Preschool emerging as first fight over budget cuts

Legislative Democrats accused House Republicans of playing a political shell game with its proposal to cut $6 million in general fund spending after promising several hundred millions of dollars in reductions.

“It took them less than three months to walk away from their campaign pledge to cut $200 million to $300 million out of the current year budget,” Senate majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said at a Democratic news conference Jan. 13.

Republicans leaders will have their news conference later today.

Democrats support Republicans plans to spend more to fund indigent legal defense and eliminate the waiting list for mental health services, but aren't asking that Republicans fulfill that campaign promise. Democrats insist that by the end of the year the state will have built up a $950 million surplus, which is enough to pay for programs on the GOP chopping block.

“We won't take away from our kids' futures, roll back investments in having an educated workforce and educating our kids and really come up with what amounts to peanuts,” Rep. Tyler Olson, D-Cedar Rapids, said.

Democrats promised to fight GOP plans to defund preschool for four-year-olds. That would pull the rug our from under preschoolers and their teachers, Rep. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport. A teachers' union said 1,200 preschool teachers would lose their jobs if the Republican plan is approved.

Republicans expect Governor-elect Terry Branstad to propose a new method of paying for preschool, possibly giving vouchers to families that cannot afford to pay for preschool. That would be not guarantee there would be preschool programs in every community, Winckler said. About 20,000 four-year-olds participate in preschool programs in 326 of the state's 359 school districts.

That's not a good trade-off, the Democrats said.

“We're talking about peanuts – one-tenth of 1 percent of the general fund budget,” Olson said about the savings Republicans identified in this year's budget. “And what they're asking to trade is the future of Iowa's children. That's not a smart trade.”

The House will have a public on the proposed cuts from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 18. To sign up, call (515) 281-5129. If unable to attend, you may e-mail written testimony to

lioinfo@legis.state.ia.us.