Why are Iowa state troopers in Texas?

New Democratic leader for Iowa House

Isenhart Campaign

for the Common Good

P.O. Box 3353

Dubuque, IA 52004-3353

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Rescue Iowa's environmental health with federal dollars

On July 14, I sent a letter to Governor Reynolds recommending Phase 3 of an “Iowa Rescue Plan” to prioritize some of the $1.48 billion in American Rescue Plan dollars allotted to Iowa.

The detailed document (which you can download here) recommends using $230.45 million for environmental health initiatives over the next two years. This would account for about 15.6 percent of the federal monies allocated to Iowa

The 25 proposals invest in clean water programs and infrastructure -- supporting recovery in key sectors of our economy -- and address some of the negative impacts of the disaster emergency, including through clean, renewable energy and climate projects that provide long-term benefits to low and moderate-income Iowans most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Key pieces include:

1) $10 million for the lake restoration program to minimize health hazards and to improve safety and quality-of-life for users of the state’s public waters;

2) $15 million for Iowa’s 26 watershed management authorities, which bring together cities, counties and soil and water conservation districts to address impairments and other issues in threatened watersheds;

3) $50 million for cost-share grants to owners of private wells used for drinking water to address causes of contamination identified through free well testing offered by the State;

4) $5 million to partner with regulated water utilities and to begin testing drinking water at K-12 schools and child care facilities, in anticipation of updated federal requirements related to lead and copper in drinking water;

5) 10 million to ensure that all applicants for solar installation tax credits on the “waiting list” receive the incentives they were promised;

6) $20 million to provide matching grants to school districts and community college districts for solar installations and energy efficiency projects to contain energy costs and reduce carbon pollution.

7) $10 million to the Office of Consumer Advocate at the Iowa Utilities Board for grants to county energy districts to fund innovative energy efficiency projects and programs, with a focus on low-income energy users and small, locally-owned businesses;

8) $5 million to the Office of Consumer Advocate to support participation of low and moderate-income utility customers in pilot community solar projects.

The Iowa General Assembly adjourned May 18 without providing guidance or oversight to the governor regarding how the federal money can be used in the best interests of Iowans. Although the Legislature as a whole has blinked, abdicating its responsibility to budget taxpayer dollars wisely, as state representatives I believe we each have roles to play to continue advocating for the common good and the needs of our constituents..

Phases 1 and 2 of the Iowa Rescue Plan offered recommendations to bolster Iowa’s public health infrastructure in the wake of the pandemic and to assist in the recovery of Iowa's travel and tourism industry. Future phases will address food and agriculture, mental health/substance use and other opportunities for state-local partnerships.

I invite citizens to recommend ideas by contacting me at [email protected]. I also hope that other legislators will weigh in, both Republicans and Democrats. By no means do I have a monopoly on ideas or knowledge of all the needs and opportunities before us.

Along with other Iowa Democrats, I am pleased that our state has this historic opportunity to partner with President Biden and Democrats in Congress to support pandemic response, relief and recovery through the American Rescue Plan. Help is here!

Why is the Iowa State Patrol in Texas?

On July 13, I wrote to Rep. Holly Brink, chair of the Government Oversight Committee in the Iowa House of Representatives, seeking a formal inquiry into the deployment of the Iowa State Patrol to the "southern border" in Texas.

Here is the request:

I urge the Government Oversight Committee to meet at our earliest opportunity to review Chapter 29C.21 of the Iowa Code and to consider the out-of-state deployment of Iowa State Patrol personnel by Governor Kim Reynolds for the apparent purpose of enforcing federal immigration law.

A legislative branch inquiry should consider whether the decision is a legitimate use of the states’ Emergency Management Assistance Compact and the precedent this may set for other invocations of the compact that may or may not have been envisioned when the joint agreement was adopted.

As part of this investigation, I request that the committee seek answers to the following questions from the Executive Branch. The questions stem from statements made in a press release issued by the governor’s office in announcing the use of Iowa State Patrol resources for law enforcement in Texas.

The press release made significant, potentially inflammatory assertions related to refugees and migrants coming to the United States and the risks to Iowa associated with such migration. If those assertions are not substantiated, then the justifications for using the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to merit the allocation of Iowa resources to another state are also called into question.

1. What is the definition of a “border encounter”?

2. Where are the encounters taking place?

3. What percentage of these encounters involve Central American migrants and refugees (children and adults)?

4. On an annual basis, since accurate data has been collected, what percentage of seized drugs are associated with border encounters?

5. On an annual basis, since accurate data has been collected, what percentage of seized drugs are associated with Central American refugees?

6. On an annual basis, since accurate data has been collected, what percentage of seized drugs in Iowa can be documented to have come across the southern border?

7. On an annual basis, since accurate data has been collected, what percentage of seized drugs in Iowa are associated with Central American refugees?

8. What percentage of seized weapons are associated with border encounters?

9. What percentage of seized weapons are associated with Central American refugees?

10. What percentage of seized weapons in Iowa can be documented to have come across the southern border?

11. What percentage of seized weapons in Iowa are associated with Central American refugees?

12. What percentage of border encounters involve violent crime?

13. What percentage of border encounters involving violent crime is associated with Central American refugees?

14. What percentage of violent crime in Iowa can be documented to directly relate to people coming across the southern border?

15. What percentage of violent crime in Iowa is associated with Central American refugees?

16. What percentage of border encounters involve human trafficking?

17. What percentage of border encounters involving human trafficking are associated with Central American refugees?

18. What percentage of human trafficking in Iowa is associated with people coming across the southern border?

19. What percentage of human trafficking in Iowa involves Central American refugees?

20. How is the “humanitarian crisis” at our nation’s southern border affecting Iowa (in addition to the occasional lack of communication regarding the transport of refugees)?

21. How were in-state highway patrol staffing levels and other State Patrol activities changed during the period of time personnel were assigned to Texas?

I thank you for your timely response to this request.

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