The following is the House Republican Caucus Staff’s end of session report:

2013 End of Session Report

*Note:  All information is current as of May 22, 2013

Below is a list of bills being debated today, with Caucus Staff’s analysis attached:

• House File 215 – Education Reform
• House File 489 – Insurance Division
  
• House File 620 – IEDA Tax Credit Cap
• House File 648 – Debt Reducion, Pension Obligations, and One-Time Appropriations
• Senate File 295 – Property Tax
• Senate File 446 – Health & Human Services Budget (Conference Committee Report)

To see the full House Debate Calendar, click here.

Below is a list of bills being debated today, with Caucus Staff’s analysis attached:

• House File 640 – Biofuel Blending
• Senate File 436 – Historic Tax Credits
• Senate File 442 – Judicial Branch Budget
• Senate File 452 – Standing Appropriations

To see the full House Debate Calendar, click here.

*Click the table to enlarge

Below is a list of bills being debated today, with Caucus Staff’s analysis attached:

• House File 631 – Propane Research Council
• House File 633 – Captial Gains Exemption
• House File 638 – RIIF Budget
• Senate File 386 – DOT Omnibus
• Senate File 435 – Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget
• Senate File 447 – Justice Systems Budget

To see the full House Debate Calendar, click here.

Below is a list of bills being debated today, with Caucus Staff’s analysis attached:

• House File 566 Transfer of Real Estate
• House File 614 Federal Block Grant
  

To see the full House Debate Calendar, click here.

Below is a list of bills being debated today, with Caucus Staff’s analysis attached:

• House File 531 College Student Aid Commission Code Clean Up
• House File 550 Health Care Employee Record Checks
• House File 602 Transportation Budget
• House File 603 Administration and Regulation Budget
  
• House File 604 Education Budget

Senate Democrats have proposed a budget that is unreasonable, unrealistic, and unsustainable.

We have followed our budgeting principles, and put forth a balanced and responsible budget:

1. We will spend less than the state collects
2. We will not use one-time money to fund on-going needs
3. We will not balance the budget by intentionally underfunding programs
4. We will return unused tax dollars to Iowa’s taxpayers

House Republicans have set a budget with modest revenue growth of 3% and that only spends 98 cents of every $1 the state collects.

The Democrats have proposed a budget that:

• Spends $1.05 for every $1 the state collects.
• Has revenue growth that is 8% higher than the 20 year average (Revenue growth has averaged 3.34% since FY93).
• Has revenue growth 2% higher than the 20 year maximum (Revenue growth was 9.05% in FY08).
• Spends $300 million in one-time revenue for ongoing expenses.

The Democrats budget is a return to Culver Economics which sets the state up for painful budget cuts like we saw in 2009.

House Republicans budget is sustainable and keeps the state in a good financial position moving forward.

House Republicans have proposed a FY 2014 budget that is balanced and sustainable.  The budget meets the four principles established by House Republicans:

• We will spend less than the state collects;
• We will not use one-time money to fund on-going needs;
• We will not balance the budget by intentionally underfunding programs; and
• We will return unused tax dollars to Iowa’s taxpayers.

The budget protects priority services in the areas of education, health and human services and public safety.

FY 2014 Available Revenue –                                                     $7.1822 billion

FY 2014 On-going Revenue –                                                     $6.5377 billion

FY 2014 House Republican Budget proposal –                     $6.4139 billion

• The House Republican budget proposal provides a modest increase in state General Fund spending of 3 percent over last year’s level.
• This budget spends 98 percent of on-going revenue.
• The House Republican budget spends 89.55 percent of available revenue (Expenditure Limitation) for FY 2014.

The House Republican budget proposal continues the practice implemented two years ago of aligning spending with revenue.

Annual revenue growth has averaged 3.34 percent over the past twenty years.

The House Republican budget proposal leaves an ending balance of $840.7 million at the end of Fiscal Year 2014.

While revenue growth is currently ahead of projections, there is a great deal of uncertainty about future revenue due to the on-going drought conditions, slow economic growth, and the federal budget situation.

House Republican Budget Targets

House General Fund FY 14 Balance Sheet

House Republicans have worked to balance the state’s budget and keep its fiscal house in order.  House Republicans will continue to do so by using 3 common sense principles:

• Spending less than the state takes in
• Not using one-time money for on-going expenses
• Not balancing the budget by underfunding programs

To see an overview of the Iowa General Fund Budget click here.