House GOP plans quick action on cuts

Eager to deliver on their campaign promise to reduce state government spending, Iowa House Republicans plan to approve a $505 million de-appropriation bill this week, just seven working days into the 2011 session.

The fact House Republicans are moving so quickly to enact a broad range of cuts - including nearly $50 million in the current fiscal year, should come as no surprise - least of all to Democrats - who heard Republicans campaign trail pledges to tax less, spend less and regulate less, according to Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha.

It's rare, unprecedented in recent years, to tackle significant legislation so early in the session, Paulsen said. Even in 2009, after flooding caused historic damage across the state, it was nearly the end of January before the House voted 98-0 to authorize $56 million for flood recovery efforts.

The plan was made public a week before the legislative session started, so Democrats have had time to offer their own proposals for reducing spending, Paulsen said. As a former minority leader, however, he thinks he understands Democrats' frustration with the pace and direction of House File 45, the de-appropriations bill.

“Part of the reason there's going to be angst over it is because we're trying to do something consequential,” Paulsen said.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. D-Des Moines, questioned the pace, noting that last year, Democrats and Republicans worked together for several weeks before bringing a $250 million state government reorganization plan to the House floor.

“We haven't had that opportunity this year,” he said.”We want to be constructive. We want an opportunity to fight for what we believe in.”

Democrats will support “some aspects” of de-appropriation, McCarthy said, but promised a “big fight” to preserve funding for voluntary preschool for 4-year-olds. They also will defend funding for smoking cessation programs.

With Republicans holding a 60-40 advantage in the House, Democrats will be fighting an uphill battle, he said. But they will fight.

“We're not here just to throw popcorn from the cheap seats,” McCarthy said. “We're here to govern.”

House File 45 calls for net savings of about $505 million in fiscal years 2011-13. It includes supplemental appropriations for indigent legal defense and to eliminate the waiting list for mental health services. Democrats support those measures.

That's not the case with GOP plans to defund preschool, the Grow Iowa Values Fund, smoking cessation programs, passenger rail, I-JOBS projects and the save Our Small Business Fund.

In the case of preschool - which serves more than 20,000 4-year-olds in 326 of the state's 359 school districts, McCarthy said “they're not talking about cuts, they're talking about wiping out preschool.”

Republicans have defended their approach, saying Gov. Terry Branstad will propose a new funding plan for preschool.

Democrats also balk at setting aside $327 million in a Taxpayer Relief Fund.

“Why do we need money for tax cuts?” McCarthy asked. Last year, Democrats lowered state spending, reorganized state government and approved an early retirement program aimed at saving money, he said.

The reality is, there's little left to cut, McCarthy argued. The fact Republicans can find so little to cut - just $6.5 million or about one-tenth of 1 percent of this year's general fund budget - supports Democrats' claim they didn't overspend when they controlled the House, Senate and Governor's Office last year.

While the House is working on de-appropriations, the Senate will focus on developing a job creation program, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said. A working group of senators will a jobs proposal “sooner rather than later,” he said.