Iowa Gov. Branstad, Hatch focus on elderly voters

DES MOINES - Republican Gov. Terry Branstad on Tuesday defended his vetoes of several legislative changes that would have benefitted seniors while Democratic challenger Jack Hatch said he would work with legislators and advocates if elected to avoid 'surprise” vetoes after they adjourn.

Hatch, who is trailing in polls to the five-term GOP incumbent, also told delegates to the Older Iowans Legislature that he favored a 'needs-based freeze on property taxes for lower-income elderly on fixed incomes so they won't be forced out of their homes and would work to ensure the commercial property tax relief passed in 2013 would not shift tax burdens to other property owners.

Branstad used his time with seniors in the Iowa House chambers to tout his accomplishments since returning to office in January 2011, telling the delegates 'we have the state of Iowa going in the right direction” compared to the situation he inherited from the Culver administration.

The governor noted that he signed legislation recently strengthening Iowa's power of attorney law, but he was confronted during a question-and-answer session over his vetoes of legislation that would have increased funding and staffing for senior services, increased the number of state long-term care ombudsmen and cut waiting lists for in-home and community-based care for elderly Iowans.

Branstad said a sudden drop in state tax collections in the months before and after the Legislature adjourned forced him to his item vetoes to cut a number of programs beyond just the ones citied by delegates on Tuesday.

Hatch said he would have maintained money to protect elderly residents of nursing homes and would beef up state inspections as well as do more to expand access to Medicaid programs for all Iowans, including seniors. He also supported raising the pay and certification standards for nursing home and in-home care workers in Iowa.

On that latter topic, Branstad said he hoped the nursing home industry would use the benefits they are deriving from reductions in commercial property taxes and lower unemployment insurance tax rates to pay their employees more.

'It would be my hope and desire that those homes would use the savings from the property tax reduction, from the reduction in the employment tax to increase salaries and benefits for the direct-care workers who are employed in those facilities,” he told the delegates.

The Democratic challenger told seniors he has championed their causes during his time as a state legislator and would continue as governor to make sure that issues important to them would not just 'be on my radar screen,” but they 'would be on top of my desk.”