Branstad pledges positive tone as Iowa Legislature convenes

DES MOINES - Gov. Terry Branstad says he plans to set a 'very positive tone” for bipartisan cooperation Tuesday when he spells out his program and budget initiatives to members of the split-control Legislature.

Branstad told reporters Monday he will detail a 'tight” state budget plan and proposals to address broadband infrastructure needs and problems associated with bullying in schools, but otherwise would offer few surprises, when he addresses a joint convention of the 86th General Assembly. The address will be carried live on statewide television.

'I love this state and I'm very honored and very appreciative that the people have given Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and I a great vote of confidence to continue to serve them,” said Branstad, who will take the oath of office for an unprecedented sixth term during inaugural ceremonies Friday. 'We're not done yet. We've got a lot we want to accomplish.”

The Republican governor said he will offer a 'thoughtful and prudent” balanced two-year budget that is sustainable over the next five years by meeting the long-term obligations and commitments made in 2013 to property tax relief and education reform. Last week he conceded that probably would leave room for state spending to grow by a modest 1 percent or 2 percent to fund priorities.

'We always have to be vigilant about controlling the size and cost of state government,” he said. 'It's a tight budget, but I think it's a very fair budget and it's clearly something that's sustainable.”

Branstad's legislative program likely will include promises he made on the 2014 campaign trail to:

l Connect every acre” in Iowa with high-speed Internet to equip farmers with the technology they need for today's precision agriculture;

l Expand the public-private approach to workforce development by creating a new center to address a skills gap by better matching education and workforce training efforts with worker and employer needs; and

l Create a new 'Government Accountability Portal” that would be a one-stop shop housed within the Iowa Public Information Board for Iowans to register comments, concerns, questions or suggestions regarding state government and its operations.

'My interest is to work together and avoid confrontation,” the governor said.

Leaders in both political parties spoke of finding common ground and working together in their opening-day floor speeches Monday. But Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, called on Branstad to include an increase in supplemental state aid to K-12 schools that will improve Iowa's 37th national ranking in per-pupil spending. He also asked that the governor and legislative Republicans follow state law that requires school funding to be set within 30 days after Branstad unveils his budget.

'We are currently almost a year late in setting the 2015-2016 school year budget,” said Gronstal, noting the state's forward-funding law was ignored last session.

The Senate Democratic leader also challenged Branstad's comments during an interview last week that legislative Democrats would be disappointed by the level of education funding he proposes, saying school funding should never be about partisan politics.

'In the long run, you get what you pay for,” Gronstal said, 'and we aren't paying for world-class schools.”

Branstad, who met with top lawmakers last week to discuss funding transportation needs, said he expects that follow-up meetings will be held now that the Legislature has convened its regular session with the goal of forging a bipartisan agreement 'relatively early” that will address a yearly $215 million shortfall for critical transportation needs.

'This is a complicated and difficult issue,” the governor told reporters Monday.