Iowa Senate debates large-scale government reorganization

The Iowa Senate has begun debate today on a major effort to reorganize state government in hopes of saving $118 million needed to help balance a tough fiscal 2011 budget.

“This bill is the first substantial reorganization of state government in nearly 25 years,” Sen. Staci Appel, D-Ackworth, said when floor debate opened today. “We heard from folks from all across this state and the message was clear – state government should be leaner, services more efficient and we must eliminate waste. We listened.”

The result, she said, was Senate File 2088, a multi-pronged bill that includes ways to cut costs and make government operate more efficiently, eliminate redundancies, modernize services and delivery, streamline purchasing and technology, and save taxpayers money.

“This bill hits the mark,” she said.

Senate File 2088 is the first legislative effort to put recommendations from an interim study panel and a consulting firm hired by Gov. Chet Culver into motion.

The multi-pronged measure proposes to consolidate purchasing programs and computer networks throughout state government, reconfigure some mental health services, merge some smaller state agencies and eliminate or consolidate a number of state boards, commissions or advisory panels.

With the nearly $60 million expected to be saved via an early-retirement incentive already approved by the Senate, Appel said she hoped passage of S.F. 2088 would bring the moving target to nearly $180 million

Speaking to reporters today, Gov. Chet Culver noted that an executive order he already signed was projected to saving $141 million so he was optimistic the government-wide belt-tightening would get to the $341 million he built into his $5.32 billion budget plan for fiscal 2011.

Following Appel's opening floor speech, majority Democrats and minority Republicans held closed-door meetings to discuss the bill's details and draft amendments. Floor debate likely will not resume until late this afternoon.