GOP promises to trim budget

Iowa House Republicans plan to cut state spending by $114 million this year and by nearly $200 million in each of the next two budget years.

The new House majority rolled out its plan for de-appropriating $114 million in the budget year ending June 30 and returning the savings to taxpayers in one form or another – rebates checks, perhaps, or property tax savings, according to House Speaker-elect Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, and other Linn County GOP House members.

Paulsen told The Gazette Editorial Board today that the Taxpayers First Act will be the “jumping off” point for the Republican agenda.

The message from voters in the November election was to focus on job creation and strengthening the economy, he said. Voters also want lawmakers to tax less, spend less and “stop telling us everything to do or not to do.”

While the Taxpayers First Act will be the first bill introduced when lawmakers convene Jan. 10, Paulsen said the House will approve “sooner rather than later” a resolution to let Iowans vote on the definition of marriage. Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, has promised to block a referendum on a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. However, Paulsen Paulsen believes Iowans can impact the Legislature's actions “so sooner or later the Senate will hear the same message we are hearing and respond accordingly.”

The centerpiece of the Republican's legislative agenda will incorporate many of the $600 million-plus worth of amendments they offered last year when they were in the minority.

While those ideas were rejected, Republicans, who now have a 60-40 majority, believe they will be able to make those savings part of the current budget as well as the next two budgets.

“For the last four years more government spending always came first,” incoming House Appropriations Committee Chairman Scott Raecker, R-Urbandale, said in a prepared statement. However, any surplus is not just more money for the government to spend. It belongs to the taxpayers and should be returned to the taxpayers first.”

In addition to $114 million in savings in the current budget, Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Nick Wagner, R-Marion, estimated savings and $198 million in the fiscal 2012 budget and $195 million the following year.

Iowa House Republicans' Taxpayers First Act (House Study Bill 1)

• Create a Tax Relief Fund to capture any remaining general fund surplus• Charge all state employees a minimum $50 monthly fee for health insurance.  Charge legislators and legislative staff a health insurance premium• Prohibit new vehicle purchases for general use, mandate Administration and Regulation budget subcommittee to create a new system for outsourcing the fleet and leasing vehicles, eliminate all add-ons• Reduce office supplies, service contracts, equipment purchases by 50 percent of unencumbered appropriation• Combine all state information technology systems (exempt Homeland Security)• Direct the Department of Administrative Services to develop a request for proposal (RFP) to sell or lease the Iowa Communications Network• Reduce funding for library acquisitions at Regents universities by 50 percent of unencumbered appropriation• Reduce the Department of Natural Resources land acquisition for FY 2011 by 100 percent of unencumbered appropriation• Freeze out-of-state travel funded from the general fund (allow a waiver process)• End all state benefits to adult illegal immigrants• Enforce residency requirements for all human services programs• Direct the Education Appropriations budget subcommittee to combine the administrative functions at the Regents universities to find efficiencies• Eliminate voluntary preschool, direct the Education committee to create a new voucher program• Eliminate Power Fund, after current liabilities are funded• Eliminate Office of Energy Independence, Ag & DNR budget sub decides responsibilities• Eliminate core curriculum, Education Committee sets new standards as of July 1, 2011• Cancel all Regents university sabbaticals for 18 months• Eliminate Just Eliminate Lies, Quitline Iowa and other smoking cessation efforts• Eliminate the state family planning waiver• Eliminate empty shelter care beds, Health and Human Services budget subcommittee recommends new reimbursement• Eliminate the Rebuild Iowa Office, shift responsibility to Homeland Security• Cut marketing efforts that are funded by the general fund by 50 percent of unencumbered appropriation, Appropriations Committee creates a master marketing contract• Eliminate $8.5 million for rail project, return funds to the original source• Eliminate the $30 million for sustainable communities and heated sidewalks• Cut the Area Education Associations (AEAs) by $10 million, have them use reserves or make cuts to fund the difference• Eliminate the Grow Iowa Values Fund beginning July 1, 2011, freeze remaining unencumbered appropriations for FY 2011• Eliminate the “Save our small business” fund and revert unencumbered funds• Repeal current mental health statute, mandate new system that includes $125 million in dollar-for-dollar property tax relief by July 1, 2013• Eliminate the Generation Iowa Commission

• Charge all state employees a minimum $50 monthly fee for health insurance.  Charge legislators and legislative staff a health insurance premium

• Prohibit new vehicle purchases for general use, mandate Administration and Regulation budget subcommittee to create a new system for outsourcing the fleet and leasing vehicles, eliminate all add-ons

• Reduce office supplies, service contracts, equipment purchases by 50 percent of unencumbered appropriation

• Combine all state information technology systems (exempt Homeland Security)

• Direct the Department of Administrative Services to develop a request for proposal (RFP) to sell or lease the Iowa Communications Network

• Reduce funding for library acquisitions at Regents universities by 50 percent of unencumbered appropriation

• Reduce the Department of Natural Resources land acquisition for FY 2011 by 100 percent of unencumbered appropriation

• Freeze out-of-state travel funded from the general fund (allow a waiver process)

• End all state benefits to adult illegal immigrants

• Enforce residency requirements for all human services programs

• Direct the Education Appropriations budget subcommittee to combine the administrative functions at the Regents universities to find efficiencies

• Eliminate voluntary preschool, direct the Education committee to create a new voucher program

• Eliminate Power Fund, after current liabilities are funded

• Eliminate Office of Energy Independence, Ag & DNR budget sub decides responsibilities

• Eliminate core curriculum, Education Committee sets new standards as of July 1, 2011

• Cancel all Regents university sabbaticals for 18 months

• Eliminate Just Eliminate Lies, Quitline Iowa and other smoking cessation efforts

• Eliminate the state family planning waiver

• Eliminate empty shelter care beds, Health and Human Services budget subcommittee recommends new reimbursement

• Eliminate the Rebuild Iowa Office, shift responsibility to Homeland Security

• Cut marketing efforts that are funded by the general fund by 50 percent of unencumbered appropriation, Appropriations Committee creates a master marketing contract

• Eliminate $8.5 million for rail project, return funds to the original source

• Eliminate the $30 million for sustainable communities and heated sidewalks

• Cut the Area Education Associations (AEAs) by $10 million, have them use reserves or make cuts to fund the difference

• Eliminate the Grow Iowa Values Fund beginning July 1, 2011, freeze remaining unencumbered appropriations for FY 2011

• Eliminate the “Save our small business” fund and revert unencumbered funds

• Repeal current mental health statute, mandate new system that includes $125 million in dollar-for-dollar property tax relief by July 1, 2013

• Eliminate the Generation Iowa Commission

• Withdraw Iowa from the NAFTA superhighway coalition