The Legislature has not finished its work for the year as legislative leaders and the governor work to reach an agreement on the state budget. Ironically, the Legislature finished early the last two years when it was dealing with the most severe recession in 70 years.|From Rep. Sharon Steckman
The Legislature has not finished its work for the year as legislative leaders and the governor work to reach an agreement on the state budget. Ironically, the Legislature finished early the last two years when it was dealing with the most severe recession in 70 years. But this year a budget agreement can’t be reached when the economy has rebounded and the state has surplus revenues.
Iowans elect their state Representatives and Senators to be good fiscal stewards with their tax dollars and ensure that services they depend upon are maintained or improved. Legislators are questioning whether austerity measures should continue or not; either choice will impact families with children in preschool through college.
Legislators are also questioning the best route to provide commercial property tax relief, one that protects other property taxpayers from a tax shift or one that leaves homeowners and farmers unprotected.
Some of the issues still under discussion include funding for k-12 schools, statewide preschool, and funding for community colleges and state universities. Other issues related to jobs include keeping local workforce development offices open, continuing the state’s job creation efforts, and helping Iowans get skills for high demand jobs.
