LANDON: Iowa House and Senate Still Far Apart on State Budget Solutions

According to Iowa Code the Legislature is to be finished by Monday May 6th, 110 days after the start of the session. This will not happen as only one budget bill thus far has been sent to the Governor.  The other budget bills are headed for Conference Committee.

I have been appointed to serve as one of the five Representatives to work with five Senators to seek a compromise on the Transportation, Infrastructure and Capital Improvements budget.  This budget will fund the Department of Transportation, the Iowa National Guard, the Iowa Prison System along with state building maintenance and replacement.   I served in the Navy Seabees and for 25 years after my honorable discharge I worked with rail and truck transportation issues as well as negotiating contracts on a daily basis.  I will draw on this experience to move this budget forward. 

On Tuesday, the Iowa House passed four budgets and sent them to the Senate.  They included the Department of Education, Administration and Regulation, Agriculture and Departments of Public Safety and Justice. 

The House and Senate remain far apart on their ideas of funding the State of Iowa.  Before the session ever began the House set a target of not exceeding last year’s budget by more than 3 percent.  This is about the average that state government has grown for each of the last 30 years.  The Senate has proposed to grow state expenditures by 11 percent.

Most of the hard working citizens of House District 37 are better managers of their own money than the state and a clear majority have let me know that you do not support increased taxes.  I continue to work every day to represent the citizens of this district on this issue, as we move through the budgeting process, while keeping in mind how important the services are to each and every one of you.

Please contact me by email at John@JohnLandon.net or text or call me at 515-249-0348 with your ideas and concerns. The last forum of the session will be held Saturday, April 27 from 8-9:30 a.m. at Café Diem here in Ankeny.  I hope to see you there. It is an honor to serve.