Dem leaders pledge more flood aid in 2010

CEDAR RAPIDS - The $360 million the Iowa Legislature approved to help communities recover from historic floods and fatal tornadoes may have been the capstone of the 2009 session, but Democratic leaders said Thursday there will be more to do next year.

It will be up to the public to point them in the right direction, House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, and Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said during a stop in Cedar Rapids Thursday at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library Thursday. The museum on the banks of the Cedar River has received $10 million in state flood recovery assistance.

"Where there are holes, what needs to be done?" Gronstal said. "Tell us what you need. What's working? What needs to be tweaked?"

Gronstal Murphy gave credit to legislators from Cedar Rapids and other flood-damaged communities for leading the recovery effort and to take steps to prevent or mitigate future natural disasters.

"We were reminded every single day" by those lawmakers of the needs in their communities, Gronstal said.

So far, Iowa recovery efforts have received more than $2.2 billion in state and federal assistance.

The state assistance includes $56 million from the economic emergency fund, $190 million in revenue bond to rebuild local infrastructure, fire stations and housing, $2 million in floodplain management and $1.3 million for a flood center at the University of Iowa. Jobs created by the $715 million I-JOBS program will help recovery efforts, too, the leaders said.

Lawmakers also approved policy changes, such as $10 million in historic tax credits to be used in disaster-affected areas, flood insurance requirements and giving cities and counties greater bonding authority.

Although recovery will take years, Gronstal said the multi-pronged approach was part of lawmakers' efforts to meet the needs of as many Iowans as possible as quickly as possible.

"I want to do a better job of recovery than any state," he said.

That effort was not hindered by Gov. Chet Culver's decision not to call a special session, Murphy and Gronstal said.

Gronstal pointed out the $43 million in state funds Culver reallocated in the weeks after the June flooding had not been spent when the Legislature convened in January. Another $56 million in aid was approved by lawmakers in January.

The bonding measures lawmakers approved "couldn't have been done in a one- or two-day special session," Gronstal added.

"It's hard to be patient when people are trying to get their lives back together," Murphy said, but approving funding in a special session "would have jeopardized hundreds of millions of FEMA money."