February 5, 2010

Week Four
Tax Credit Review discussed on the Iowa Journal - IPTV
Increasing accountability and transparency for your tax dollars
Government efficiency legislation passes Senate
State Energy Grants awarded
Visitors to the Capitol this week
Protecting Iowans and their pocketbooks

Week Four

I continue to spend a lot of time working with a group of colleagues on efforts to review over $500 million in tax credit spending. I also have been meeting with business leaders from some of Iowa largest employers to get their ideas on how we can trim spending on some of our economic development programs. There is a lot of work to do to find the $52.0 million dollar reduction the Governor has recommended. Some of the programs are complicated, some have multi-year financial impacts and all have recipients. I am hopeful we will come up with a strong reform plan

Next Friday is the first legislative funnel. A bill needs to be passed out of at least one committee in order to stay alive. That means a busy week of committee meetings and a bunch of ideas falling to the wayside. The first funnel has arrived fast in this shortened 80 day session.

I managed SSB 3086 on Thursday in the Senate Human Resources Committee meeting. It is a bill that would increase access to family planning services for women aged 45-54 years of age. It would also expand the eligibility guidelines and for the first time include pregnancy prevention services for low income men (i.e. vasectomies). For every dollar invested in family planning services the State will see a savings of at least $4. The bill was approved and now goes to the full Senate.

The latest version of the Cost of Living in Iowa is now available. To read a new report from the Iowa Policy Project on the cost of living in Iowa, go to www.iowapolicyproject.org.

Tax credit review discussed on the Iowa Journal - IPTV

I taped an edition on the Iowa Journal on Thursday afternoon. I joined Ed Wallace, President of the Iowa Taxpayers Association and Victor Elias, a senior associate with the Child and FamilyPolicyCenter and also with the Iowa Fiscal Partnership. While talking about tax policy can be a bit dry, the program did a good job of describing some of the issues we are trying to address.

The program can be seen on Friday, Feb. 5 at 8:00 pm and on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 8:30 am on Iowa Public Television. Or here is a link to watch the program.

Increasing accountability and transparency for your tax dollars

One piece of the tax credit review has been the need for far more transparency and accountability for tax credit spending.

The Iowa Department of Economic Development has been working to improve its website where information is compiled on financial assistance awarded to Iowa businesses. The site is a good start toward our transparency work.

You can search the database for the IDED’s job-creation efforts by company, city, county, and tax credit or economic development program. Just go to http://tiny.cc/IDED09DB. Let me know how this site can work better.

Rain barrels are one of several measures homeowners can use to help prevent flood damage in their communities. Jean Wiedenheft (left) of the Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids visited the Iowa Statehouse February 2 to issue a "Million Gallon Challenge" to Iowans statewide, encouraging them to take steps to prevent a million gallons of rainwater in their own watersheds from becoming floodwater. By using rain barrels, rain gardens and other household techniques, homeowners can help prevent flood damage this summer. For more information, visit http://www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/million-gallon-challenge/.

Government efficiency legislation passes Senate

On February 1 with a bipartisan vote in the Senate we adopted a sweeping plan to reorganize state government. Senate File 2088 will make state government leaner, more accountable to the public and better able to serve taxpayers.

The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Service estimates that these reforms could save the state as much as $118 million. This is in addition to the nearly $60 million in annual savings approved in an early retirement bill that passed the Senate last week.

A government reorganization committee was created during the 2009 session. It met over the summer and unanimously approved recommendations reflected in the legislation approved by the Senate. I worked with colleagues to make sure the efficiency efforts that are occuring within the Regents IT and purchasing programs can be shared with all of state government.

The legislation will cut spending and make state government services more efficient by:

** Taking advantage of advances in technology.

** Using the state’s significant purchasing power to get a better deal for taxpayers.

** Requiring departments and agencies to coordinate and, in some cases, combine to save the state money.

SF 2088 now goes to the Iowa House for its consideration. If you’d like to review the bill, go to http://tiny.cc/sf2088. I supported this legislation.

State Energy Grants awarded

The Office of Energy Independence recently announced State Energy Grants for projects that will help create jobs, conserve energy and save money. Funding for the awards comes from the federal American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Projects were awarded in the categories of public sector, private sector, non-profit sector, training and information, innovative projects and technology demonstration.

Congratulations to all the local projects receiving funding, they include:

** University of Iowa: $250,000 to install a 57KW photovoltaic solar array capable of charging up to 47 electric vehicles.
** City of Iowa City: $419,000 to install LED lighting in four parking structures.
** University of Iowa: $69,260 to replace existing v-belt drive systems in the University of Iowa hospitals and clinics.
** Proctor and Gamble Company: $222,282.40 for a lighting retrofit.
** Iowa Renewable Energy Association: $100,000 to expand its staff to provide training related to wind, solar, and HVAC in at least 24 workshops.

For more information on the State Energy Grants, please visit http://www.energy.iowa.gov/.

Visitors to the Capitol this week

Mike Carberry, Iowa Renewable Energy Association.
Laurie Nash, JohnsonCounty Empowerment.
Justine Retz, JohnsonCounty Empowerment.
Bob Burns.
Mary Pedde, Domestic Violence Intervention Program.
Doug Beardsley, Director, Johnson County Department of Public Health.
Jenn Bowen, Friends of Iowa Midwives.
Renne Roso, Friends of Iowa Midwives.
Lonny Pulkrabek, JohnsonCounty Sherriff.
Chad Campion, IBEW Local 405.
Bill Gerhard, President, IowaStateBuilding and Construction Trades Council.
Stacey Cyphert, Assistant Vice President for Health Policy Senior Assistant Director, UI Hospitals and Clinics.
Andy Ockenfels, City Carton.
Dave Jackson, University of Iowa.

Sorry if I missed you!

University of Iowa medical student Annah Vollstedt of Sioux City talked with me on February 2 about ways to increase the physician retention rate in Iowa. We discussed ways for individuals to manage tuition and student debt and how to ensure a stable family physician population in Iowa in the coming years.

Protecting Iowans and their pocketbooks

Two bills to help protect middle-class Iowans and their pocketbooks passed the Senate on February 2.

Senate File 2075 protects Iowans from unreasonable increases in insurance costs. The bill prevents insurance companies from increasing your rates just because your family has been hit by a military deployment, job loss, death or serious illness, identity theft or natural disaster. These events can lower your credit score, which insurance companies then use to hike your rates.

I voted to require insurers to tell you when your rates are being raised due to a lower credit score. You’ll then have a chance to reverse the rate increase by proving you suffered an extraordinary life event beyond your control. If necessary, you’ll be able to file an appeal with the Iowa Insurance Consumer Advocate.

Senate File 2108 helps protect Iowans from shady car repair shops that perform services without authorization. Iowans deserve to know up front how much repairs will cost before a service is performed.

Under current law, if a repair shop makes expensive repairs without permission, they can keep your car until the dispute is resolved. New legislation will allow the Attorney General to conduct an immediate investigation and let you get your car back while the dispute is resolved.