Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal:
“We did some things on job creation in this state on making sure that the resources are there to provide for education and training of employees in this state to match the skills to the jobs that are out there and get thousands of Iowans back to work. So I’m pretty excited about some of the things we did for higher education and in particular community colleges. There are disappointments, there are disappointments in every session. I would have really loved to have gotten something done on commercial property taxes in this state. In the end we felt the plan that the Governor was advancing was one that would shift taxes to homeowners and we couldn’t go along with that.”

Video, audio and a transcript can be found at IPTV.

Senate Democrats are hosting a weeklong series of “Open Budget Hearings”  at the Iowa Statehouse.  Informed Iowans will detail the impact of the significant points of disagreement between Senate Democratic proposals and those of Governor Branstad and House Republicans. On this page you can watch archived video of the meetings, read statements and post your own comments.

“We hope sunshine, openness, and transparency will build momentum for a budget compromise that protects the top priorities of Iowa families,” said Senator Bob Dvorsky, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.  “Since Republicans have rejected our offer to make the negotiations themselves public, these Open Budget Hearings are the next best thing.”

“With one billion dollars in the state’s savings accounts, Republicans are needlessly insisting on an austerity budget that will hurt Iowa families, local schools, and local economic development,” said Dvorsky.  “The facts are on our side. That’s why we’ve organized these Open Budget Hearings.  By bringing more openness and transparency to the negotiations, we hope to help Iowans better understand what’s at stake and increase the pressure on Republicans to compromise by stepping away from their extreme demands.”

Please note that any ads in the videos are inserted by Ustream and the Senate Democrats neither profit from nor endorse them.

Make your voice heard

• You can share your comments and concerns with us by posting a comment on this page. Just scroll to the bottom of the page to find the comment form.

• Click here to find your legislator and their contact information.

• Call Governor Branstad at (515) 281-5211 and tell him you oppose extreme cuts to job creation efforts and educational opportunity.

Meeting schedules, documents, and video

Ways and Means Property Tax Reform Listen and Learn – Tuesday, June 14th at 10AM in room 22 of the Capitol

• Opening statement by Committee Chair Joe Bolkcom (PDF)
• Property tax fact sheet: Wall Street vs Main Street  (PDF)
• Story City city administrator Mark Jackson on how the Republican plan will devastate local economic development (Video)
• Bond attorneys explain how most bond defaults caused by the Republican plan must be repaid by residential property tax increases (Video)
• Senator Herman Quirmbach’s summation (Video)
• Archived video of property tax relief hearing: Part I
• Archived video of property tax relief hearing: Part II
• Archived video of property tax relief hearing: Part III
• Archived video of property tax relief hearing: Part IV
• Archived video of property tax relief hearing: Part V
• Archived video of property tax relief hearing: Part VI
• Archived video of property tax relief hearing: Part VII
• Click here for a tentative agenda of presenters (PDF)
• Testimony by Ben Rogers, Linn County Board of Supervisors (PDF)
• Talking points from Ben Rogers, Linn County Board of Supervisors (PDF)
• Testimony from Angela Connolly, Polk County Board of Supervisors (PDF)
• Testimony from Bill Peterson, Executive Director, Iowa State Association of Counties (PDF)
• Written testimony submitted by Grant Veeder, Black Hawk County Auditor (PDF)
• Written testimony submitted by the Scott County Board of Supervisors (PDF)

Education Budget Listen and Learn Archive- Monday, June 6th at 10AM in room 116 of the Capitol

• Archived video of Education Hearing: Part I
• Archived video of Education Hearing: Part II
• Archived video of Education Hearing: Part III
• Click here for a tentative agenda of presenters (PDF)
• Biographies of presenters (PDF)
• Education Budget Chair Brian Schoenjahn’s opening statement (PDF)
• Key budget differences handout (PDF)
• Board of Regents President David Miles’s opening statement (PDF)
• Board of Regents President David Mile’s powerpoint presentation (PDF)
• Handout from Community College Presidents Rob Denson and Barb Crittenden (PDF)
• Statement from Brent Siegrist, Executive Director, Area Education Agencies and former Republican Speaker of the House (PDF)
• Statement by Randy Nichols, Superintendent of Eldora Community Schools, and Karen Ritter, Director of private preschool that coordinates with Eldora schools (PDF)

