From Rep. Linda Upmeyer –
It has been an exciting couple of weeks for high school softball and baseball, as state tournament time has arrived. I have been keeping a close eye on all of our teams and am so proud of our student athletes. Their passion and dedication to their respective sport during these hot summer months is truly admirable.
There have been some nail biters, many victories, and some heartbreakers, but without a doubt a great deal of excitement and entertainment overall! Thank you to all of our student athletes and coaches for your hard work and enthusiasm!
Since coming into the Majority in the House in January 2011, we have made it a top priority to show fiscal discipline and restraint in order to promote a stronger Iowa- one that is prepared for unexpected emergencies, one that is in a strong financial position to pay our bills, and one that can return taxpayer dollars back to hardworking Iowans.
In late July, the Tax Foundation, a D.C.-based, independent, nonpartisan organization providing research and analysis on federal and state tax policy, released a survey showing how much money each state has in their rainy day funds to deal with economic emergencies. The results of this study show Iowa as one of the nation’s leaders in terms of fiscal preparedness, ranking #8 in the country.
We are pleased to see that our core budgeting principles have put us in a responsible position to handle unexpected emergencies. Just as Iowa families must prepare for unforeseen events in their own budgets, so must the state, so that we are not scrambling to come up with additional revenue when the unanticipated occurs.
Having a strong rainy day fund is just one indicator of our fiscal stability. Because we have stood by our core budget principles of not spending more than we take in, not using one-time money for ongoing expenses, not intentionally underfunding our commitments simply to fix the problem down the road, and returning unused tax dollars to Iowa taxpayers, we have truly turned this state around.
When we came into the Majority, the state had a $900 million budget gap, we were relying heavily on one-time funding to pay for ongoing expenses, and the state’s reserve funds were not filled to their required levels. The state is now spending less than it collects for the third consecutive year, our budget reserves remain full, and through the Taxpayers Trust Fund, we are returning your taxpayer dollars back to you, the rightful owners.
In order to keep our state in a responsible fiscal position and to ensure you have more money left in your pocket, you can be certain we will continue to stick by our core budgeting principles as we move forward.
I appreciate hearing from you! Please don’t hesitate to provide me with your feedback and as always, feel free to contact me anytime with the issues you care about at linda.upmeyer@legis.iowa.gov or 515-281-4618.
