Lawmakers reluctant to raid road fund to pay for state troopers

James Q. Lynch 

The Gazette

They're not saying Gov. Chet Culver's plan to shift funding for the Iowa State Patrol from the general fund to the Road Use Tax Fund is dead on arrival, but legislator suggest he may want to keep his defibrillator fully charged.

Democratic leaders continue to repeat their “everything is on the table” mantra, but House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, concedes “on some items, it's more challenging than others to find consensus. Changing the Road Use Tax Fund is one of those.”

He recalled a “monumental effort” to get 53 votes in House – 30 Democrats and 23 Republicans -- to raise vehicle registration fees to begin to shore up the road fund. Many of his members see shifting $50 million a year out of the fund to pay for state troopers as wiping out those gains.

“That doesn't mean there is not significant support in our caucus,” McCarthy added. He's quite sure there aren't 51 votes in the 56-member House Democratic caucus for the change and doubts Republicans will put up any votes for Culver's plan.

Many lawmakers have pledged over the years not to divert transportation infrastructure dollars to non-infrastructure spending. McCarthy made that pledge when Democrats were in the minority. Now, as majority leader, he will follow the will of the caucus.

Culver is aware of lawmakers' reluctance to divert money from the state's crumbling transportation system. However, given the state's declining revenues and likelihood of a budget shortfall of $500 million to $1 billion, he wants to use $50 million in RUTF money to keep the downsized state patrol rolling.

At 382 officers, state patrol staffing is at a 45-year low. After Culver ordered a 10 percent across the board  spending cut, troopers agreed to concessions to preserve 43 jobs.

“Does it make sense that public safety is being staffed at 1964 levels?” asked Trooper Darin Snedden of Mount Vernon, president of the State Patrol Officers Council. The he 20-year patrol veteran trhinks Iowans would be surprised at how few troopers are on the road at any time of the day or night.

The accompanying map shows, on average, there are said there are 56 troopers on the roads from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. (D), 60 from 3 p.m. to midnight (N) and just seven overnight (M). The patrol has no overnight staffing in 66 counties.

Iowa State Trooper District Coverage 01-06-10

To Culver, giving up some road and bridge funding to keep troopers on the road is “a pretty good trade-off.”

“We're dealing with a very tough time,” he said. “It makes sense for everyone to share in the sacrifice even if that means for some period of time we lose the ability to invest a small fraction of money from the RUTF in roads and bridges.”

Rep. Brian Quirk, D-New Hampton, chair of the House Transportation Committee, wouldn't bet on lawmakers seeing it Culver's way.

“Look, we have 6.8 percent unemployment and a struggling construction industry” so reducing funding for needed transportation improvements doesn't hold much appeal to lawmakers, he said.

Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Tom Rielly, D-Oskaloosa, promises to keep an open mind, but said the RUTF has not kept up with the state's transportation needs. The Department of Transportation estimates it will need $30 billion over the next 20 years to meet the state's needs. The price tag on just the most critical needs is $270 million a year.

“I understand the governor's concerns and I'm very supportive of the troopers,” said Rielly. In 2008, he worked to build support for the increase in registration fees, which should generate about $128 million a year. Last year, he pursued a gas tax hike until Culver promised to veto it.

He's willing to listen to Culver's proposal, but like Quirk, Rielly but doubts the votes are there to make the funding shift.

That could change when lawmakers realize the depth of the cuts needed to balance the 2011 budget, Quirk said. Then, dipping into the RUTF “may look more viable.”

He expects it will be near the end of the session before there is a decision on the issue.

By then, McCarthy said, things may not look so bleak. He expects government reorganization to save $250 million and a recent fiscal report showed an uptick in personal income tax revenue.

“The situation looks a little better than a couple of months ago,” McCarthy said. “The economy appears to have stabilized. We're not out of this yet, but maybe in four to six months … maybe there's light at the end of the tunnel.”