Cownie Statehouse Report: More Questions than Answers About Sequester Impact on Iowa

By Rep. Peter Cownie
The Des Moines Register reported on March 8 that the State of Iowa’s budget will be cut by $46.5 million due to the forced federal budget cuts enacted by the March 1 sequester.

The Iowa Department of Education will be hit the hardest with a $14 million dollar cut. The Departments of Public Health, Natural Resources, Economic Development and various other state agencies will all have cuts to their departments, as well. There are more questions than answers at this point as to what effect this will have on services to Iowans; however, Dave Roederer, director of the Iowa Department of Management, which oversees the state’s budget, summed the situation up well by stating:

“We believe, at least through this fiscal year, we will be able to handle things without a whole lot of problems.”

It would be irresponsible of me to predict what will happen as a result of these cuts at this time. What I can guarantee you, though, is that I personally will be investigating the situation and will act to the best of my abilities on the findings.

We are a fiscally responsible state, with an ending balance of nearly $700 million, lower-than-average unemployment, and solid recent budgets. Can we afford to carry the load and subsidize these dollars while Washington flounders? Perhaps.

Or perhaps our leaders in our nation’s capital will reach consensus on how to move forward responsibly. Another option is that these dollars are gone forever and we will all have to adjust accordingly. The only thing we can do is to be prepared.

The federal government cannot always be trusted to live up to its promises. In fact, in my five years of service, I’ve learned that it’s best to anticipate the system not living up to its end of the deal. It’s sad, but it’s true. I have seen unfunded mandates passed onto the State, one-time federal dollars used for ongoing expenses, as well as the federal government’s attempt to entice the State to enter into federal programs by offering federal dollars with a state match. And I have seen Washington fall short again and again.

This should give every legislator and every Iowan pause. We have to be wise with our limited resources and long-term agreements we enter into.

This is why it is so important for the Legislature to pass a reasonable and sustainable budget; and I would maintain that the budget proposed by the Iowa Senate that increases spending by 11 percent  this year is neither reasonable nor sustainable, especially with the uncertainty emanating from the Beltway.

Additional fiscal irresponsibility is not a solution for fiscal irresponsibility. When government does not respect the taxpayers’ money, the taxpayers lose. Should the Senate proposal go into law it will indeed set the State of Iowa up to lose. Iowans deserve better. Again, the State of Iowa is in a good economic position today. Will our fortunes always be this good? History would insist the answer is “no.”

I, for one, am bound and determined that we always be prepared for whatever comes our way.

My last legislative forum is this Saturday, March 16t at West Des Moines City Hall, 4200 Mills Civic Parkway, from 9-10:30 a.m. Congressman Tom Latham (R-3rd District) will be at the forum as well.

Hope to see you there. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

(Rep. Peter Cownie, R-West Des Moines, represents District 42, which includes West Des Moines and part of Warren County. Contact him at Peter.Cownie@legis.state.ia.us or 515-281-3221.)