Health and Human Services Budget Listen and Learn – Tuesday, June 7th at 9AM in room 116 of the Capitol

• Archived video of Health and Human Services Hearing
• Click here for a tentative agenda of presenters (PDF)
• Opening statement by Committee Chair Jack Hatch (PDF)
• Changes in the Omnibus bill compared with HF 649 (PDF)
• Areas of agreement and disagreement in the HHS budget (PDF)
• Fact sheet from Dr. Richard Deming on tobacco prevention and cessation (PDF)
• Testimony from Penny Dickey, Chief Operating Officer, Planned Parenthood (PDF)
• Iowa’s Care Gap factsheet from Anthony Hale, Iowa Caregivers Association (PDF)
• Bio and key points from Anthony Hale, Iowa Caregivers Association (PDF)
• Testimony from Kim Young-Kent, Executive Director, Tri-County Child and Family (PDF)
• Testimony from Jen Weidman, Hawk-I Outreach Coordinator (PDF)
• Fact sheet from Brock Wolf, President and CEO of Orchard Place (PDF)
• Testimony from Mary O’Brien, Policy Liaison, Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa (PDF)
• Testimony from Kelly Huntsman, Executive Director of Primary Health Care, Inc. (PDF)
• Grant fact sheet from Kelly Huntsman, Executive Director of Primary Health Care, Inc. (PDF)
• Testimony from Reverend Paul Shultz, Board Member of the Family Planning Council of Iowa (PDF)
• Testimony from Dennis Baugh, Executive Director of Youth Shelter Care of North Central Iowa, Inc. (PDF)
• Written testimony submitted by The Coalition for Family and Children’s Services in Iowa (PDF)

Economic Growth Budget Listen and Learn – Wednesday, June 8th at 2PM in room 116 of the Capitol

• Video of Economic Growth Hearing: Part I
• Video of Economic Growth Hearing: Part II
• Video of Economic Growth Hearing: Part III
• Video of Economic Growth Hearing: Part IV
• Video of Economic Growth Hearing: Part V
• Video of Economic Growth Hearing: Part VI
• Video of Economic Growth Hearing: Part VII
• Video of Economic Growth Hearing: Part VIII
• Click here for a tentative agenda of presenters (PDF)
• Opening statement by Committee Chair Bill Dotzler (PDF)
• Testimony by Rachel Manuel, Iowa Campus Compact (PDF)
• Testimony by Greg Lewis, Iowa Workforce Board member, AFSCME Iowa Council 61 (PDF)
• Testimony by Katie Schippers, United Way of Mahaska (PDF)
• Written testimony submitted by Dubuque Mayor Roy Buol (PDF)
• Testimony from Jason Neifert, immediate past President of the Iowa Workers’ Compensation Advisory Committee, Inc. (PDF)
• Presentation on Grow Iowa Values Fund Impact by Sharron Quisenberry, Vice President for Research and Economic Development, Iowa State University (PDF)
• Testimony from Randy Pilkington, Executive Director, Business and Community Services, University of Northern Iowa (PDF)

Administration and Regulation Budget Listen and Learn – Thursday, June 9 at 10AM in room 22 of the Capitol

