Saving your tax dollars, eliminating government waste

Senator Staci Appel and Representative Mary Mascher, co-chairs of the State Government Reorganization Committee, discuss the cost-saving measures presented in SF2088.

The national recession has put the spotlight on doing more with less.

This session, the Iowa Legislature is doing just that. In fact, we’re well on our way to approving a state budget that spends less than in 2007—without raising taxes.

That’s great news for middle-class Iowans who are tightening their belts in the midst of this national recession. They deserve to know that state government is also cutting spending.

We took a big step on February 1 with a bipartisan vote in the Senate to adopt 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.

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.

Thank you to the many Iowans who offered their input for making state government more responsive and accountable. While we’ve taken a big step forward, I’ll continue to push for more reform. So keep your suggestions coming!

SF 2088 now goes to the Iowa House for its consideration. If you’d like to review the bill, click here.