2019 Legislative Session - Week 9

Iowa’s budget forecast remains relatively stable, although the state will bring in slightly less revenue than anticipated. That’s according to numbers released today by the Revenue Estimating Conference (REC).  The expert panel projected the state will rake in $7.84 billion for the fiscal year beginning July 1.  That’s roughly $20 million less than they predicted last December.

Today’s REC meeting was a “spot check” for lawmakers as they begin more serious budget negotiations.  In December, the REC released a set of numbers giving the legislature a rough idea of how much money they’d have to work with for the next fiscal year.  By law, if the March REC projection is lower than anticipated in December, the legislature must curb their spending ambitions and use the new numbers.  House and Senate Republicans were already shooting for about $7.6 billion in spending.  That means the slight dip in anticipated earnings won’t affect current GOP budget plans. 

Earlier this week, legislators began focusing more on floor debate.  In the House, Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly supported a bill that would extend the one-cent sales tax for schools.  The Secure an Advanced Vision for Education, or SAVE fund, helps school districts finance repairs and new construction.  Initially, the tax was set to expire in 2029.  HF 546 would extend the sunset to 2051.  It would also authorize spending on school safety measures, and dedicate more funding to property tax relief.  The bill passed 96-3, with freshmen Reps. Jeff Shipley (R-Fairfield), and Phil Thompson (R-Jefferson) opposed.  Rep. Skyler Wheeler (R-Orange City) joined them in opposition to the measure.

On the Senate side, a bill that would change the make-up of nominating commissions for Iowa’s appellate judges and Supreme Court justices passed on a party-line vote, 32-17.  Republicans argue their measure, SF 237, would create greater voter accountability.  Democrats say the move politicizes the state’s merit-based nomination process, which is a model for the nation.  (See our previous coverage of the GOP proposal here.)