Dems try to sync 'must-do,' 'can-do' lists

DES MOINES - Legislative leaders are checking and re-checking their "must-do" lists and their "want to-do" lists, but questions remain as to what's on their "can-do" list as they map a strategy to wrap up the 2009 legislative session.

Other than approving the state budget, the fate of many of the majority Democrats' priorities still is unknown.

Democrats, according to House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, are interested in doing three things: create jobs, help Iowa communities recover from 2008 disasters and pass a balanced budget.

That's not so much different the "want to-do" list of House Minority Leader Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha: adopt a balanced budget; put Iowans back to work; place a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage on the ballot; "and go home."

Apparently not this week. The House suspended its rules last week to consider some bills and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, said the rules controlling the calendar will make adjournment impossible this week.

Beyond the budget, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said Gov. Chet Culver's $750 million bonding plan "is an absolutely on our list."

"We're going to do our best to pass a bonding bill" to help disaster-ravaged communities recover, he said. He's also pushing "very hard" on a tax package that would lower income tax rates and end federal deductibility.

"Then there are other bills, like mental health parity, that if we can get the votes to do them, we'll do them," Gronstal said. "Everything we can get done we will get done."

Although Democrats control the Senate and the House, Paulsen wonders about the length of their "can-do" list. If union-backed bills on doctor choice, prevailing wage, fair share and open scope bargaining, "were on their 'can-do' list those issues would be behind us," he said.

"So I'm under the impression they don't have the votes to do that," he said.

Gronstal, who enjoys a 32-18 advantage in the Senate, is optimistic.

"I'm going to try to get as much done as I can get done - as we do every year," he said. "If we can get things done we'll get them done."

Support for the bonding plan depends on what's in it and the final price tag, Paulsen said. Many House Democrats are not convinced the tax plan is not an increase despite being billed as a tax break in the first two years.

Murphy is "comfortable" he can get 51 votes for the tax plan in the House and is working on two people to get a majority on expanding mental health parity.