The Iowa Chamber MPs advance the draft law to incriminate the homeless, Senate tables

---

The parliamentarians of the house in Iowa advanced a draft law to incriminate homeless Wednesday, making the unauthorized campsite on public property a simple offense punished with up to 30 days of imprisonment and up to a fine of US $ 855. Senate parliamentarians actually killed an identical bill on Wednesday.

The draft law would also prohibit cities and counties from creating ordinances that discourage the application of the law, but stipulate that cities and counties could create diversion programs.

The draft law would allow cities to create designated campsites for people who face homeless to camp to avoid sanctions if they lack space in a shelter or do not want to shelter. Bills would ask the campsites to have the names of the campsite; have access to clean water, toilets and a shower; ensure safety and cleanliness; and be alcohol and drugs.

The draft law would also request organizations that operate shelters and provide services to people facing homes to maintain the free drug area or to be accused of an aggravated offense of up to two years in prison and up to $ 8,540 in fines.

The draft law would allow the Attorney General of Iowa to bring civil actions to apply the draft law and would allow business owners, residents and general prosecutor to bring civil actions to apply provisions related to the designated campsite that the cities can create.

Proponants say it will help public safety

National groups of special conservative interests, such as the Cicero Institute, have supported the draft law, saying that it will discourage public campsite and will not lead to many fines, but would help ensure public safety.

Dennis Tibben, a lobbyist of the Cicero Institute, said that the Institute has requested the draft law and that he mirrors the legislation in other states led by the Republicans.

“In the last year, several communities in Iowa have engaged in discussions about the public safety issues of the street campsite and how to better support iowans who are struggling with housing,” Tibben said. “The draft law before you is intended to help you with these efforts, providing consistent state-level policies, including minimum basic services and support, higher transparency and how dollars are used and, most importantly, creating a path to stability and self-support for more iowans.”

Lawyers gather against Bills

Organizations and lawyers for Iowans who face homeless housing on Wednesdays the hearings of subcommittees on the draft law, where they have been rejoicing against the invoices, saying that they will not resolve the homeless and will reverse the progress in this regard.

Des Moines adopted the prohibition to campsite in public last year, arousing outlets and criticism from the community and supporting. However, Scott Sanders, the city manager for Des Moines, said they have more levels of support for people who are facing homeless before penalties.

Sanders said the state proposal does not take into account the local control and is based on the punishment.

“Our ordinance includes 10 other provisions that deal with preventive measures, additional levels of services for existing homeless people to ensure that we assist them, together with the ordinance itself,” said Sanders. “However, this draft law is determined by the penalty to impose compliance and there is truly a lack of the preventive party.”

Sanders said that the provisions of the draft law that could press criminal charges against service providers could lead to more people who sleep on the streets, because they will not be able to provide services.

“This would only aggravate the problems we are facing in cities and would increase the improper camping, and this would be very contrary to what the intention is here for the bill,” said Sanders.

Angie Arthur, the executive director of Homeward Iowa, a group that focuses on the end of the homeless in Des Moines, said that the invoice will cost the taxpayers to implement the invoice and will not solve the problem at hand.

“We recognize the pressure you are experiencing representatives to help people who sleep outside. And we agree that more can be done, ”said Arthur. “Deleting camps without connecting people to homes and services does not solve the problem. Only a move to other parts of Iowa. “

Dave Stone, a lobbyist with the United Way of Central Iowa, a non -profit focused on improving Iowa Central communities, said that the bill in its current form would cost much more than additional investments in support housing and other programs.

Currently, the state invests only $ 1.7 million in financing aimed at combating homeless people.

“These are individuals – these are families,” said Stone. “They have nowhere to go. They deserve our help and not our shame. “

The Iowa Senate kills the draft law, the house press, says Bill must be resolved

The parliamentarians in the Iowa Senate have submitted the version of the draft law, The draft law of the Senate study 1195During an hearing of subcommittee, on Wednesday afternoon.

Sense. Janice Weiner, D-Iwa City and Dave Sires, R-Cedru Falls, both refused to approve the advance of the bill on Wednesday, due to concerns about how the bill would impact on unfortunate persons who need services, not fines.

“$ 800 fines for people who really don’t have money or below their luck?” Said Sire. “We have to think about something else. We have to have some changes in this regard, or I would go on and take all these pages to start again, because this is not correct for people, whether they are in luck or have a problem. “

Weiner said that the draft law was pushed by a national group of special interests and that it does not fit a solution in Iowa.

“This is not an invoice in Iowa or a solution from Iowa,” said Weiner. “It is an external bill that has been parachuted here. If we want a solution from Iowa, we can convene a group of all interested parties in the mediation, including people who have experienced homeless and to sit and watch solutions because they exist. “

Without the signature of Sires, the draft law cannot go further with a recommendation to move from the subcommittee. There are a number of legislative tricks to revive the draft law, but according to the program of the local Senate Committee for Thursday, the draft law is not scheduled to be considered by the Commission.

Without a commission’s vote on the draft law, it will probably be killed by legislative terms in the Senate, although the legislative procedure can be used to revive any draft law once a deadline has been adopted.

The parliamentarians in the house move with the full steam with the draft law. A vote is planned for Thursday morning to move the camera version of the bill, Bill Study House 286Outside the commission, it has passed the first legislative term of the session on Friday.

The vote of the subcommittee to advance the draft law on Wednesday was 2-1 with Rep. Lindsay James, D-Dubuque, voting against the draft law.