school and private-school representatives to the State Board of Education and increase tax credits for those families.
"I think it's only fair to have their voice at a table, not to be a dominant voice, but at least to have a representative voice at that table with State Board of Education," he said. Vander Plaats said he'd also like to see "a tax credit be aggressively ramped up for those parents who do choose to educate their own child through either private school or home school."
Vander Plaats also said he plans to inspire the Republican base and go after Governor Chet Culver's base -- educators, health-care workers, and human-service workers.
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Kiernan said, "The Vander Plaats announcement also provides further evidence of the deep divide in the GOP. Vander Plaats epitomizes the uncompromising right-wing fringe that would rather have a candidate with whom they agree on all the issues, than one who can win. Vander Plaats' announcement is proof this will be a tough, bruising primary -- no matter who else runs."
Committee to Tackle State Health-Care Needs
Iowa's new Legislative Health Care Coverage Commission has launched a two-year effort to create a strategy for health-care reform in Iowa, with the immediate goal of a January 1 report to the legislature on how to provide health-care coverage for 250,000 uninsured adults.
"I think this is a marathon," said David Carlyle, a family physician of 25 years who's chair of the commission. He said a key will be figuring out how to take care of people who don't qualify for Medicaid, and making sure that the commission follows the unwritten rule of "do no harm."
Senator Jack Hatch (D-Des Moines) said the goal is to have every Iowan covered with health insurance so that "Iowa can take care of their own." This is the legislature's third health-care commission.
"By July 2010, we will have a plan available for adults to be covered," Hatch said. "And that's a huge task."
Diane Crookham-Johnson, a Republican who is a part owner of Musco Corporation and represents large employers on Iowa's new health-care commission, pointed out today that the current health-care system is working in some areas.
She said she's been purchasing health care for her company for the past 20 years and said costs have increased less than 5 percent a year. She said the most employees pay out-of-pocket is $2,000 a year.
"It works and it's not very expensive," she said. "There are things that are really good out there, and we don't want to mess it up."
Representative Dave Heaton (R-Mount Pleasant) acknowledged that Congress is also tackling health-care reform. He said Iowa's commission "will operate like Congress hasn't quite gotten its plan in place, and connect the two together."
This weekly summary comes from IowaPolitics.com, an online government and politics news service. IowaPolitics.com staff contributed to this report.