• Video of Admin and Reg Budget Hearing: Part I
• Video of Admin and Reg Budget Hearing: Part II
• Video of Admin and Reg Budget Hearing: Part III
• Video of Admin and Reg Budget Hearing: Part IV
• Video of Admin and Reg Budget Hearing: Part V
• Video of Admin and Reg Budget Hearing: Part VI
• Video of Admin and Reg Budget Hearing: Part VII
• Video of Admin and Reg Budget Hearing: Part VIII
• Video of Admin and Reg Budget Hearing: Part IX
• Video of Admin and Reg Budget Hearing: Part X
• Click here for a tentative agenda of presenters (PDF)
• Opening statement by Committee Chair Pam Jochum (PDF)

Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Listen and Learn - Friday, June 10th at 10AM in room 116 of the Capitol

• Archived video of Ag and Natural Resources Hearing
• Click here for a tentative agenda of presenters (PDF)
• Opening statement by Committee Chair Dennis Black (PDF)
• Testimony on Iowa’s Resource Enhancement and Protection Program by Mark Langgin, Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy (PDF)
• Written testimony submitted by State Police Officers Council (PDF)

Hamerlinck stated, “I do not like it when students actually come here and lobby me for funds.  That’s just my opinion. I want to wish you guys the best.  I want you to go home and graduate.  But this political theater, leave the circus to us OK?  Go home and enjoy yourselves.  I want to thank you for joining us and though I have to concede, your time speaking before us is kind of a tad intense.   It’s probably a pretty new experience.  You probably prepared for it for days and you sat there in front of us trying to make sure your remarks were just right, and that’s a good thing.  But actually spending your time worrying about what we’re doing up here, I don’t want you to do that.  Go back home.  Thanks guys.”

Senator Shawn Hamerlinck of Dixon, ranking Republican on the Education Budget Committee

The students were invited to the Capitol as part of “Open Budget Hearings.” The goal of the hearings was to hear feedback from Iowans impacted by the proposed budget cuts, including the effects of what some have described as the Republican’s “two-year starvation diet for Iowa schools.”

The students testifying before the committee included President of Northern Iowa Student Government Spencer Walrath, Iowa State University Student Body Vice President Jared Knight, University of Iowa Student Government President Elliot Higgins, Former President of Council of Graduate and Professional Students Lyndsay Harshamn, and current Vice President of the Executive Council of Graduate and Professional Students Michael Appel.

The students testified that the Republicans’ proposed budget cuts making higher education unaffordable for many students and their families,  increase class sizes, and reduce course offerings.

“Our number one job here today was to listen. These students should be commended for being active citizens engaged in their community,” said Senator Brian Schoenjahn, chair of the Education Budget Committee. “Shame on Senator Hamerlinck for telling them to ‘go home’ instead of listening.”

Click here for MP3 audio of Senator Hamerlinck’s comments and Senator Schoenjahn’s response.

For a link to tomorrow’s Open Budget Hearings, click here. The next hearing starts at 10AM Thursday.

Sen. Bob Dvorsky (D-Coralville), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee

This week, will Governor Branstad produce the missing evidence to support demands for severe cuts?

Statement by Senator Bob Dvorsky, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee

 “Governor Branstad defends his starvation budget with a simple, sparse message: Iowa spends more than it takes in.  During stops across the state this week, the Governor will likely repeat this claim many, many, many times.  Here’s the question reporters and Iowans should ask in response: ‘Where’s the proof?’   

“‘Fiscal crisis’ is pretty much the Governor’s only defense for the deep cuts to education, job creation, and other state services that Iowans depend on.  It is his go-to answer when he is asked why Iowa should freeze state support for local schools, slash help for community college and university students, close local workforce offices and cut job creation efforts.

“For example, at his last Statehouse news conference in May, Governor Branstad claimed four separate times that the state of Iowa spends more than it takes in.¹

“The Governor is certainly on message, but what if that message is false?

