Some priorities for the 2012 session

By The Gazette Editorial Board

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The Iowa Legislature reconvenes Monday, and already there's talk of keeping the 2012 session as short as possible.

It's hard to blame lawmakers for craving brevity. The 2011 session was among the longest ever, dragging through June and to the doorstep of a July 1 government shutdown. In the end, deep partisan divides were bridged, or set aside, and disaster was avoided.

This is an election year, so it's likely those divisions will return with legislators. But a long fight appears less likely.

Much of the fiscal year 2013 budget has already been put in place, thanks to Gov. Terry Branstad's insistence on biennial budgeting.

And lawmakers looking at election races in new House and Senate districts created by redistricting will no doubt be eager to finish up and hit the campaign trail.

Still, there are some very big issues we'd like to see the Legislature tackle.

The state's public education system is in need of fundamental reforms. Branstad, who promised during his election campaign to do just that, has unveiled an initial $25 million reform plan, including higher education standards for would-be teachers, a new emphasis on reading skills in early grades and expanded student assessments. We think the governor's proposals are a good opening bid, and we're anxious to see the details.

We also hope lawmakers can forge a bipartisan agreement on revamping Iowa's mental health system. Democrats and Republicans have expressed optimism that lawmakers will push ahead with a multiyear effort to transform Iowa's uneven, county-by-county system into a statewide network delivering better, more consistent care. Iowans should have access to high-quality care, regardless of where they live.

There are also promising signs that legislators might, at long last, tackle the property tax inequity faced by the owners of commercial property. The governor and leaders in both parties have floated plans aimed at relieving the property tax burden on businesses. We urge lawmakers to settle their differences on the details and provide a much-needed boost to businesses, while taking care to not bust local government budgets or simply shift taxes to other property owners.

And after several years of missed opportunities, we ask lawmakers to create a state board empowered to investigate and settle citizen complaints tied to Iowa's open meetings and open records laws. At a time when public trust in government is declining, lawmakers could repair some of the damage by making it easier for citizens to get help when they believe government has run afoul of the public's right to know. The enforcement board bill has languished session after session. It's time to make it law.

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