Iowa Speedway money part of wide-ranging Senate budget bill

The Iowa Senate passed a wide-ranging standings appropriation bill Tuesday night that included an $8 million, four-year commitment of state money to help the Newton-based Iowa Speedway bring a NASCAR Sprint Cup race to Iowa.

Senators voted 26-24 along party lines to approve a revised Senate File 452 after turning back minority Republican amendments that sought to mandate drug-testing for public assistance recipients, require voters to provide a photo ID to receive an election ballot, and establish education savings accounts for parents to use per-pupil state funding to educate their children in public or private schools or at home.

“It's a Christmas tree that you have to be half crazy to vote for,” said Sen. Jerry Behn, R-Boone, who opposed the bill on final passage. but indicated he would have supported the measure had majority Democrats approved his education savings account amendment. It failed 25-25 with Sen. Joe Seng, D-Davenport, joining 24 GOP senators in voting for Behn's amendment.

The revised fiscal 2014 budget bill attracted a number of policy issues that had stalled or died in the normal legislative process, including background check requirements for school employees and motor vehicle-based businesses catering ice cream or other products specifically to children.

Other provisions authorized bonding authority for counties seeking to build new courthouses, addressed a city franchise fee dispute involving the city of Des Moines and approved a sales tax exemption for off-duty police providing free-lance security services with the approval of their departmental superiors.

The bill include a salary provision to appropriate $41.4 million for the fiscal 2014 collective bargaining agreements with state workers and had language indicating that all benefits for non-contract employees shall be consistent with provisions of the agreement covering the largest bargaining unit – which appeared to bar a monthly 20 percent health insurance premium favored by Gov. Terry Branstad.

The surprise piece, however, was the $2 million annual appropriation for the Newton auto race track in Newton through fiscal year 2017.

“The Sprint Cup is the Holy Grail of NASCAR racing. It's the big boys and girls' race and it's probably one of the most popular sporting events in America,” said Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, a race fan and season-ticket holder at the Newton track. “They're working very hard at the (Iowa) Speedway to get this race to the track.”

Dotzler said lawmakers were agreeing to chip in state resources because the track is a major tourism draw and economic engine for a Newton area hard hit by the loss of manufacturing jobs. He said the yearly appropriations would supplement track investments in things like additional bleachers, more parking and concessions to accommodate larger crowds.

“It's a big commitment. It's a big-time thing and it's pretty exciting for Iowa,” he added. “There's no guarantee. Nobody's saying that we're going to get a race in four years.”

However, Dotzler said the track has attracted a major truck race event and a Nationwide series race, and people knowledgeable about NASCAR racing believe “Iowa is next in line” for a Sprint Car race because Newton offers “short track, door to door, bangin' racing” that fans like to watch.

The bill now goes to the House for further consideration.

Tim Albrecht, spokesman for Gov. Terry Branstad, said “the governor will need to review the legislation in its final form prior to indicating the action he will take.”