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Your Capitol Voice: Balanced budget, school funding and RICL action all positive for legislature
by Bobby Kaufmann, State Representative · Op-Ed · May 12, 2016


The 2016 Legislative is officially done. We adjourned after 110 days a week ago Friday.


As I have done for the last four years I will write three final columns.

The column before you and the one next week will have the half-dozen things I am pleased to have passed the legislature as well as the six items I am disappointed did not happen.

My final column will address any vetoes Governor Branstad issues.

Three issues I am pleased passed the Iowa Legislature:

1. Balanced budget and spending less than the state takes in: It is imperative to me that the State continues to be fiscally responsible. Sound budgeting practices provide long-term predictability and solvency for all areas of Government.

The State of Iowa is one of the strongest states in the nation when it comes to debt load and low unemployment.

I believe this atmosphere fosters growth, provides certainty for employers, and allows for entrepreneurs to have success.

2. School funding and testing: School funding goes on my list of items of successes as well as the disappointments.

The good thing about this year it that it was significantly better than last year.

Last year school funding didn’t get decided until June, it was set at 1.25 percent, and Governor Branstad vetoed the one-time money.

Fast forward to 2016.

We passed and got signed into law 2.25 percent in March.

This provides the schools with certainty and predictability as they negotiate next year’s budget.

One educational policy that was also a good thing is that we delayed implementation of Smarter Balanced Testing for another year.

The money was not there so it would have been an unfunded mandate on already burdened school districts.

In addition, scores of teachers reached out to me with concerns for the test so I am happy we have another year to evaluate what is truly best.

3. RICL: We did not get everything we wanted when it comes to the Rock Island Clean Line but for the first time in three years we made real legislative progress.

The Clean Line petition is currently in “pause” mode.

I find this to be very unfair to landowners who should have finality.

We not only instituted a two-year expiration on the project but we also defined “merchant line” in the code for the first time.

This should give the Utilities Board direction and hopefully they agree with me that a private merchant line should NOT have the power of eminent domain.

I hope the Governor signs that legislation.

Three disappointments:

1. I was pleased school funding was settled earlier, but I thought we could have done more for the following budget year.

We are supposed to set school funding for the NEXT year as well.

I hope in the upcoming session we can stop this trend and make school funding more automatic.

I was also disappointed we did not see an extension of the penny for schools, but I am also glad there was no extension with a diversion to water quality.

2. Water quality: The House passed a water quality plan that did not get taken up by the Senate.

The Senate wanted to raise the 3/8 cent that was placed in our constitution by voters in 2010.

Neither of these plans came to fruition.

It will be a top goal of the 2017 session to get a long-term solution to water quality.

3. Medical Cannabis: It was very disappointing to me that we adjourned without a vote on medical cannabis.

Countless families in the district have reached out to me that want to be able to try this medicine to help their kids with epilepsy, among other ailments.

Just a reminder, we are not talking about marijuana – we are talking about the oil extract from the cannabis plant.

You cannot smoke it or get high from it.

You can currently possess it in Iowa but we do not produce it and you cannot legally obtain it.

I did vote for a bill that would have expanded access by partnering with Minnesota, but unfortunately it failed.

I expect a big push for this next year.

Next week I will continue my list of successes and disappointments for the 2016 session.



You may contact Rep. Kaufmann at bobby.kaufmann@legis.iowa.gov, 515-281-3221 or 1527 330th St. Wilton, IA, 52778