House Journal: Page 2258: Tuesday, June 3, 2003
This proposed program would duplicate current efforts under the federally funded
reading program, Reading First, and take critical funding away from the team based
variable pay program.
I am unable to approve the item designated as Division VII, Section 156, subsection
4, 7 and 8 in their entirety. These sections deal with smallpox vaccinations.
Subsection 4 would require a set aside of Homeland Security federal funds for an
unauthorized purpose. Subsection 7 requires vaccinations to be administered by a
specific process which at this time is not approved by the FDA. Subsection 8 gives
inappropriate duties and responsibilities for the coordination of vaccines and
pharmaceuticals to the Emergency Management Division. Such supplies should
emanate from the Center for Disease Control to the Health Department.
I am unable to approve the item designated as Division IX of Senate File 458, which
provides a process for the privatization of the Iowa Communications Network (ICN), in
its entirety. The design and implementation of the ICN does not easily support
privatization. Careful study of a plan to privatize the network should be done with
consideration of the network architecture, critical facilities, as well as the impact to
education and homeland security.
Education has been and continues to be one of the highest priorities of this
administration. I do not believe that potential adverse impacts on our State's
education system were given adequate, if any, consideration. All levels of education
depend upon the ICN for provision of education throughout Iowa. The ICN also plays a
vital role in our state's homeland security. All homeland security functions would need
to be maintained. In some cases, this would require new federal waivers and new
agreements involving federal departments. These may not be easily forthcoming.
An issue of the magnitude of the State's fiber optic network should be worked
through the legislative process as a separate bill, receiving full consideration by
committees and adequate information for full debate. This amendment was attached
during the final hours of the legislative session and left inadequate time for the public
including authorized users, the Commission or ICN staff to provide information to
policy makers in order for them to make a fully informed decision.
I am unable to approve the item designated as Section 179 in its entirety. This
section limits the creation of a local government organization review committee to only
counties with a population in excess of 100,000. Crating one process for large urban
counties and not allowing small rural counties unnecessarily discriminates between
local governments located in urban and rural areas. We are and should always be one
Iowa. This important value is compromised in Section 179.
For the above reasons, I respectfully disapprove these items in accordance with
Amendment IV of the Amendments of 1968 to the Constitution of the State of Iowa.
All other items in Senate File 458 are hereby approved as this date.
Sincerely,
Thomas J. Vilsack
Governor
© 2003 Cornell College and
League of Women Voters of Iowa
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