CAASA reps push legislators for $4 million to keep services intact, doors open

(Photo by Kris Todd) State Sen. John "Jack" Kibbie, state Sen. David Johnson and state Rep. Mike May, from left, listen as Rhonda Dean, executive director of the Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault, explains the local shelter's food pantry is stocked courtesy individual donations. [Order this photo]

State Rep. Mike May and state Sens. John "Jack" Kibbie and David Johnson were told of a "huge" caseload of clients and a picture only expected to worsen in 2009 by area Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault (CAASA) representatives Monday afternoon. The five women then told area legislators they'll be among the Iowa advocates requesting a $4 million line item for the upcoming fiscal year.

Across Iowa, members of the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault are partnering in this statewide funding restoration project,

which seeks to ensure state funding for sexual and domestic violence services in Iowa so that "no victim finds the door to safety closed." The two coalitions' 55 member programs served 26,345 victims during fiscal year 2007.

"The AG's (attorney general) office is supporting our $4 million (request)," Rhonda Dean, CAASA's executive director, told the three area legislators in the Spencer shelter.

On behalf of Minde Weisman, Clay County's child advocate, Jacquie Rothrock, Clay County's CAASA coordinator, Keren Taylor, the Palo Alto and Emmet County coordinator, and Rachel Partello, the Dickinson County coordinator, Dean also told Kibbie, Johnson and May, "This is not about us having job security. Because I believe if we could have this issue solved, we'd all be happy to go do something else. It's about the victims."

The picture the five women painted of the state's victims of domestic violence and sexual assault was, at best, grim.

Dean explained the CAASA office, which covered a four-county area, was equipped with 14 staff members in 1985-86. The local office is now staffed by 2 1/2 full-time staff members who serve an eight-county area including Clay, Buena Vista, Cherokee, Ida, Dickinson, Palo Alto, Emmet and Sac counties.

The three state legislators were then informed that Spencer's shelter, which receives referrals from southern Minnesota and Worthington, Minn., has been "at capacity or overflowing" since February. It hosted 366 "brand new clients" during the first six months of 2008, which compares to the 580 new individuals seen throughout all of 2007. From Jan. 1 until June 30 this year, Dean reported 719 shelter nights were stayed by 34 adults and 37 children, which compares to the 1,000 shelter nights served in a normal year.

The men also heard that those women and children seeking assistance at Clay County's shelter are not turned away when room is tight, as they are in other parts of Iowa. Instead, a space is found for them in another shelter or individuals "make due" with the space available locally.

To this fact, Rep. May indicated children were "a place we neglected in the legislature last year."

The number of domestic violence and sexual assault survivors served locally, however, is far less than the number of incidents reported to police annually, Dean added.

While the average stay in a shelter 10 years ago was a couple days to two weeks, statistics show the majority now spend 30 days in a shelter.

"We have become a triage service. We're just dealing with the crisis and going to the next crisis," Dean said.

As she then told the legislators that CAASA is grateful for the "extra" money received from the state legislature last year, May replied, "Extra's not enough. We need to do more."

When the CAASA representatives were asked by Sen. Johnson if they are seeing the financial strains of the national level locally, Dean deemed the influx witnessed as both a reflection of the economy and a lack of affordable housing in the area.

"In 2009, due to state and federal funding cuts, many of the programs (in Iowa) will be closing their doors for good," she added. "Who are we going to close our doors to? Who gets to choose who that person's going to be? It's not a choice that I want to have to make. An allocation of $4 million is essential to keep our 28 sexual assault and domestic violence programs open -- just to keep them open and presently at where they're at."

The three men were also told by the area CAASA representatives that the state's court system, in their opinion, is lacking.

"Des Moines calls our judges up in this area 'the Iowa black hole,'" Dean said.

While court trainings are held locally, the women told Johnson, Kibbie and May that nobody attends them. The women advocates also asked that greater penalties and enforcement be implemented at the state level. As Taylor told them that animals are more valued in this state than domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, Dean said, "If (Atlanta Falcons player) Michael Vick would have been abusing his wife, he'd still be in the NFL today." The former football player, who plead guilty to federal dogfighting charges, was sentenced to 23 months in a U.S. penitentiary in December.

"You talk about county attorneys who have a split office. We have more county attorneys that that's all they do now than we did 20 years ago -- and most of them have an assistant county attorney and they have three times as many office staff as they did 20 years ago. Why aren't they doing their jobs," Sen. Kibbie asked.

"That would be the question of the day -- or the week," one of the CAASA representatives replied.

"On the side of the advocates," Sen. Johnson continued, "after we reached a bipartisan agreement last session to put more money in and then to put this intent language in, I got e-mails from all over the state. I really appreciated that, even though they weren't my constituents. But I think that, compared to the previous years I've been in the legislature, this was the best year for that feedback from the advocates because it was coming from all over."

The area legislators were also told the difference between response to domestic violence and sexual assault incidents in the urban and rural parts of Iowa is "night and day," with officials in urban areas being "more responsive."

"That's something we need to correct," Kibbie confirmed.

Kibbie then told the women, "It's going to be a tight budget year, but the legislature needs to hear your story. Keep our feet to the fire."

The CAASA representatives were encouraged to give the same presentation during the legislative session, in January or February 2009. As the area legislators moved to depart yesterday afternoon, May commented, "We want to help. We'll do what we can do, but it's not a guarantee it's going to happen."