Winter 2023 January 18, 2023
New Year, New Ideas
Governor's Priorities
The Legislature got back to work at the State Capitol on Monday, January 9, 2023.  Republicans won big in the 2023 election, giving them a super-majority in the Iowa Senate and almost a super-majority in the Iowa House.  With 34 Republican votes in the Senate, the majority party will not need any Democratic votes to confirm judges and other people appointed to positions by the Governor. Click here to read more about the start to session.

Legislator Priorities
Opening day speeches give you a sneak peek at the priorities the majority and minority party will go after this year.  You can read their speeches and review the leadership priorities here.
Governor Kim Reynolds listed many of the same priorities as her Republican colleagues in her Condition of the State speech on the second day of session.  Read more about that here.

Governor's Budget
Governor Kim Reynolds wants to make big changes to education and give parents more choice.  She wants to do more for pregnant moms and help make sure government spends taxpayer dollars wisely.  But there are a lot of details behind those goals.  Here are a few items that may impact Iowans with disabilities. 
Key Dates & More About the 2023 Session

The 2023 legislative session is scheduled to go for 110 days. There are some important dates that you may want to note - deadlines called "funnels" that decide which bills can continue in the process. Learn more here.
Working to Ensure Iowans Have Choice
Reorganization, New MCO, Medicaid Unwind
There is a lot going on right now that can really change how services and supports are delivered in this state.  The US Department of Justice (DOJ) investigated Iowa’s treatment of people with disabilities at Glenwood State Resource Center, and the state has agreed to make changes to address this by closing the facility and moving people into the community or transferring them to another facility.  This was just the beginning of the DOJ investigation.  

The DOJ also believes Iowa is over-institutionalizing Iowans with disabilities and violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In this article we will look at three things that tie into this: Home and Community Based Services Reforms, Medicaid Reimbursements, and Recommendations to Improve MH/DS Regions. Click here to read more.

The US Department of Justice reports, the review of the state’s HCBS waiver process, the study of Medicaid provider rates, and work to make Iowa’s MH/DS regions more consistent are heavy lifts for a department in the middle of a reorganization.  Now add to that a new Managed Care Organization (Molina) coming on board July 1, 2023. Iowa can also begin taking people off Medicaid if they no longer qualify for it beginning April 1, 2023 (the Federal government did not allow states to take people off Medicaid during the public health emergency).   
Iowa DD Council Hosts Virtual Open House

Twenty-one legislators attended the Iowa DD Council’s virtual legislative open house and learned about the Council’s top legislative priorities for 2023. Council members shared their personal stories during the open house to explain why action needs to be taken on these priorities.  See if your legislator attended and watch advocates tell their stories.
Each week the Iowa DD Council’s Carlyn Crowe will be giving “Shout Outs” to advocates who took action. See the seven advocates and 23 legislators who get our first set of shout-outs here.

Find it at iowaddcouncil.org

The Iowa DD Council has a lot of resources for advocates on its website.  With the start of the new legislative session, we wanted to let you know where you can find everything.  Learn more about the resources & information available to help you stay informed and ready to advocate.

Bill Tracker 2023
There are a lot of bills already introduced this year that may be of interest to you.  Read more here.

First 2023 Snapshot
Watch Amy Campbell & Carlyn Crowe talk about the highlights of week one at the State Capitol, and meet Sam Crowe, who used to work in the Iowa Senate's bill room.  Watch it here.
infoNET is a disability policy newsletter of the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council and its network of Iowans with Disabilities in Action.
This project is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $774,176 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.