“It is past time for the Governor to produce convincing evidence supporting his position.  A steady stream of facts is proving him wrong.  These facts flow from his own Iowa Department of Revenue,² from the non-partisan Legislative Services Bureau,³ from the Treasurer of the State of Iowa,⁴ and from the nation’s top credit rating agencies. ⁵

“Here’s what the facts currently on the public record show.  Iowa’s recovering economy is increasing state revenues, so much so that Iowa’s reserve funds are now full at $600 million.  That means the equivalent of 10% of the entire state budget is sitting in our savings accounts.  In addition, the fiscal year ending on June 30, is expected end with a positive balance of $400 million more.

“Claiming Iowa is in fiscal crisis is the Governor’s most frequent and most convincing argument for severe budget cuts.  If that claim isn’t true, then there is no excuse for harsh Republican budget cuts that will hurt Iowa students, Iowa workers, and Iowa’s small businesses and communities.”

-end-

Supporting Information

1) Quotes from the Governor’s May 31, 2011 Statehouse News Conference:

(3:02)  “That’s important that we spend less than we take in.”

(4:59) “But they continue to insist on spending more than the state is taking in”

(14:39)            “We want a budget that spends less than we take in each and every year”

(23:13) “A budget that is sustainable for the long term and spends less than we take in each year”

Audio of four unsupported claims that Iowa is spending or will spend more than it takes in.

2) Iowa Department of Review reports on Iowa Leading Indicators: http://www.iowa.gov/tax/taxlaw/econindicators.html

 3) Iowa Legislative Services Agency Quarterly Revenue estimates: http://staffweb.legis.state.ia.us/lfb/qre/qre.htm

 4) Statement by Michael Fitzgerald, Treasurer of the State of Iowa.  http://www.treasurer.state.ia.us/about/news.cfm?action=view&PressReleaseID=251 

 5) Moody’s and S&P affirm Iowa’s AAA rating.

http://readme.readmedia.com/State-of-Iowas-Excellent-Credit-Rating-is-Affirmed/1482182

Gronstal:
I also think we had a very historic act last night. We passed our property tax relief effort focused on commercial properties and small businesses, and main street businesses in the state of Iowa. This is an issue that has vexed the legislature for 33 years since ‘78 when the current property tax mechanism was put in place.

This is real property tax relief, growing significantly over the next four years to a total of $200 million. It is not a tax shift. Most efforts at property tax reform in the state of Iowa have effectively been tax shifts. Somebody else ended up paying more because some particular group paid less.

So we passed, in my view, a very, very significant tax reform last night that will make a real difference to Iowa small businesses across the state. It got broad bipartisan support. I think it will help spur growth on Main Streets in small towns and large across the state of Iowa. I think it is a great step forward.

For me in Council Bluffs it is particularly important as we compete with the large city across the river from us in terms of small businesses, encouraging them to open in Council Bluffs. So we think it is a great effort and literally 33 years in the making. We have finally been able to accomplish something on that front. We’ll be happy to take your questions.

Reporter:
Have there already been conversations on how to bridge your property tax plan with the Governor’s and the House plan?

Gronstal:
We think our plan far exceeds the other two plans in terms of value to the state economy. The governor wants to focus on large businesses and smokestack chasing by going after very large industrial enterprises. We think we’re going to grow ourselves out of this economic recession with small businesses and Main Street businesses in the state of Iowa.

We think the Governor’s approach is flawed. We like the House approach but that’s $500 million dollars we don’t have. We don’t think it’s responsible. And we also don’t think its impact on the real job creators, small businesses in this state, will be as significant as our plan.

Reporter:
What about complaints that this doesn’t go far enough to help businesses?

Gronstal:
Poppycock. Absolute poppycock. It really is. What was the Republican plan a few years ago? It was cutting $60 million out of local governments. The Democratic plan is $200 million invested in lowering commercial property taxes, targeted at small businesses and Main Streets in the state of Iowa. Their arguments were poppycock. That’s why they voted for it (the Democratic plan).

Reporter:
So they say wimpy, you say poppycock?

Gronstal:
I say hefty, hefty, hefty. They’re the wimpy, wimpy, wimpy ones. Their plan, their plan, two-thirds of a decade ago, their plan was to cut $60 million out of local governments. That’s how they balance their budget. We choose to fully reimburse local governments for what they lost.

