We filed a property tax cut bill today that contains elements of proposals from the Senate, the House and the Governor. When fully implemented, the legislation will encourage job creation by cutting taxes by almost $350 million.  Our goal is to increase economic growth and jobs in Iowa. Iowa small businesses will benefit the most, thanks to the insistence of Senate Democrats.”

Here are some highlights of the bill:

• All commercial property will receive a tax cut
• Nearly two-thirds (63%)of all commercial property will receive a 40 percent tax cut.
• Taxes will be cut by 40 percent on the first $100,000 of assessed value.
• Local governments will be reimbursed for most lost property tax revenue.
• Limits on how much residential property taxes can increase are toughened.

In addition, the legislation would more than double the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit. This legislation provides $31 million to help working families make ends meet and give a boost to local businesses.

Other provisions will encourage additional affordable housing by cutting property taxes on apartments and eliminate competitive disadvantages in the taxation of Iowa telephone companies.

Link to SSB 3205.

State Senator Joe Bolkcom

Statement by Senator Joe Bolkcom, chair of the Ways and Means Committee and member of the Senate Appropriations Committee

“Governor Branstad, your reckless rhetoric has helped bring Iowa to the point of fiscal crisis. This weekend, Senator Bill Dix of Shell Rock, the top Senate Republican on budget issues, suggested that Republicans should simply give up on budget negotiations.”

Senator Dix said:

‘I believe that there are sufficient resources that were allocated a year ago to get to January 1,” Dix says, “in which case the next legislature, after this November election, could make a determination at that point of how to supplementally approve resources for the balance of that year.

’

“Governor, we need you to help stop a politically-driven Iowa government shutdown that would devastate investor confidence in the Iowa economy, create turmoil at Iowa’s schools and universities, and create needless panic among Iowa’s seniors and families.”

Senate President Jack Kibbie of Emmetsburg

Iowa Senate President Jack Kibbie (D-Emmetsburg) is the guest on this week’s Iowa Press. Kibbie will discuss the current legislative session. Kibbie will also provide perspectives from his career in the Iowa legislature – a career that spans five decades. Joining Kibbie at the Iowa Press table are moderator Dean Borg; Mike Glover, political writer for The Associated Press; and Kay Henderson, news director for Radio Iowa.

In JUNE of 2011, agreements were hammered out only after legislators met in conference committees.  For example, compromises were found on four major budget bills just 36 hours after they were sent to conference committee.

In 2012, Senate Democrats hope that a public comparison of the House and Senate differences will again quickly result in agreements that will benefit educational opportunity and support job creation efforts.

Below:

• Senate Conference Committee members
• Legislative Conference Committee Rules

Conference Committee members

SF 2313  Admin & Reg budget

• SENATE: Jochum; Danielson; Bowman; Bartz; Ernst.
• HOUSE: Watts; Iverson; Smith; Kelley; Hunter.

SF 2321  Education budget

• SENATE: Schoenjahn; Quirmbach; Horn; Hamerlinck; McKinley.
• HOUSE: Dolecheck; Jorgenson; Cownie; Winkler; Steckman.

SF 2316 RIIF

• SENATE: McCoy; Beall; Dvorsky; Kapucian; Anderson
• HOUSE: Huseman; Chambers; Hein; Cohoon; Quirk.

HF 2338  Judicial

• SENATE: Hogg; Hancock; Fraise; Kettering; Smith
• HOUSE: Representatives Worthan, Horbach, Arnold, T. Taylor, Wolfe

HF 2335  Justice

• SENATE: Hancock, Hogg, Fraise, Seymour, Whitver.
• HOUSE: Representatives Worthan, Horbach, Arnold, T. Taylor, Wolfe

HF 2336 Ag& NR

• SENATE: Black; Dearden; Wilhelm; Houser; Greiner.
• HOUSE: Representatives Drake, Paustian, Alons, Muhlbauer, Lykam

HF 2337 Economic Devolopment

• SENATE: Dotzler; Seng; Mathis; Dix; Bertrand.
• HOUSE: Representatives Schultz, J. Taylor, Baltimore, Hall, Jacoby

Legislative Conference Committee Rules

Excerpted below is Joint Rule #13 detailing the conference committee process:

1. Within one legislative day after either house insists upon an amendment to a bill, the presiding officer of the house, after consultation with the majority leader, shall appoint three majority party members and, after consultation with the minority leader, shall appoint two minority party members to a conference committee.  The majority leader of the senate, after consultation with the president, shall appoint three majority party members and, after consultation with and approval by the minority leader, shall appoint two minority party members to a conference committee.  The papers shall remain with the house that originated the bill.

2.  The conference committee shall meet before the end of the next legislative day after their appointment, shall select a chair and shall discuss the controversy.

3.  The authority of the first conference committee shall cover only issues related to provisions of the bill and amendments to the bill which were adopted by either the senate or the house of representatives and on which the senate and house of representatives differed.  If a conference committee report is not acted upon because such action would violate this subsection of this rule, the inaction on the report shall constitute refusal to adopt the conference committee report and shall have the same effect as if the conference committee had disagreed.

