From Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen:
Last week in the House, the State Government committee worked on the reorganization bill (SF 2088). The bill in its current form saves a little over $70 million.
In order for the Governor’s budget to balance, he needs a minimum $391 million in “general fund” spending reductions. About $30 million of that is expected to come through early retirements. Another $90 million will be achieved through the Governor’s savings that he achieved internally for a total $120 million in savings.
This leaves $271 million that needs to be saved through additional legislative decisions.
Continue reading for Republican’s $290 million in savings ideas…
To kick off the 2010 legislative session, House Democrats sent a message to Iowa taxpayers: the effort to eliminate your ability to deduct your federal taxes paid from your state income tax liability is on the table. In other words, a massive income tax increase is looming.
On January 27, 2010, the House Ways and Means Committee met for the first time of the 2010 legislative session. The meeting was short and to the point. Several bills were assigned to subcommittee, including House File 807 the highly controversial bill to eliminate federal deductibility, and then the meeting adjourned.
Continue reading…
Today in the House Labor committee, Democrats assigned a bill which would gut Iowa’s right to work law. House Study Bill 702 is an attempt by House Democrats to take away Iowans’ choice to join a union.
Iowa’s right to work law guarantees that no person can be compelled, as a condition of employment, to join, not join or pay any fees to a labor union. Iowa’s right to work law has been in place since 1947. This bill is a direct attack on hard-working Iowans’ liberties.
“It is simply wrong to tell someone they must give their hard-earned dollars to an organization they have chosen not to be a member of,” said House Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen (R-Hiawatha). “A union is not forced to represent non-members. They choose forced monopoly bargaining and now they want to force payment for providing those unwanted services.”
Under the Democrats’ plan, public employees who are non-union would be forced to pay a fee to the union as a condition of their employment, thus completely gutting Iowa’s right to work law.
A number of Republican Representatives remain concerned with the State’s system for issuing permits to citizens who wish to arm themselves. Current law provides deference to local sheriffs who may issue permits to carry to those who qualify. In some jurisdictions in the state, certain sheriffs under no circumstance issue permits.
It is that refusal to issue permits to qualified individuals that has Republicans looking for ways to improve the law. As it stands now, there are entire counties where residents have no ability to acquire a permit to carry because their sheriff denies all applications. This includes members of the armed forces and even retired police officers. The first step considered necessary by many is to change current language that says a sheriff “may” issue a permit to qualified individuals, to “shall” issue permits to them.
Continue reading…
On Monday, February 1, Fiscal Services Division of LSA released its complete review of the Governor Culver’s FY 2011 Budget Recommendations. The review outlines how the Governor was able to close the $1.1 billion spending gap that he and the Democrats in the Legislature created by overspending the past three years.
The report states that while the Governor says he will close the spending gap by reducing state spending and not raising taxes, he proposes some questionable tactics that leave a mess for the next Governor and the new Legislature.
Continue reading to see the tactics used…
A new February 2010 newsletter is available for viewing. Click the link below to see a PDF version.
Caucus Newsletter February 3, 2010
Included in this edition:
- $1.1 billion spending gap looms
- House GOP protects gun rights
- Dems eye plan to eliminate federal deductibility
- House GOP offers new reorganization savings
Today House Republicans will offer an additional $290 million in General Fund savings today in the House State Government Committee. The committee is scheduled to approve the government reorganization bill, Senate File 2088.
“I’ve appreciated the bipartisan manner in which we’ve worked on the reorganization bill. I believe we have the ability to go further than the original bill and find even more savings and waste in government,” said State Government Ranking Member Doug Struyk (R-Council Bluffs). “I look forward to continued bipartisan work as we move this bill through the process.”
Continue reading to see what savings ideas are being offered…
A bill suggested by House Majority Leader McCarthy would allow Iowa’s 17 state-regulated casinos to add popular card games like poker and blackjack in ballrooms and convention rooms where gambling is currently not allowed. Some of these casinos already have “poker rooms,” but they are too small to hold large poker tournaments. “This is not new gaming; this is existing gaming,” McCarthy said in The Des Moines Register. McCarthy went on to say that this expansion would increase tax revenue for the state.
Continue reading about more gambling changes in the works…
After a number of closed-door meetings, Iowa Democrats came forward Tuesday to introduce a new health care proposal. Elected officials hailed ideas having the government become a player in the insurance business and implementing direct competition with Main Street insurance agents. And to top it off, a promise to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on subsidies for insurance coverage. Iowans may be surprised to learn that this ceremony did not happen in the Rose Garden of the White House. It occurred within in the Iowa State Capitol.
Continue reading…
A new January 2010 newsletter is available for viewing. Click the link below to see a PDF version.
Caucus Newsletter January 27, 2010
Included in this edition:
- Initial Review of the Gov’s Budget
- Public Option in Iowa
- Dems Push Gambling Expansion
