Lawmakers Face First “Funnel” Deadline of 2008 Session
The Senate was extremely busy with committee action this week as the Legislature faced its first self-imposed deadline of the 2008 session.
In order for a bill not to be declared dead at the end of the first “funnel” week, it must be approved by at least one committee in the Senate or House. The deadline, which comes roughly at the middle of the session, plays a key role in limiting the number of bills on the Legislature’s agenda. While the funnel does not apply to tax, appropriations, or leadership bills, it does help eliminate hundreds of measures.
With Democrats in control of both the Senate and House this year, many Republican-sponsored initiatives did not survive the first funnel. A majority of Republican-sponsored bills did not make it out of committee. Among them: a bill to help increase access to employer-provided insurance coverage for people who work in small businesses, legislation that dealt with a crackdown on illegal immigrants in Iowa receiving tuition and state money, and a bill that would prohibit libraries from allowing children under the age of 17 to check out video materials that are R-rated.
While the Senate Democrats have failed to introduce a solution to the record-high levels of student loan debt in Iowa, Senate Republicans introduced a bill last year that would guarantee incoming freshmen at Iowa's public universities would never see a tuition increase while attending school. The majority party, unfortunately, refused to bring the bill up for debate before the end of this funnel week, hence permanently killing the much needed measure.
The next benchmark of the legislative session is the second “funnel,” another self-imposed deadline that requires bills to be approved by the chamber where they originated as well as a committee in the opposite chamber.
Senate Republicans Meet with Governor
This week, Iowa Senate Republican leadership met with Governor Chet Culver in an attempt to bring an economic stimulus package to life for Iowans. Senate Republicans have remained firm in their stance on offering an expanded tax free holiday in August that would lift the exemption on purchasing school supplies to include home or personal items.
Senate Republicans have also advocated for an expanded unemployment training program that would take one percent of the withholding taxes paid by businesses each year over the next five years and use these funds for education purposes. The third prong in the plan would exempt any improvements made to an Iowan’s home over the next 5 years from taxation for as long as he or she owns the home.
The Governor would not commit to any of the Senate Republican’s ideas. Instead, Governor Culver said he would like to wait and convince the federal government to do more for Iowans. Because the President of the United States has already signed off on an economic stimulus package, there doesn’t seem to be any room for bargaining at this point.
As the price of gasoline and milk continues to rise, the time to help hard working Iowa families is now. By expanding the sales tax holiday, a family of four that receives a check for $1800 from the federal government will increase their buying power by six percent. This is equal to an extra $108 in their pocket to spend on new clothes, a new computer, or school supplies.
In addition, it is well-documented that over the next five years Iowa is expected to see a skilled workforce training deficit of 150,000 workers. In the Senate Republican’s economic stimulus plan, the diverted one percent of money from withholding taxes would go to a pool of money to be accessed by businesses that need to train their workers in order to compete in a 21st Century global economy. Senate Republicans will continue to focus on creating jobs for Iowans through continuing education.
Coal Energy Still Viable in Iowa
As rolling blackouts are seen throughout the country and power grids go down due to over-consumption, Iowans are faced with more options than ever when it comes to providing a solid, stable source of energy.
As state leaders gear up to talk about new coal plants being built in Marshalltown and Waterloo, Iowans are poised to be in a great position nationally when it comes to reliable power. Because coal power is more efficient than ever, Iowans will not suffer the recent fate of Texans: Power in some parts had to be cut for about 3 hours because of cold weather and a large dip in wind power production--their main source of energy.
Nearly 80 percent of the electricity used in Iowa is produced by American coal. Our state has among the lowest energy costs in the nation, due in large part to the state's reliance on coal. Access to low-cost electricity from coal is a huge economic driver in Iowa. According to a peer-reviewed study from Penn State University, electricity from coal contributes more than $21 billion to the state's economy, including nearly $7 billion in household income.
Many claims are made about power plant emissions and health concerns. These same claims can be made against cars, industrial boilers, agriculture emissions, pollen, dust, etc. The fact is there are many things in this environment that affect the quality of the air we breathe.
Today our air quality is better than it has been in a generation, and one reason is cleaner coal-based power plants. Great strides have been made by the clean coal electricity industry over the past 35 years to reduce emissions and make coal generation as clean and efficient as possible. In fact, today’s coal fleet is 70 percent cleaner than it was in 1970 thanks to the more than $50 billion that has been invested in clean coal technologies. Very few industries have that kind of track record.
Keeping energy costs affordable by using low-cost options like coal helps promote a healthier lifestyle for Iowa residents. The less money families spend on electricity, the more money they have to spend on health care, improved housing, and nutrition.. Those findings are supported by a growing body of research conducted by groups like the World Health Association (WHO), the United Nations, and leading academic institutions.
If you have any questions or concerns involving the Iowa Legislature, please feel free to email me at james.seymour@legis.state.ia.us.