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Representative Ro Foege
Report from the Iowa Legislature
April 25, 2004
Good News, Bad News
No Legislative session accomplishes all that one would hope. This session
produced fewer positive results than most in recent history. Although we did
pass some initiatives that will make life better for Iowans, they were few
and far between.
There is both some good news and bad news coming out of this session. School
children and their families face some bad news as nothing was done to help
schools in the coming school year. We could have accomplished this.
Democrats presented a plan to provide $41 million next year, but it was
rejected along party lines.
Some good news, thanks to the persistence of my caucus, the Governor,
educators and parents, school districts will see a 4% increase in state aid
in the 2005-2006 school year. This is an improvement over the 2% the
majority party had insisted on for months, but short of the 6% parents and
educators said was essential to maintaining quality schools.
More good news is that we did renew the class size reduction and reading
improvement program and the student achievement teacher quality initiative.
These programs have produced positive results in the test scores of Iowa
school children. We also created a program to evaluate causes and identify
measures to prevent stillbirths. The hope is that through improved research,
warning signs can be identified, preventive strategies can be developed, and
the rate of stillbirths can be reduced.
We made it safer for young children to ride in automobiles by requiring the
use of safety seats and seat belts. We will have a study to identify ways to
keep older Iowans in their own homes longer. We are going to upgrade our 911
system so that the exact location of cell phone users can be identified when
they are facing an emergency. And, we have provided state funding for new,
modern election machines, so that we can draw down $15 million in federal
funds. Without this federal funding, property taxpayers would have been
responsible for the entire bill.
There was not much good news for senior Iowans. Medicaid, the state’s
primary health care program for older Iowans was seriously under funded. It
is expected that we will run out of money by the time the Legislature
returns next January. This means we will be forced to find the money to keep
seniors in nursing homes, possibly by raising taxes after the election, as
several Republicans have suggested.
Equally frustrating is the decision to raid the Senior Living Trust fund.
This program, aimed at keeping older Iowans out of nursing homes, has been
nearly depleted. This reduces the possibilities of developing services for
seniors to remain in their own home as long as they wish.
On a positive note, I co-sponsored an amendment that through the use of
Senior Living Trust funds, we will allocate $7 million to create a revolving
loan fund under the Iowa Finance Authority to finance the construction of
affordable assisted living and affordable housing for seniors and persons
with disabilities. This amendment passed easily and is part the budget bill
on the way to the Governor’s office for his signature. These funds will
provide adult day services, respite services, and congregate meal sites.
Providing those services are the basis of establishing the Senior Living
Trust Fund.
At the beginning of this legislative session, the Iowa Farm Bureau had
correctly criticized the majority party for shifting some $240 million in
state responsibilities to property taxpayers over the past three years. I
had hoped this year would be different. The majority party may brag that
they did not raise taxes this year, but that statement is not true. By not
fully funding the property tax credits, by inadequately funding our public
schools, the majority party for the fourth year in a row has balanced the
state budget by shifting the burden onto homeowners, farmers, seniors and
small business owners. Property taxes will go up. No matter how the majority
party wishes to spin it, to Iowans that is a tax increase.
The budget may be balanced this year, but it has many flaws. It will leave
us with a structural deficit of between $400 and $500 million next year. The
budget depletes our cash reserves fund, leaving the state in a precarious
position. If revenues fall short, as they have in the past few years, the
only solutions will be additional across-the-board cuts, delayed payments to
schools and/or tax increases.
I appreciate hearing from constituents. Now that we are out of session, you
can write me at P O Box 128, Mount Vernon, IA 52314, or email me at
ro.foege@legis.state.ia.us. |