Kibbie:
You know what will probably make the press is the wimpy and poppycock talk, but the true issue is in county seats in this state is to have a shoe store. You know that is not a big franchise. That is not a box store. Or a men’s clothing store, a women’s clothing store.

I don’t care you can go to any of the five county seat in my district. In Main Streets there are no privately owned stores. This is the step in the right direction for jobs in these small communities.

Gronstal:
Let me put it in context, you go to that same Main Street, and you go to an insurance agency, or shoe store or something like that and figure out and you guys to look. What’s the value of that property in a small town? Maybe $100,000?

This plan in over four years get to where the first $340,000 in value will have its taxable rate cut in half, down to what residential property is. That’s pretty dramatic having property taxes cut in half.

Now maybe that’s wimpy from the Republicans/ perspective, but we think it makes a real difference for small businesses. I think they ought to quit complaining and try to help get this bill passed so we can grow our economy again with small businesses.

A Republican State Senator took the debate about the state’s voluntary preschool program to a new level today at the Statehouse.

Senator Mark Chelgren of Ottumwa

Following comments by State Senator Matt McCoy of Des Moines about Governor Branstad’s proposal to sharply limit access to Iowa’s successful statewide, voluntary preschool initiative, State Senator Mark Chelgren, an Ottumwa Republican, offered these comments about the current voluntary preschool program.

Here’s the full text of Senator Chelgren’s opening remarks today:

“I’d like to thank Senator McCoy for pointing out something near and dear to my heart.  When you talk about education, it’s a vital responsibility because our children are very important. As Senator McCoy pointed out, the Chinese are taking 2- and 3-year-olds and educating them.

“And as a student of history, I also know the Nazis, the Soviets, a whole variety of groups, a whole variety of countries, take their children because it’s not just up to age six they’re so malleable. The day after they’re born is when they learn the most percentage wise. And so what question I have for this body and the question I have in general, if it is all about indoctrinating a child, I would use the exact same arguments that the Nazis used, that we should take children immediately, as soon as we recognize they have potential.

“What I would challenge us with instead is to put the responsibility on the parents. Because it is parents’ responsibility and families’ responsibility to make sure that in the formative years of growing as a child, they are taught the values and they are taught and educated by their families and they have that bond, that maternal and paternal bond, that is developed during that time. It is not the role or responsibility of this government to take that away from families and to replace it with an indoctrination process by teachers.”

Senator McCoy – as well as Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs and Senator Tom Courtney of Burlington – responded by pointing out that (1) Iowa’s preschool program is voluntary and (2) early childhood programs in Iowa have historically been designed to ensure that parents are children’s best teachers.

Senate Democrats have rejected the Branstad proposal because it would reduce the access and quality of the successful Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for thousands of middle-class Iowa families.

Senator Bob Dvorsky of Coralville

Senator Bob Dvorsky of Coralville will be on Iowa Public Radio’s “The Exchange” today at noon.  He’ll be discussing a recent Quad-City Times article about the prison population, along with Department of Corrections Director John Baldwin and a paroled offender.

Click here to find your local IPR station.  A recording of the show is usually posted at the same location after it airs.

• Live streaming audio of the hearing:
  http://media.legis.state.ia.us/committee-stream-1-e

• Audio recordings of previous hearings: http://www.legis.state.ia.us/AudioVideo/Oversight/83GA/

• Documents distributed to the Committee:
  http://www.legis.state.ia.us/scripts/docmgr/docmgr_comdocs.dll/showtypeFC?idt=true&type=ih&com=41.

• Improve access to affordable health care (SF 2356)
• Create an income tax check off for child abuse prevention (SF 2364)
• Improve protections for victims of domestic abuse  (SF2357 and SF 2330)
• Protect Iowa elections from being drowned in corporate cash  (SF 2354)
• Strengthen grandparents’ rights (SF 2306 and SF 2302)

The full tentative debate calendar is posted below, and you can listen to live audio HERE.

