Democrats delivered for Iowa's middle class, Cedar Rapids representative says

DES MOINES – Iowa Democrats kept their promise to help middle-class Iowans during the just-completed 2013 session, party leaders said Wednesday.

“Democrats delivered,” said Rep. Tyler Olson, a Cedar Rapids Democrat who also serves as chairman of the state Democratic Party. That was especially true on issues related to health care, education and tax policy,' he said.

Democrats, who held a 26-24 majority in the Iowa Senate but were in a 53-47 minority in the Iowa House, succeeded in influencing the final outcome of the session's top priorities in a positive way for many Iowans, Olson said.

He will reprise his remarks at 3:15 p.m. Thursday at the African American Museum of Iowa, 55 12th Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids.

Included among key compromises that Democrats helped forge were commitments to use federal Medicaid dollars to provide health insurance coverage for up to 150,000 low-income Iowans, secure increased funding of 4 percent annually for K-12 school districts for the next two years, provide a significant property tax break for small and Main Street businesses, and double the earned income tax credit for working Iowa families.

“There's no question this was a successful session,” Olson told reporters during a press conference on the west steps of the Iowa Capitol Wednesday forenoon.

“Democrats were there fighting every day against the antiquated and out-of-touch ideas of Gov. (Terry) Branstad and legislative Republicans,” he added. “In spite of Republican control of the governor's office and the Iowa House, Democrats were able to deliver for the middle class.”

It was, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said in an interview later May 29, “a landmark session.”

“We were here with partners not of our own choosing,” Gronstal said about the split-control Legislature. Rather than focusing on those things they disagree on, lawmaker chose to work to reach compromise on the shared priorities of tax relief, education reform and health care expansion.

“In every case,” he said, “there were things that left to my own devices I wouldn't do. But it's important to look at where we found common ground.

The Democratic leaders weren't alone in their upbeat assessment of the session that concluded May 23. Looking at the same priorities as Olson and Gronstal, House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said the outcomes “are, quite frankly, profound,”

“I never would have predicted in December that we would have had the success we had across the board,” Paulsen said May 28. “As I think through the things we accomplished, it continues to sit real well.

“A lot of good work that we got done this year,” he said.

In their accomplishments, “I think we even surprised ourselves,” Gronstal said, referring specifically to property tax reform. “That issue has vexed every Legislature for two or three decades.”

Olson declined to discuss the possibility that he will throw his hat into his party's 2014 gubernatorial primary race for the right to challenge the GOP candidate – who most likely will be Branstad – in next year's general election. He also would not predict what issues might be of top concern during the 2014 legislative session, but conceded that this year's landmark accomplishments may be a tough act to follow.

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