(Radio Iowa) – Most Republicans in the Iowa House and Senate have voted to set limits on pain and suffering damages from medical malpractice lawsuits. The move has been one of the governor’s priorities. Under the new guidelines, those non-economic damages for medical malpractice claims against hospitals would be limited to a maximum of two million dollars. For clinics, nursing homes and individual physicians the cap would be one million. Representative Ann Meyer, a Republican from Fort Dodge who’s a nurse, says the cost of liability insurance is hurting recruitment and retention of doctors, particularly in rural areas.

“Iowa has a target on its back for out of state, predatory lawyers,” Meyer says. “We are seeing them coming in and trying these cases and getting large verdicts.” The bill faced opposition from Democrats and 16 Republicans voted against it. Republican Representative Mark Cisneros of Muscatine says these aren’t frivolous lawsuits and more than 20 other states have similar caps that aren’t reducing medical malpractice insurance rates.

“What’s next on the priority list of corporate protection? Trucking companies? Carbon pipelines?” Cisneros asked. “Right now the corporate lobby is salivating at the prospect of passing this bill.” Senator Jeff Reichman is among the majority of Republicans who voted for the bill. He’s from Montrose, a 15 minute drive from the hospital that closed in Keokuk last fall.

“I’m not naïve enough to think this is going to be the 100% fix,” Reichman said, “but what we need to decide today is are we going to have lottery sized settlements or when our constituents arrive and need that hospital is there going to be one there for them?” Representative Megan Jones, a Republican from Sioux Rapids, says lawmakers are forgetting that medical malpractice verdicts for pain and suffering are for pain and suffering.

“These are people,” Jones said. “These are our friends, our neighbors and our loved ones. These are our babies and we’re not protecting them.” Senator Jason Schultz, a Republican from Schleswig, says guardrails in the bill are necessary to prevent verdicts that can cause closures or bankruptcies for health care facilities.  “A civil action isn’t supposed to be a lottery for anybody. It’s compensation for a loss,” Schultz said. “It’s not to produce a windfall of unearned wealth.”

Senator Nate Boulton, a Democrat from Des Moines who’s an attorney, says victims of medical malpractice who win verdicts have suffered horrifically. “Call up any of these families that got a nuclear award. I think you’re going to hear about nuclear damages,” Boulton said.”And, no, they don’t feel like lottery winners.”

Governor Reynolds says the bill is reasonable medical malpractice reform that will help Iowa’s health care system be more reasonable and accessible. Under the bill, economic losses and punitive damages for medical malpractice victims would remain unlimited. It also calls for creation of a task force to study medical errors.

DES MOINES – Today (Wednesday), Governor Reynolds issued the following statement after medical malpractice tort reform passed the Iowa legislature:

“I’m grateful to the legislature for passing reasonable medical malpractice reform, allowing Iowa’s health care industry to become stronger and more accessible. To the OBGYNs and physicians who have been worried about practicing in Iowa, we are ready for you! These reforms balance the needs of injured patients with the needs of all Iowans to have a robust health care system. As I said in my Condition of the State, these reforms could not wait another year.”

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans on a House subcommittee have advanced a bill that would let the state suspend or revoke business licenses from employers who knowingly hire people who aren’t eligible to work in the U.S.

It would require that businesses use the federal government’s E-Verify system to check the immigration status of job applicants. Critics say the E-Verify system is sometimes inaccurate and the bill would unfairly penalized businesses for hiring someone the system indicated could be employed.

“We have a worker shortage and this bill kind of makes us become the immigration police for the state of Iowa,” said Larry Blixt, a lobbyist for a Red Oak based association that represents Iowa greenhouses.

No one spoke in favor of the bill during a statehouse hearing today. The two Republicans who voted to keep it eligible for further debate have major concerns about how the bill would affect businesses, but decided to keep it alive to continue the conversation. Republican Representative Phil Thompson of Jefferson said almost every section of the bill has flaws that would have to be changed before he’d support it.

“Appreciate the sentiment of the bill,” Thompson says, “but in practice I think it puts a lot of the (enforcement) burden on businesses and that’s just not something I’m really comfortable doing.”

The chairman of the House committee that would consider the bill says the federal government’s E-Verify system isn’t foolproof and Republicans will have “a good conversation” about those failings before they’d ever bring the bill up for a vote. Backers of the proposal have been trying since 2012 to require that Iowa businesses use the E-Verify system to confirm all employees are in the country legally.

ATLANTIC, IA (February 8, 2023) – This Saturday’s Sweetheart Market at the Nishna Valley Family YMCA (1100 Maple Street in Atlantic) will feature Pim’s Thai Food Truck, a free bounce house for kids, and over 20 food and craft vendors. The afternoon market will be held from noon to 3 PM. During the market, Pim’s Thai Food Truck will be selling food in the parking lot closest to 10th Street, and the weather forecast suggests it won’t be too cold to order food from one of Produce in the Park’s most popular food trucks.

There is no cost to enter Sweetheart Market, and the Nishna Valley Family YMCA, host of the market, is offering a giant free indoor bounce house for kids. One YMCA gym will host the bounce house and kids’ activities, and the other gym will host the over 20 market vendors.

Sweetheart Market is held the Saturday before Valentine’s Day, so shoppers can pick up Valentine’s Day baked goods, sweets, and gifts, in addition to farmers market favorites produce, meats, farm-fresh eggs, local honey, candles, crafts, art, jewelry, and bath and body products.

Sweetheart Market vendors confirmed as of February 8 include Smudge, Bridgewater Farm, Brun Ko Farm, Miss NiNi’s Fine Desserts (preorder only), Noble Provisions, The Kringle Man, DezaRae Farm Soaps, Ter-Bear Honey, Johnna Joy Designs, Midwest Candles by Brit, Wud Bi Tek, Creekside Crystals and Crafts, Frosting Inc., Spirits of the Faire, Sweet Sisters Vegan, Donna’s Jewelry, Unicorn Clouds, Studio Samantha, Sugar Mama Cookie Co., Imagine at Zellmer Century Farm, Silver Valley Craft Corner, Rolling Acres Farm, and Pim’s Thai Food Truck.

Shoppers at Saturday’s market should plan to enter the YMCA through the main front entrance. However, customers with preorders can either come into the market to pick up their preorders or utilize drive-through pickup. Drive-through pickup will be available in the back parking lot behind the YMCA. The back parking lot is accessible from Maple Street between 11th and 12th Street. Market volunteers will be at both front and back entrances of the YMCA to answer questions.

Sweetheart Market is sponsored by the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, Cass County Tourism, First Whitney Bank and Trust, Cass Health, Gregg Young Automotive of Atlantic, and the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce. For the latest information on Sweetheart Market, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/) or sign up for the Produce in the Park newsletter at www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com.