Lawmakers adjourn 2010 session, set sights on election

DES MOINES – Lawmakers passed a state budget Tuesday, ended the 2010 session and hit the campaign trail – Democrats to tout their accomplishments and Republicans to convince voters a change in direction is needed.

The election-year session closed on the 79

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day – the shortest gathering since the 64

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General Assembly adjourned after 75 days in 1972. Leaders had shortened the normal 100-day session to 80 days of paid expenses to share in government-wide cuts imposed last year when state tax receipts took a recession-riddled nose dive.

“This is the shortest session in my lifetime,” said Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs.

“We came in here in a disciplined way, took on the challenges in front of us, passed a mammoth 400-page government reorganization bill, passed budgets while maintaining our priorities, and passed an early retirement incentive,” he added. “We've accomplished phenomenal things for this state.”

On their final day, House members voted 51-48 to approve a catch-all budget bill that appropriated more than $2.7 billion and adjourned at 12:22 p.m. Senators followed suit by approving House File 2531 by a 29-16 margin and adjourning at 12:48 p.m.

In the end, majority Democrats adopted a budget plan for the 2011 fiscal year beginning July 1 that finances state government with nearly $5.3 billion from the general fund and nearly $600 million in one-time sources -- $328.4 million in federal assistance and $267.4 million from the state's surplus reserves. The also authorized $150 million in bonding as part of a $274 million infrastructure package – much dedicated to disaster recovery efforts.

Gov. Chet Culver -- who has 30 days to take action on the fiscal 2011 budget and a number of policy measures -- congratulated lawmakers and thanked them for their hard work on behalf of the people of Iowa.

“The 2010 legislative session is a real victory for Iowans, particularly hard-working Iowa families,” the governor said in a statement. “I want to thank every member for their service and commitment to the people of Iowa – they should all be proud of what was achieved this year. I now look forward to now working with all Iowans as we implement this legislation and move Iowa forward.”

Top legislative Democrats said they addressed the recession's “human toll” by funding commitments to education, health care, job creation and public safety in a responsible way that used one-time sources to maintain critical services and avoid layoffs without raising taxes. They said they were able to do so by saving $250 million in the most sweeping government revamp in at least 25 years.

However, minority Republicans saw it differently, saying Democrats overspent, lost touch with Iowans, did little to aid job creation at a time of rising unemployment by easing tax burdens and regulatory impediments to private businesses while shifting more state costs to property taxpayers.

“If you haven't noticed, a movement was created over the last 15 months,” he added. “Massive federal interventions in the form of bailouts and takeovers have many Iowans feeling frustrated, powerless, helpless,” House GOP Leader Kraig Paulsen of Hiawatha told Democrats in his closing speech.

“Then they watched this body ignore them on things like marriage, tax policy and government spending. Frustration and exasperation with their government has made them pay attention. It is time to give Iowans their state back,” he said. “Instead of turning our backs on Iowans, instead of assuming we know what is best for the people of this state, we must stop and listen.”

Paulsen and Senate GOP Leader Paul McKinley of Chariton said they would press that message to voters from now until November, and both were confident they would pick up seats in a Legislature controlled by Democrats 56-44 in the House and 32-18 in the Senate.

Senate President Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg, said he was proud that lawmakers boosted K-12 spending by $145 million, aided higher education, expanded preschool offerings and took numerous steps to aid military soldiers, veterans and their families.

“I think Iowans will respect us for the choices we made,” Gronstal said, “for the tough choices on state government reorganization, for the priorities we've upheld in our budget – I think Iowans have the same priorities and they can take their message to the campaign trail and we'll take ours.”

Among the significant action taken during the 83

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General Assembly's 2010 session, lawmakers voted to ban texting for most drivers and bar use of cell phones or electronic devices by young drivers.

They changed gun permitting laws and barred domestic abusers from possessing guns, closed a nude dancing loophole involving minors, brought state regulation to so-called “puppy mill” animal breeding facilities and amateur mixed martial arts, revamped some state tax credits – including suspending the controversial film tax credit through June 2013 – and raised a host of fees and fines for traffic violations.

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rod.boshart@gazcomm.com