LANDON: As Legislative Session Comes to an End, Many Key Issues Have Not Been Resolved

The legislative session is slowly coming to an end.  Many key issues have not been resolved but that doesn’t mean they won’t be.  Most budgets are left to be negotiated and passed.  Conference committees, made of an equal number of House and Senate members and Republicans and Democrats, are hard at work negotiating the final details. 

I expect that much of the legislation the House passed, and was not acted upon by the Senate, will now get a final hearing.  Some of the key issues, like property tax reform, may well end up in a budget bill.  There still seems to be a desire to find common ground and pass relief to property owners.  It will be very disappointing if that does not happen. 

The health care expansion issue is overshadowing all other issues.  It is too early to predict what will happen.  Polk County has a lot at stake with the investment in Broadlawns Hospital.  Whatever happens, whether the Governor’s plan prevails or Medicaid expansion prevails, either plan could  have a negative impact on Broadlawns.

Under the current  program Broadlawns is serving, along with the University of Iowa hospitals, as the two primary care facilities in the State. Under either of the new plans, there will either be seven regional care centers instead of the current two or there will be access points in nearly every Iowa community.  Either way, it is easy to see that Broadlawns hospital will be drawing patients from a smaller area.  This translates to lower income and all Polk County legislators are aware of this issue.

The education and school reform bill is still in conference committee and progress is hard to measure.  The lack of progress has left school districts across the state uncertain about their funding for FY 2014 and FY 2015. 

Sometimes in the Legislature, a day is like a year.  I hope to report significant progress at this time next week.