Give Iowans a clear picture of state budget realities

As staunch supporters of transparency and honesty in state budgeting, we view the decision by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Pat Grassley to embark on a line-by-line review as progress, and believe placing the process in the capable hands of Cedar Rapids Rep. Ken Rizer, who serves as the committee's vice chairman, is a positive and solid choice.

That said, lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle have admitted there is little wiggle room within the state budget, and budgetary watchdogs, including Iowa Auditor Mary Mosiman, have cautioned that existing and ongoing budgetary commitments will worsen with time.

Over the course of 10 years, for instance, Iowa taxpayers will absorb more than $3 billion in commercial property tax relief at the state level, even as those same 2013 cuts pull an additional $741 million from local government budgets that provide libraries, parks, streets and emergency services.

The battle over K-12 education funding was at a fevered pitch in last year's legislative session. It ended in a squall when Gov. Terry Branstad dismantled a carefully crafted compromise with his veto pen, removing $55.7 million in one-time funding from schools. Despite promises to the contrary, we fear that education funding once again will stall at the Statehouse as legislators debate how much we can afford to spend on schools.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers point to standing appropriations - items that are automatically a part of each state budget - as a possible reason why the Legislature appears to be slicing a shrinking pie even as state revenues are increasing.

A three-member appropriations subcommittee, consisting of two Republicans and one Democrat, has said it will wade through last year's $3.46 billion appropriations bill. Such work may not be 'sexy,” as Rizer notes, but it is important. Iowans deserve a clear picture of state finances, including multiyear tax credits and commitments that will limit future lawmakers and governors.

Like many good ideas in Des Moines, this review has the potential of being mired in politics. We hope the lawmakers refuse to wield this review tool as a partisan sword. Establishing a firm set of review criteria and assessments would help.

Iowans need to hear their leaders spell out the budget choices the state is facing, and deserve an unfiltered summary of the reasons behind budget realities.

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