Lawmakers’ early decision on education funding could deflate election-year politics

CEDAR RAPIDS — In the wake of Gov. Terry Branstad's unilateral actions to close mental health hospitals, shift management of a state-run health care program to private companies, create a tax break for manufacturing companies and veto millions of dollars of education funding, legislative Democrats are in no mood to forgive or forget as they begin an election-year session.

Branstad, the longest-serving governor in American history, says it's time to turn the page. He wants to focus on joint accomplishments — property tax reform, education reform, expanding health care and broadband access, and accelerating improvements to the state transportation system.

'Even with a split Legislature, we've been able to accomplish a lot of things,' he said. 'This is a new year. We need to focus on the future and not look back at the past.'

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, agreed.

'Dwelling on the past isn't productive,' he said. 'It's clear the governor, once the Legislature adjourns, will do whatever the heck he wants to do. That's the reality we will deal with.'

It may not be that easy, warned House Minority Leader Mark Smith, D-Marshalltown, who said the relationship between the GOP governor and Democrats is 'damaged, but not destroyed.'

He puts the onus on Branstad to demonstrate that lawmakers can trust him as they negotiate to find common ground on myriad issues. In 2015, lawmakers thought they had, but then the governor vetoed $56 million for public education projects, calling the use of one-time funds 'unreliable budgeting.'

It wasn't only Democrats who were disappointed by that veto. House Speaker-Select Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said Republicans were not happy with Branstad's veto of funding 'because that's what we agreed to and that's what we hoped would happen.'

The key to getting beyond last year's disappointments may be a quick agreement on K-12 school funding.

'The litmus test will be education funding,' speculated Rep. Ken Rizer, R-Cedar Rapids. 'If we get that done in 30 days that will be an indicator of how the session will go. I'm hopeful.'

However, House Republicans and the governor seem to be proposing a 2 percent increase while Democrats want at least 4 percent.

'It doesn't help that the governor has come up with plan to pit water quality funding against education funding,' said Rep. Sharon Steckman, D-Mason City, a member of the House Education Committee. She was referring to Branstad's proposal to extend a 1-cent sales tax earmarked for school infrastructure for 20 years, but share the revenue with water quality programs.

Rep. Todd Taylor, D-Cedar Rapids, assumes Upmeyer wants a honeymoon period when she is sworn in Monday as the first female Speaker of the House.

'If she wants to get off on right foot, she will deal with education funding appropriately and early,' he said. 'If not, it will send a loud message to us that she wants business as usual.

'It's in her best interest to take that issue off the table or we'll use that in the election,' Taylor added.

Election-year politics can make sessions in even-numbered years more interesting and often more difficult.

Smith doesn't think the November election will hinder legislative action, but Johnson predicted Democrats will want to spend a lot of time talking about privatizing the management of Medicaid and education funding.

Those issues 'are going to consume a lot of microphone time in the Senate every morning for a while,' Johnson said, referring to senators speaking on points of personal privilege. 'They're going to try to politicize them because this is an election year. There's just no question about it.'

He also noted that at least two senators, Democrat Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids and Republican Mark Chelgren of Ottumwa, are running for Congress and may be using their microphone time to deliver campaign-like speeches.

Steckman wouldn't be surprised if House Democrats don't use the same tactic to make their points.

'When you're in the minority you feel that's all you have — your voice' because the majority party doesn't have to look at bills and amendments offered by the minority, she said.

Election-year sessions are supposed to be 100 days — 10 days shorter than odd-numbered year sessions. The need to get out on the campaign trail 'is motivation to finish our work early,' Taylor said.

Smith agreed that the need to campaign, especially in a year House Democrats hope to regain the majority, will motivate people, but that isn't what will determine when lawmakers adjourn.

'Whether that happens or not will depend on how things are proposed, how willing we are to work through these issues and for there to be compromise for that to be accomplished,' he said. 'If there's not much willingness, then we'll be here quite a while.'

Gronstal said it's too early to know if lawmakers will meet the April 19 soft deadline.

'There's always a little more politics in the election years,' he said. 'I've always thought we should do the state's business in this building and to our own political business after the sessions over. That would be my goal.'