Des Moines Register
04-24-07
Idea to arm officers on public universities falls on Senate vote
By BRAD ZAUN
Senate District 32
The Senate last week voted down a proposal to require campus police at Iowa's
public universities to carry firearms.
The measure was proposed as an amendment to the education appropriations
bill (SF 588) in response to the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech University where
a gunman killed 32 students.
Currently, the University of Iowa and Iowa State University are the only schools
in the Big 10 and Big 12 conferences that do not arm their campus police with
guns. Similarly, officers at the University of Northern Iowa also are not allowed to
carry firearms.
The head of public safety at both ISU and the U of I agree that officers at Iowa's
universities should carry guns. Campus police officers are required to complete
certified training at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy.
However, unlike other law enforcement officers, the highest level of force campus
police are allowed to carry are Taser stun guns.
As we learned from the tragedy in Virginia, things can happen fast, and officers
need to have the ability to intervene just as quickly. These officers also need the
proper tools to ensure they can effectively protect our young people.
The education appropriations bill ultimately went on to pass the Senate, but the
amendment was defeated by a 25-25 vote.
The Senate this week gave its approval to a teacher pay package that includes
$180 million to increase salaries for K-12 teachers at Iowa schools.
The bill (SF 277) raises Iowa's teacher salaries on average by $2,000 in each of
the next few years. The Senate, which first approved the bill on March 5,
reconsidered the bill this week after negotiating with the House on changes to the
legislation.
The measure will increase teacher salaries to the national average, or 25th in the
nation, beginning in the fall 2008.
The effort to raise teacher pay in Iowa is one started by the Legislature last year
when lawmakers set aside an additional $35 million a year over three years for
salaries. The legislation approved last week would ramp up that plan by
allocating an additional $70 million this year and another $75 million next year.
Last week senators passed the Administration and Regulation appropriations bill.
The legislation funds the operations of state agencies.
The bill provided a 10 percent increase in spending over last year's budget.
However, it contained no additional money this year for the state auditor's office.
I find this ironic, considering all of the talk this session about increasing
transparency and accountability in government. It was the auditor, of course, who
brought to light the pay scandal at the Central Iowa Employment and Training
Consortium (CIETC). His report revealed millions of dollars in taxpayer money
was being used to fund excessive pay and bonuses for the agency's top
executives. It was also the auditor who revealed that the Iowa Values Fund was
producing far fewer jobs than had been claimed by government officials.
In response, an amendment was offered that would have provided money to
create a Government Accountability Office within the auditor's office. The
Government Accountability Office would review all third-party service contracts,
such as those entered into with organizations like CIETC.
The Senate turned down the amendment and an opportunity to increase
accountability in state government.
The Senate approved the Justice System Appropriations bill (SF 575) by a
unanimous vote. The legislation provides nearly $500 million for justice, public
safety, and corrections programs such as state troopers and prisons. It also
funds efforts to get tough on crime and keep dangerous criminals behind bars.
A major component of the bill is $18 million in funding to operate a 178-bed
Special Needs Unit at Oakdale. The unit would house prisoners with mental
illness and some prisoners who need special care because of their health and
age. The prison will, in turn, free up bed space throughout the prison system,
alleviating some of the overcrowding and ensuring that the most violent criminals
stay behind bars.
The bill also appropriates $9.9 million to help combat sex offenders. That
includes an additional $1.8 million and 16 employees to supervise and
electronically monitor sex offenders using the Global Positioning System (GPS)
bracelet. This additional funding will allow officers to monitor the offenders in real
time.
Finally the bill provides $150,000 for victim assistance grants. The grants are
used by local domestic abuse shelters to provide much needed emergency
services to victims of domestic violence.
I supported an attempt to provide an additional $350,000 for this vital program,
but the measure was defeated. In 2006, the number of Iowans killed in domestic
slayings was the highest ever recorded at 20 deaths. The domestic violence
shelters must continue to operate and serve this vulnerable population.
The bill now goes to the House for more debate.