Reynolds says she’s counting on Johnson County Republicans at fundraiser

CORALVILLE - It's not often a candidate tells Johnson County Republicans she's counting on them, but Gov. Kim Reynolds said she's expecting big things from the minority party in the one Iowa county that never supported her previous boss, former Gov. Terry Branstad.

Despite that record, Reynolds reminded Johnson County GOP activists at their party fundraiser Thursday evening that Branstad's vote total there grew from less than 18,000 in 2010 to more than 20,000 four years later. And given the 10 percent increase in the number of registered Republicans in Johnson County, 'I expect even bigger numbers in 2018.”

That's when Reynolds anticipates being at the top of a Republican ticket trying to hold onto not just the governor's office but both chambers of the Iowa Legislature - a goal the party has been chasing for two decades.

She won't be running alone, Reynolds said. She'll be running on the accomplishments of the Branstad-Reynolds administration over the past 6-1/2 years. She noted Iowa's 16-year low unemployment rate of 3.1 percent and the 'largest investment in our classrooms.”

'We're not done yet. I'm never satisfied with status quo,” she told about 75 Republicans at the Coralville Radisson. 'I see a lot of opportunity to build on what we've put in place over the last six years.”

Reynolds didn't mention the biggest issue in state government at the moment - the possibility of a $350 million revenue shortfall in the current budget year - until a former lawmaker asked.

Iowa lawmakers already made nearly $118 million in cuts and transfers and wrote $131 million in IOUs by borrowing from the state's reserve funds. Now the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency says the state may collect $350 million less than anticipated.

Reynolds has authority to transfer $50 million from the reserves to cover the shortfall, but the Legislative Services Agency suggested it may take twice that by the time the state's books are closed Sept. 30. If that's the case, Reynolds likely will call lawmakers to Des Moines for a special session.

Making budget cuts in a special session was the hardest vote she ever took, former Sen. Sandy Greiner of Keota told Reynolds.

The governor acknowledged that likelihood, but said it's important to understand Iowa's economy is growing, 'but it's just not as robust as projected by the Revenue Estimating Conference,” a state panel that projects revenue collections.

The shortfall is a 'combination of things,” she said, adding the sluggish agriculture economy is having 'rippling effect on all other areas of our economy.”

'It's not the only reason, but (farmers) are not purchasing like they normally do when input costs are above the price of corn and livestock,” she said.

Also, 70 percent of the 'softening” has been in sales tax collections as Iowans increase their online purchasing, Reynolds said.

Reynolds expressed confidence the Iowans who 'stood up and showed up” to elect President Donald Trump and Statehouse Republicans in 2016 will be back in 2018 to support her and the GOP legislative majorities that delivered on their promises.

Republican Party of Chairman Jeff Kaufmann added his voice, saying that he hasn't seen GOP enthusiasm waning since the last election.

'I got to tell you, there's a roar out there still,” he said. 'By every measure, Republicans know what's up for grabs. Republicans know what we have to do and don't want to lose what we're gaining.”

If anyone doubts that, Kaufmann said, 'Talk to new voters, the people Trump brought in. They know what's at stake here.”

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