SF 2366

Dvorsky COMMITTEE BILL — A bill for an act making, reducing, and supplementing appropriations for expenditures in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly SSB 3197.) By Appropriations. (Eligible: 02/24/2010.)

SF 2364

Schmitz COMMITTEE BILL — A bill for an act relating to the income tax checkoff for the child abuse prevention program fund and including retroactive applicability provisions. (Formerly SF 2082.) By Ways & Means. (Eligible: 02/24/2010.)

SF 2357

Kreiman COMMITTEE BILL — A bill for An Act relating to prohibiting a person who is the subject of a no-contact order or a protective order or who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing, transferring, or selling firearms and ammunition or offensive weapons and providing penalties. (Formerly SSB 1033.) By Judiciary. (Eligible: 02/22/2010.)

SF 2356

Hatch COMMITTEE BILL — A bill for an act relating to health reform in Iowa by creating an IowaCare plus program and an Iowa insurance information exchange. (Formerly SF 2092.) By Human Resources. (Eligible: 02/22/2010.)

SF 2354

Danielson COMMITTEE BILL — A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including political campaign activities and independent expenditures by corporations, and making penalties applicable. (Formerly SSB 3210.) By State Government. (Eligible: 02/18/2010.)

SF 2334

Ragan COMMITTEE BILL — A bill for an act relating to the development of a plan for a stroke triage system and registry. (Formerly SSB 3093.) By Human Resources. [SIMILAR/COMPANION To HF 2402, HF 2129 ] (Eligible: 02/18/2010.)

SF 2333

Dotzler COMMITTEE BILL — A bill for an act relating to health care facilities and programs, including hospital inspector requirements and dependent adult abuse. (Formerly SSB 3103.) By Human Resources. (Eligible: 02/18/2010.)

SF 2330

Olive COMMITTEE BILL — A bill for an act prohibiting cities and counties from adopting or enforcing ordinances that require a landlord to evict or impose certain restrictions or penalties on residential tenants and including effective date provisions. By Local Government. [SIMILAR/COMPANION To HF 2277 ] (Eligible: 02/18/2010.)

SF 2324

Warnstadt COMMITTEE BILL — A bill for an act modifying provisions relating to franchises for the provision of cable service or video service, and including effective date provisions. By Commerce. [SIMILAR/COMPANION To HF 2300 ] (Eligible: 02/18/2010.)

SF 2316

Hogg COMMITTEE BILL — A bill for an act relating to flood plain management. (Formerly SSB 3098.) By Rebuild Iowa. (Eligible: 02/18/2010.)

SF 2307

Quirmbach COMMITTEE BILL — A bill for an act relating to damages recoverable for injury to or death of a person. By Judiciary. [SIMILAR/COMPANION To HF 758 ] (Eligible: 02/18/2010.)

SF 2306

Kreiman COMMITTEE BILL — A bill for an act relating to grandparent and great=grandparent visitation. By Judiciary. (Eligible: 02/18/2010.)

SF 2302

Kreiman COMMITTEE BILL — A bill for an act relating to grandparents’ rights to receive notice regarding child in need of assistance and related reviews and proceedings. (Formerly SSB 3143.) By Judiciary. (Eligible: 02/18/2010.)

SF 2217

Black COMMITTEE BILL — A bill for an act concerning the purchasing of raffle tickets. By State Government. [SIMILAR/COMPANION To HF 2037 ] (Eligible: 02/11/2010.)

PREPARED IN THE OFFICE OF SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MICHAEL GRONSTAL

The debate is scheduled to begin at 2:30 PM this afternoon, and you can listen to live audio HERE.  The complete tentative debate calendar is posted below.

PREPARED IN THE OFFICE OF SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MICHAEL GRONSTAL