4.  An agreement on recommendations must be approved by a majority of the committee members from each house.  The committee shall submit two originals of the report signed by a majority of the committee members of each house with one signed original and three copies to be submitted to each house.  The report shall first be acted upon in the house originating the bill.  Such action, including all papers, shall be immediately referred by the secretary of the senate or the chief clerk of the house of representatives to the other house.

5.  The report of agreement is debatable, but cannot be amended.  If the report contains recommended amendments to the bill, adoption of the report shall automatically adopt all amendments contained therein.  After the report is adopted, there shall be no more debate, and the bill shall immediately be placed upon its final passage.

6.  Refusal of either house to adopt the conference committee report has the same effect as if the committee had disagreed.

7.  If the conference committee fails to reach agreement, a report of such failure signed by a majority of the committee members of each house shall be given promptly to each house.  The bill shall be returned to the house that originated the bill, the members of the committee shall be immediately discharged, and a new conference committee appointed in the same manner as the first conference committee.

8.  The authority of a second or subsequent conference committee shall cover free conference during which the committee has authority to propose amendments to any portion of a bill provided the amendment is within the subject matter content of the bill as passed by the house of origin or as amended by the second house.

The complete document of Joint Senate and House rules can be found here: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/DOCS/ChamberRules/JointRules.pdf

Senate: Change law and resume Iowa care facility inspections

“According to their released spending targets for 2013, the Republican majority in the Iowa House of Representatives has proposed spending $35 million less on education compared to this year, while the Democrat majority in the Senate proposed increasing spending on education by $100 million.” Read all about it in The Northern Iowan.

Iowa Senate President John P. “Jack” Kibbie (center) administers the oath of office to Liz Mathis, Iowa’s newest State Senator. Also pictured is Senator Mathis’s husband, Mark Mathis.

Iowa’s newest State Senator, Liz Mathis of Robbins, was sworn in Monday by Iowa Senate President Jack Kibbie.

Mathis, a Democrat, will represent Senate District 18.  She defeated Republican Cindy Golding with over 55 percent of the vote in a special election on November 8, 2011.

Mathis currently works for a child welfare and juvenile justice agency, Four Oaks, and its affiliates, the Affordable Housing Network and Iowa KidsNet. She is Chief Information Officer, overseeing legislative advocacy, public relations, marketing and development. Mathis currently is an Ohnward Bank Board Director with branches in Marion and Cedar Rapids and sits on the Wartburg College Board of Regents.

Mathis was a news anchor, reporter and producer at KCRG-TV from 1998 to 2007. Prior to KCRG, Mathis spent 16 years at KWWL-TV in Waterloo, where she was an executive

producer and first female co-anchor of the evening news. She also taught communication studies and first amendment law at Wartburg College from 1996-1998.

Mathis and her husband, Mark, who owns the advertising agency ME&V, live near Robins and have two children.  She grew up on a farm in rural Iowa and is a University of Iowa graduate. (mathis4statesenate.com)

Governor Branstad has issued a summary of responses to his education reform proposals.  It includes a sentence from Senator Herman Quirmbach, chair of the Senate Education Committee:

“The governor’s proposal is yet another step in the process of improving education.”

Quirmbach’s complete quote illustrates the cautious approach Senate Democrats have learned they must take when dealing with Republican education initiatives:

“The governor’s proposal is yet another step in the process of improving education. The governor’s proposal, if it is consistent with those (education goals set forth by both parties) and if he provides some way of paying for his proposal, I think there is a good chance we will adopt them.” (Des Moines Register)

Enough with the cherry picking.  Here’s the message  Senator Quirmbach sent directly to Iowa reporters:

“The governor’s proposal is one more step in a lengthy process of education improvement.  We intend to give fair and serious consideration to his ideas.  The next step is to listen to educators, parents, and students across the state to get their ideas, too, and to hear their reactions to Branstad’s suggestions.

“Education Director Jason Glass has repeatedly told legislators that goals like attracting more top graduates into teaching, freeing up time for master teachers to mentor and collaborate with colleagues, and aligning course design and teaching methods with new, higher curriculum goals all will require additional resources.

“We eagerly await the other half of the governor’s proposal, which will be his budget message in January.” (Iowa Senate News Release)

(Waterloo Courier) The Iowa Rivers Revival will team with Dotzler to host a three-hour float down the Cedar River from Waterloo to Gilbertville Aug. 27…

Dotzler has long worked on cleaning up Iowa waterways as a state senator. In his own experience, he’s seen many more people out floating the Cedar River in kayaks, canoes and inner tubes the past several years. To him, it’s important not just for recreation, but economic development as well.

“We’re kind of in a war for talent. Young professionals are demanding recreational opportunities,” Dotzler said.

Senator Dotzler on the Cedar River