Representative Michael Bergan met with Fayette County Economic Development and Tourism Director Mallory Hanson last week in Des Moines (Photo submitted)
Greetings from the Statehouse
By Representative Michael Bergan
The second week of session has been shorter than usual with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and winter weather influencing travel and scheduling. The workload has ramped up for me with the release of the Governor’s recommended budget.
As a member of the Appropriations Committee and chair of the Administration and Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee, I have begun a series of meetings with department directors, commissioners and state-wide elected officials covering 13 budgets. Our initial meeting included presentations by IPERS Chief Executive Officer Gregory Samorajski and Secretary of State Paul Pate on their budget requests for FY 2025.
The filing of several bills also affected the workload, as the bills are assigned to committees and subcommittees are assigned. A bill that has generated a lot of attention is HSB 542, assigned to the Education Committee. The bill increases starting teacher pay by 50% to $50,000 annually. The bill also restructures regional Area Education Agencies and delivery of Special Education and other services, providing individual school districts more flexibility in their own role in meeting educational needs in their districts.
I have received dozens of emails and phone calls from constituents with concerns over the proposed changes to AEAs and the disruption that is anticipated and feared. Many of the emails share information on Keystone AEA, their services, and testimony to the value of the services received by area schools, teachers, and students.