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Your Capitol Voice: 1.25% just a starting point for schools
by Bobby Kaufmann, State Representative · Op-Ed · February 12, 2015
As promised, this week I want to discuss education funding. I sat down and visited with Sam Miller and Kevin Hatfield, Superintendents at Solon and West Branch last week, and I want to thank them for their insight.
The House passed “Allowable Growth” for our K-12 schools at 1.25 percent. This was the recommendation of the governor. As I have communicated with many of you, I voted for 1.25 percent because I wanted to ensure that there was a vote within the 30-day window as required by law.
It is my strong desire to get the final number set within 30 days of the beginning of session, but as that day gets closer and closer, I have doubts that this final number will be reached.
My vote for 1.25 percent was a vote to begin the negotiations. In split government, like in most negotiations, the House passes the opening number (almost always low) and the Senate passes its opening number (almost always high) and then a final compromise is reached. I am pushing hard for this compromise to come as soon as possible and with as high of a number as we can afford.
I anticipate the Senate will pass 4 percent this week. (This is a significant change from their earlier announced intention of 6 percent reflecting the tight budget situation.) As we look for a compromise and try to find middle ground, I find it helpful to look at our overall budget and see what extra monies we have available.
The following numbers are already built into the new dollars we have for the 2015-16 budget. Without any cost containment or program changes, Medicaid is projected to increase by $206 million in FY2016.
This skyrocketing cost does not seem to have an end in sight, and worries many of us involved in the intricacies of balancing a budget.
The “backfill dollars” promised to local governments in the property tax reform bill will increase by $132 million in FY2016.
Finally, the Educational Reform package will increase by $60 million, $10 million of which will have to be funded in the Education appropriations bill. This means that $400 million of our new revenue dollars are already essentially allocated. This is before a single extra dollar goes towards mental health, food for seniors, water quality, and a host of other worthy and important programs.
I will fight for a higher “Allowable Growth” number. Some of us are exploring cost savings measures for Medicaid, cuts to some of the big checks we write out to large corporations in the name of economic development, and cutting non-essential spending.
I believe in our schools, our teachers, and our administrators. My family has a strong history of educators including my dad and brother. The challenge I face is getting as much money to our schools as possible while being able to fulfill our commitments.
In 2002, 2004, 2009,and 2010 the State instituted across-the-board cuts to education totaling $372.5 million. These mid-year cuts are devastating to our schools that have already set their budgets. It is my goal to get as much money to our schools, while never putting the State in a position for mid-year cuts.
This week in the Commerce committee we got to get a glimpse of the broadband proposal. Governor Terry Branstad’s newest proposal to expand high-speed Internet access resembles last year’s proposal, but it also has important differences.
The new bill attempts to incentivize broadband expansion in areas of Iowa where Internet speeds are below 25 megabits per second of download speed and three megabits per second of upload speed. Under the bill, an Internet provider could apply to the state’s chief information officer for a grant and a three-year property tax exemption for their new investments in underserved areas of Iowa.
It also would require local governments to either approve or deny applications for broadband infrastructure within 60 days of their submission. Unlike last year’s proposal, this year’s “Connect Every Acre” proposal does not include a process for private companies to lease bandwidth from the Iowa Communications Network (ICN). It also does not include provisions governing the sites of cellular towers, which was an issue last year.
Listening Post Schedule for Feb. 14:
8 a.m., Lowden City Hall
10 a.m., Tipton Farm Bureau Office
1 p.m., West Branch Library
Capitol visitors: Tim Reimers, Mary Iossi, Durant; Derek Sawvell, Wilton; Kevin Hatfield, Suzan Eram, West Branch; Sam Miller, Solon; Greg Jenkins, Muscatine; Andy Johnson, Rod Sullivan, Pat Harney, Mike Carberry, Mary Grace Elson, Iowa City.
You may contact Rep. Kaufmann at bobby.kaufmann@legis.iowa.gov, 515-281-3221 or 1527 330th St. Wilton, IA, 52778
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