Iowa lawmakers begin long day’s march to adjournment

DES MOINES – The Iowa House began what members say will be a long day's march to adjournment voting 94-0 in support of a plan to pay off state bond debt and making investments in state universities.

House Appropriations Chairman Chuck Soderberg, R-Le Mars, and Rep. Kirsten Running-Marquardt, D-Cedar Rapids, agreed the bill, which also brings state judicial and police retirement pensions funds up to 80 percent of their obligation, would be a fiscally responsible action at a time the state has money available.

The plan, House File 648, uses the fiscal 2013 ending balance to pay off about $113.8 million in bonds, including bonds for I-JOBS and Honey Creek State Park, saving the state $15.5 million.

The bill also makes several appropriations form maintenance of state facilities, economic development activities and infrastructure at regents universities, human services, public safety, prisons and $150,000 to maintain air traffic control services at the Dubuque airport.

While the House began its start-and-stop work on must-do bills, the Democratic and Republican senators were in their respective caucuses finalizing plans for the push to adjournment.

Lawmakers hope to complete the 2013 session today – more likely tonight, according to House Speaker Pro Tempore Steve Olson, R-DeWitt. The Legislature was scheduled to adjourn May 3, but disagreements on budgets, education reform, tax relief and expanding health care access to low-income Iowans have kept them working overtime.

However, lawmakers involved in those discussions said they have reached compromises that should make it possible to complete their work today or Thursday at the latest.

One question is whether they will deal with health care access expansion or come back to take it up in a special session this summer.

With 129 days under their belts, members of the Iowa's 85

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General Assembly are making their way up the list of longest annual sessions but are no where near the 172-day 2011 session that ended on June 30 or the all-time record of 175 consecutive days set by the 62

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General Assembly in 1967.

james.lynch@sourcemedia.net