Legislative update from Rep. Sharon Steckman

The following is a legislative update from Rep. Sharon Steckman of Mason City:

A recent survey that asked “What should be the Legislature’s priorities this year?” showed that Iowans wanted us to work together and get back to basics:

• Focus on good jobs and boosting our skilled work force.
• Renew our commitment to public schools and keep tuition affordable,
• Make healthcare more affordable and accessible.
I heartily agree with those goals, but have a couple additions to that list:
• Work to improve and sustain Iowa’s water quality.
• Get the budget under control with more attention to our priorities and by employing critical thinking when it comes to tax credits.

The first order of business will be to fix the budget mess with a de-appropriations bill. A de-appropriation takes funds away mid-year that were promised the previous year by the legislature. As you have no doubt heard, the budget surplus that we had just a very short time ago has become a deficit and, I believe, is a direct result of too many tax giveaways.

I do not believe that the way to attack this problem is with higher property taxes, higher tuition at our community college and state universities, fewer opportunities for kids, and other cuts that are being proposed.

I was disappointed to see some of the largest cuts were to Community Colleges (1.8 million), Regents universities ($5 million), Health and Human Services ($13.3 million), Judicial branch ($1.6 million), and the State Public Defender-Indigent defense ($2 million).

These are my thoughts as we begin committee work and as we see the legislation that is being proposed.