West Des Moines Lawmakers Prominent in Several Debates Under Way in Legislature

West Des Moines residents are closely watching several bills moving through the Iowa Legislature this week.

Rep. Peter Cownie, R-West Des Moines, introduced legislation that would end straight ticket voting. Cownie thinks House File 186 would help end some of the partisanship that limits lawmakers’ effectiveness, especially at the federal level.

“By removing the straight ticket voting option, the political party is not removed from the ballot," Cownie wrote in a recent legislative column. “In fact, every Iowan will always have the opportunity to vote for either all Democrats or all Republicans.

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“What eliminating straight ticket voting does is create the expectation that Iowans pay their ballots the attention those ballots deserve at a time when an understanding of the benefits and consequences of the political process is paramount to a successful State of Iowa,” Cownie said.

The Des Moines Register reported the bill has cleared the House State Government Committee and now goes to the floor for debate by the full chamber.

House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer, a Clear Lake Republican, thinks the measure would “empower” voters, but Democrats controlling the Senate aren’t expected to advance the legislation if it clears the House.

Property Tax Reform

Sen. Matt McCoy, the lone Democrat representing West Des Moines residents in the Legislature, says he’s ready for a showdown over property tax reform, a top priority for Gov. Terry Branstad.

McCoy, a Des Moines Democrat, told the Des Moines Register he hopes the governor will compromise and consider the Democrats’ plan.

Under a proposal that didn’t pass last year, West Des Moines could have lost millions of dollars in property tax revenue because cities with increasing commercial property tax bases, such as West Des Moines,  wouldn’t have been eligible for so-called “back fill” money that would replace lost revenue.

This year’s proposal addresses that problem, but Democrats argue their plan for a Business Property Tax Relief Fund providing tax credits for businesses should be given equal consideration. The governor’s plan calls for a rollback to 80 percent over four years on the percentage of a commercial or industrial property’s assessed value that would be subject to taxes, according to the Register’s report.

“We are a separate and co-equal branch of government and we will insist that our views be considered with the same degree of respect and seriousness as his proposals,” McCoy told the newspaper.

“Compromise is a two-way street. “We have seen very little of it from this governor. We won an election, too, I can tell you that I am speaking on behalf of the whole Senate team ... that there is a degree of frustration that we are feeling,” McCoy said.

Medicaid Expansion

McCoy also differs with other legislators representing West Des Moines on the issue of Medicaid expansion, which Branstad opposes. He recently met with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius regarding the issue, which would expand eligibility for Medicaid programs to more low-income Iowans.

McCoy favors Medicaid expansion and says it’s a more cost-effective solution than continuing the IowaCare program.

Sen. Charles Schneider, R-West Des Moines, says the issue is complicated and requires thoughtful analysis.

Rep. Chris Hagenow, R-Windsor Heights, opposes Medicaid expansion and says it would expose taxpayers to financial risk.

The Death Penalty

An Iowa Poll said two-thirds of Iowans favor reinstating the death penalty, something a bill backed by West Des Moines resident Noreen Goscch would accomplish. Gosch’s son, Johnny Gosch, was kidnapped 30 years ago.

The legislation isn’t expected to go anywhere, as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Cedar Rapids Democrat Sen. Robert Hogg, has no plans to consider it this session, according to the Des Moines Register.

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Senate File 167 was filed by Sen. Kent Sorenson, a Milo Republican, and co-sponsored by other Republicans, would allow for the death penalty if a minor child is murdered in connection with a kidnapping or sexual assault.

Sorenson said he would introduce the bill after the Evansdale cousins were kidnapped last year. Their bodies were discovered in December.