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Lawmakers leave session without addressing water quality

Apr. 29, 2016 9:12 pm
DES MOINES - State legislators left the Capitol on Friday without addressing Gov. Terry Branstad's top priority for the session: allocating new funding for water quality projects.
'We worked on it all year. But I know it's a big and a bold initiative, and I'm very hopeful that we can get it addressed in the future,” Branstad told reporters this week.
At the start of the session in January, Branstad unveiled his plan to divert to water quality programs some future revenue from the sales tax devoted to public school infrastructure projects. According to his office's estimates, the plan would have generated $4.7 billion over 32 years for water quality programs.
But legislators of both parties were immediately cool to the proposal since it dipped into a funding stream approved by voters for education.
Lawmakers had no better luck striking out on their own.
House Republicans proposed diverting funds from the state's infrastructure fund and from a water metering tax. Democrats did not support the plan because it shifted money from other state accounts, including the general fund out of which public education is funded.
Some legislators called for a three-eighths of a cent sales tax for natural resources, but opponents balked at a tax increase.
In his end-of-session statement issued Friday, Branstad said he was disappointed the House Republican proposal did not receive a hearing in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
'We're very disappointed that Senate Democrat leadership decided to bury the House bill with no debate and offering no alternative,” Branstad said. 'Water quality is a critical issue, and we will continue to work to build support for a long-term funding solution to address water quality efforts in Iowa.”
Over roughly the next month, Branstad will review any remaining legislation passed during the session to determine which bills to sign into law.
Earlier this week, Branstad told reporters he believes it was a 'pretty productive session” and acknowledged lawmakers had to work within tight budget constraints.
He highlighted a criminal justice reform package that reduced mandatory minimums for some non-violent drug offenders; sustained funding for multiyear commitments to a commercial property tax cut and a teacher leadership program; and a new tax credit for biochemical producers.
'We've already got prospects that are looking at Iowa because of that (tax credit),” Branstad said this week. 'So that's a significant step forward.”
Rebecca F. Miller Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad speaks to a group of farmers, conservationists and government employees this week at the Weber farm north of Dysart in Eastern Iowa. Branstad heard about watershed conservation practices and continued to push for guaranteed funding of water quality projects in the state. Lawmakers on Friday ended the 2016 session without agreeing on a source of funding.