Iowans air concerns over budget cuts

DES MOINES - Iowans lined up Monday to appeal for their pet programs to be spared from the legislative budget ax before majority Republicans began passing pieces of fiscal 2018's $7.245 billion spending plan that cut a wide swath across state government.

'We acknowledge this is a tough budget year for our state, but singling out programs supporting victims of violence for a disproportionate cut is frightening,” said Mary Ingham, executive director of Crisis Intervention Service in Mason City, which serves 14 counties in north central and northeast Iowa.

She drove to Des Moines to be among dozens of Iowans who shared their concerns and support during a public hearing Monday at the Capitol on the fiscal 2018 budget.

Marty Hathaway, a retired corrections worker from Coralville, expressed concern over more than $7 million in cuts to the state's prison system, telling legislators that 'I fear for my brothers and sisters still working in the prison system” and challenging lawmakers to spend a day 'walking the cell houses” to understand.

That message was driven home again on the Senate floor during the debate Monday over a justice systems bill when Sen. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines, argued the $559 million appropriation left prison staffing dangerously low.

'This has been cuts on top of cuts on top of cuts to our correctional facilities,” he said.

However, Sen. Mark Chelgren, R-Ottumwa, floor manager of Senate File 509, said he thought majority Republicans did a good job funding programs at the level they did, given the state's tighter-than-expected budget situation. Senators voted 29-21 to approve SF 509 and send it to the House.

'I recognize that when you have a plethora of good programs and some great programs, that you have to make difficult decision,” said Chelgren in response to concerns about spending for victims' services and other public safety needs.

'I know a few years ago we had $927 million in surplus, but that's all gone,” he added. 'It's easy being in the minority to simply say we should spend more money, we should spend more money, we should spend more money - but when you're in the majority, you have a responsibility to work within a budget ..”

A separate bill to provide $178.8 million to fund the court system in fiscal 2018 also drew considerable angst before senators voted 29-21 to approve Senate File 508 and send it to the House as well.

Rep. Gary Worthan, R-Storm Lake, said legislators tried to give the courts more flexibility in using state money. 'The chief justice has assured us that there will be no closures of clerk's offices, there will be no closures of courtrooms” - but he added some offices may operate on 32 or 36 hour work weeks.

On the House side, representatives approved $47.4 million to fund the state's administrative and regulatory functions next fiscal year - a drop of $1.4 million. They voted 58-51 to approve House File 640 and ship it to the Senate for consideration.

Minority Democrats disliked a GOP decision to decrease nearly $400,000 from the Department of Inspections and Appeals - which investigates Medicaid fraud and health facilities, among other duties - $751,000 from the Department of Revenue and 'gut” the Public Information Board, which answers the public's questions about public meetings, open records and the state's sunshine laws.

But the portion of the bill to receive the most criticism was the $3.5 million in appropriations to the Secretary of State's office, which includes $700,000 for the much-debated voter ID bill that set new verification procedures for voters and shortens Iowa's early voting period.

Rep. John Landon, R-Ankeny, said the money would go toward an electronic poll book loan fund, poll worker education and voter outreach, among other uses.

Representatives also debated a $908.4 million education budget bill to fund the regent institutions, community colleges and other programs.

Members of the House lamented $70 million in cuts, but approved $908 million for educational programs.

House File 642 funds 12,287 full-time equivalent positions for the Iowa Department of Education, Board of Regents and other agencies, a decrease of 453.

The bulk of the cuts, $52 million in the appropriation for student achievement and teacher quality, reflect the end of the Teacher Leadership and Compensation Grants. Beginning next year, the TLC program will be funded through the school aid formula.

The House lopped off $9.9 million from the regents, with the largest single cut being $6.2 million to the University of Iowa. Iowa State University will be cut $2.5 million and the University of Northern Iowa $823,000.

Community colleges will get an increase of $1.7 million for general aid, but because of budget de-appropriations earlier this year that's actually a decrease.

The bill, approved 58-41, heads to the Senate.

l Comments: (515) 243-7220; rod.boshart@thegazette.com

Chelsea Keenan of The Gazette contributed to this report.