House Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen (R-Hiawatha) today requested that Gov. Chet Culver instruct department directors to freeze all discretionary spending.

Paulsen and House Republicans say the move is necessary to align ongoing expenditures with ongoing revenue. Currently, the governor’s budget uses over $700 million of one-time funds to cover the Fiscal Year 2011 general fund ongoing expenditures. By freezing state spending, House Republicans will be able to review all spending for the FY 2011 budget and identify specific spending reductions.

“Iowans elected us to be responsible with their tax dollars and reduce spending that was passed by the previous legislature,” said Paulsen. “We will waste no time in balancing the budget and reducing the size of government.”

Click to read the letter sent to Gov. Culver…

As the retention of judges on this year’s ballot receives increased attention, it can be helpful to understand the system by which our judges are chosen and appointed. The focus of this article will be the Iowa Supreme Court Justices, while the processes for the appointment of lower court justices differs, they are largely a variation of the Supreme Court process.

When there is a vacancy on the Iowa Supreme Court it is left to the State Judicial Nominating Commission to accept applications and review them. Eligible candidates to the Supreme Court must be residents of the state and a member of the Iowa State Bar. The Nominating Commission has 60 days from the time they are given notice of the vacancy to certify three nominees to the Governor. The three nominees chosen by the Nominating Commission become the exclusive candidates from which the Governor may nominate.

Read on…

A new October 2010 newsletter is available for viewing. Click the link below to see a PDF version.

Caucus Newsletter October 22, 2010

Included in this edition:

• Judicial Appointment Process
• Spending Gap Remains
• Healthy Kids Act Raises Questions
• Govt Regulates Size of Windows for Foster Families

House Republicans have been pushing since early 2009 for cutting spending in the state budget. Over the past two sessions of the Legislature, House Republicans have sponsored amendments to budget bills to reduce spending by a total of $600 million.

But when those ideas were brought forward before the legislature they were all voted down. Now, three weeks before the election, they suddenly seem like a good idea?

Two articles in the Des Moines Register this week called attention to two of those savings ideas.

1. Gov. Culver signed an Executive Order yesterday that would consolidate state computer systems. House Republicans offered that amendment on the House floor and it was voted down by House Democrats on April 7, 2009. It wasn’t a good idea then, but it is now?
2. Second, the Register wrote an editorial piece on Tuesday saying that public employees should contribute to their health insurance premiums. Once again, House Republicans agree. Which is why we offered an amendment in 2009 to require state employees to pay a monthly fee for their health insurance. It would save the state upwards of $14 million per year. It too was voted down by House Democrats on April 25, 2009.

Continue reading for the details and for more savings ideas…

On Thursday, September 30, the Governor held a press conference to announce the closing of the books for Fiscal Year 2010, which ended on June 30. According to the Governor, revenue exceeded the REC estimate by $235 million and the total surplus (ending balance plus cash reserves) is $754.6 million.

The REC estimate for FY 2010 was -$500.5 million, or a decrease of 8.7 percent compared to FY 2009. Actual revenue decreased by $256 million, or -4.5 percent compared to FY 2009.

This is evidence that House Republicans were correct to call on the Governor to hold a special session to make selective cuts rather than the 10 percent across the board cut he enacted. Selective cuts equal to a 6 percent across the board cut would have been enough to balance the budget without raising taxes.

Read more…

House Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen (R-Hiawatha) released the following statement today regarding new numbers released by the Revenue Estimating Conference (REC).

“114,000 Iowans are still looking for a job while Gov. Culver and legislative Democrats are celebrating that government has more money. This estimate indicates that there is more money for government and less for taxpayers.

“This changes nothing. Gov. Culver and Legislative Democrats spent too much, saved too little, raised property taxes and bonded our state into debt.”

Our nation’s history is dotted with wars that have shaped our country through different eras. Stories from those who served in those wars help keep our history alive and teach the next generation what freedom and sacrifice for one’s country really means. Unfortunately many of those stories go untold and are lost. The AIB College of Business hopes to help change that.

This upcoming Veterans Day, November 11, AIB is partnering with the Iowa and National Court Reporters Associations, the National Court Reporters Foundation, and the Library of Congress to host the 2nd annual Veterans History Project. The goal of the project is to collect and archive the personal recollections of U.S. wartime veterans so that their stories can be told to future generations. Veterans have given the ultimate sacrifice with their service and dedication to our country, and this is just one way to give back.

Find out how to be a part…

• Election ’10: GOP wins in county races would defy odds: REGISTER
• Election ’10: Braley attacks ‘secret donors’: RADIO IOWA
• Corn prices rise to their limits on overnight markets: REGISTER
• Limited audit imperils Iowa credit rating: REGISTER
• Deadline to register for FEMA disaster aid is approaching: RADIO IOWA
• Election ’10: Live video at 12:30 w/ Gov. Culver: REGISTER
• Consumer questions focus on safety on this ‘World Egg Day”: RADIO IOWA
• Election ’10: 3rd District rivals Boswell, Zaun focus on economy, jobs: REGISTER
• Election ’10: Culver: Branstad would loose if secret budget-cutting plan were revealed: RADIO IOWA
• Supreme Court sides with paint company in Iowa tax case: RADIO IOWA
• Election ’10: Iowa pastor: Churches will urge votes to remove 3 justices: REGISTER
• Election ’10: Candidates experience job crunch first-hand: QC TIMES
• Election ’10: Braley, Lange clash in Iowa 1st District debate: QC TIMES
• Iowa cracks down on Medicaid fraud: REGISTER
• Endangered mussel found in Iowa river: QC TIMES
• Election ’10: From abortion to stem cells, Culver and Branstad differ sharply: REGISTER
• Election ’10: Branstad: Abortion pill via telemedicine is ‘wrong’: QC TIMES
• Iowans shouldn’t see an increase in heating costs: QC TIMES
• Effort made to get fuel to Iowa’s farmers faster: QC TIMES
• Election ’10: Both Conlin, Grassley point to Grassley’s record: REGISTER
• Program looks to increase homeownership in Iowa City: GAZETTE
• Biofuels subsidies fuel debate: WCF COURIER
• Will Iowans settle for polluted waterways?: REGISTER
• Election ’10: Live video: 9am Branstad interview: SC JOURNAL
• Election ’10: Iowa AG candidates offer different priorities: SC JOURNAL

A new October 2010 newsletter is available for viewing. Click the link below to see a PDF version.

Caucus Newsletter October 8, 2010

Included in this edition:

• Budget Problems Remain
• House GOP Savings Ideas
• $600 Million Medicaid Gap
• Veterans History Project

The University of Minnesota’s Smart Politics blog posted the first article in a series of upcoming articles taking a look at statehouse races for this upcoming election. Their first article takes a look at the tough fight Iowa Democrats have to look forward to in November.

Two particular paragraphs tell the story pretty well.

• A Smart Politics analysis of over 2,000 elections to the Iowa State House since 1970 finds the state’s Democratic Party has set a record in 2010 for the largest number of districts in which a major political party has failed to field a House candidate since the lower chamber became a 100-seat body 40 years ago.
• But while Democrats are struggling mightily, Iowa Republicans are boasting their strongest lineup in 30 years this November – fielding candidates in 92 House districts. This marks the GOP’s best showing since the Reagan Revolution of 1980, when Iowa Republicans ran candidates in 97 House races.

It’s a marked difference.

Read the full article at the Smart Politics website.