Budget work could send legislative session into another week

Iowa legislative leaders continue to be optimistic they will complete work on the fiscal 2012 budget before the budget year begins July, but concede they may be back next week to wrap up their work.

“Well, this is the last day, isn't it,” Senate Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg, said when he walked into the Senate Chamber June 22.

In the House, Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, struck a similar optimistic note, telling reporters the House will be in session through the weekend if an agreement has been reached with majority Democrats in the Senate and GOP Gov. Terry Branstad.

“I'm paid to be optimistic, so let's be optimistic,” Paulsen said.

Others, like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, expect to be back next week to complete work on the budget. At this point, he said, the paperwork shuffle necessary to move massive budget bills likely will delay final passage until Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Senate moved the process forward, passing more budgets, including a $1.5 billion health and human services spending plan despite the bill's sponsor, Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines, calling it “the best deal we can get in a bad situation.”

“We're cutting into the safety net of nearly every social service we have in the state,” Hatch said. “This has consequences that are not pretty.”

The dollar amount separating Republicans and Democrats is small, he said. The House Republicans proposed spending about $20 million more than Senate Democrats.

Still, Hatch said, the budget had “consequences that are not pretty.”

“Am I whiny? No. Am I warning? Yes,” Hatch said after a shouting match with Republicans.

The budget was approved 26-23 on a party line vote.

Also Wednesday, a handful of House members voted to send the ag and natural resources, mental health, economic growth and justice systems budgets to conference committees to work out differences with the Senate.

“This is part of the process,” Paulsen said, adding that House and Senate leaders agreed to resolving differences in conference committees.

Paulsen said he expected a decision later Wednesday on when the full House will be called back. If an agreement is reached with the governor and Senate Democrats, he expects the House to be in session until its work is completed.