Political Football

Your Capitol Voice

Representative Jeff Kaufmann

            It has been two weeks since the end of the 2010 legislative session and time to pen my last column.  Since adjournment I have had three additional forums with at least one to go.

            There is acknowledgement among legislators of both parties that there was good bipartisan policy passed this session. There is also acknowledgement that there is still a large budget gap.  Everyone agrees, with the exception of a few radical blogs, that this budget gap will be around 1 billion dollars.  In fact at my Johnson County forum last week, all legislators, Republican and Democrat, agreed on this amount which is also confirmed by the State Auditor.

            The real problem is that over 700 million in one-time money was used for ongoing expenses.  Analyses that deny the seriousness of this budget gap intentionally leave out this crucial fact. The crux of the problem for next year is that the one-time dollars are likely gone and there are little to no more funds from which to take money.

            We can argue as to whether we have a revenue issue or spending problem in this state, but what about a solution?  Whether I agree or not, it was a duly-elected Legislature that had a large enough majority to pass the increased spending and these problem budgets.  Next session Iowans will demand constructive discussion on how to truly balance the budget (as opposed to using one-time money and reserves) and how to control spending while providing needed services. Iowans will demand the legislature do better and they must.  These issues will command my attention through the spring, summer, and fall.  I will need your feedback now more than ever.

            Open dialogue is always a challenge in an election year, but we can’t wait until after the November elections to craft solutions. I need to keep open the lines of communications here at home.  This interim you will continue  to see me in your community and attending your events.  I plan, once again, to visit every city council and school board meeting in the District.  I will likely attend hundreds of meetings, events, parades, and ceremonies in the next 9 months.

            Please do not hesitate to contact me and do not hesitate to invite me to your community event if you think my presence would be constructive or helpful.  My job is to reflect this District and expect nothing to change in my taking that expectation seriously.

            Meanwhile I will return to the other facets of my life.  I will be teaching a full load this summer and fall.  I will be working to complete the South Bethel project in Tipton and a host of other historical projects.  And of course, there is hay to make, fences to mend, and lambs and calves to get ready for market.  Essentially I get to settle into the roles of what I am, and not just what I do.

            Thank you for the honor of representing you at the State Capitol. 

Contact Information:

E: mail:     jeff.kaufmann@legis.state.ia.us

Mail:         2125 Old Muscatine Road  Wilton IA 52778

Phone:     563-732-2902

Your Capitol Voice   From: Representative Jeff Kaufmann, R – Wilton (D-79)

            The 2010 legislative session ended last week and many citizens are evaluating laws and policies that passed.  I want to discuss the decisions that I believe will benefit Iowans and those that will not, and in some cases make a bad fiscal situation worse. 

            Policies I believe will benefit Iowans

1.  A texting ban for all citizens and a cell phone ban for teenagers is a good start for safer roads.
2. Attempts at expanding gambling failed.  I believe that new casinos or gambling opportunities are poor choices for economic development.
3. The “Ed Thomas bill” will help law enforcement protect citizens from newly released patients that are prone to violence.
4. The creation of uniform state standards for issuance of a “concealed carry” permit will ensure that our Second Amendment rights are not dependent on the county where we reside.
5. Government reorganization initiatives yielded millions of dollars of savings.  We could and should have gone much farther but this was a good start and a solid bipartisan effort.
6. Several veterans’ initiatives will strengthen Iowa law in favor of our servicemen and women.  It was a good policy year for vets but the Veterans Trust Fund is still not as strong as it used to be.  Lottery proceeds are not good enough for the long-term sustainability of this fund.
7. Iowa will continue to use incentives to encourage and support our biofuels industry.  I do not believe that a mandate is good or necessary policy at this time.
8. A law further protecting genetic information from use by insurance companies or any other entity is good policy. This is an example of state law catching up with technology.

Policies I believe are not good for Iowans

1.  Traffic fines and court costs were raised by an average of 92%.  Policy based on the need for revenue is not a good precedent and the amount charged for some of these fines is simply unreasonable.
2. Attempts to protect property rights failed along straight party line votes.  Given the push for regional flood plain planning, protection of property rights is a necessity to ensure individuals are not co-opted by centralized urban planners.
3. Attempts to place limits on tuition increases by the Board of Regents failed. I will continue to lead this cause regardless of the political challenges.
4. Open meetings and open records legislation should include a better and clearer enforcement mechanism.  That did not happen this year.
5. The amount of pork in the final bills was unnecessary and difficult to justify to any taxpayer in these poor economic times.  Carefully hidden under the titles of flood relief or I-Jobs, specific earmarks and projects for particular legislators often had nothing to do with flood/disaster relief or long-term job creation.
6. Property taxes will increase due to policies that placed fiscal pressure on local governments like school boards and city councils.  Almost 200 million in potential increases this year alone and a potential for almost one-half billion over the next three years.  Bottom-line: This year’s state budget will increase taxes despite election-year rhetoric.
7. We entered this session with a 1.1 billion dollar budget gap. We left with a 1.0 billion dollar budget gap. (This does not even include the 1.6 billion in bonding debt we have acquired in the last two years.)   
8. Key point: Our budget situation next year will be worse than this year because of fiscal policies that did not account for past mistakes and the current recession.  You will hear that our budget is 5.3 billion and balanced.  Highly misleading.  In addition to the 5.3 billion that was spent from our general fund, the State also spent 726 million in one-time money from either the feds or our reserves.  This 6 billion dollar budget is the second largest in Iowa history.  In my opinion, there is no way to justify this, hence a partisan budget that was passed along straight party lines.

In summary there were some good bipartisan policy initiatives this year. The budgetary work, though, was often partisan and has placed Iowa in a more precarious financial situation than when we started the session. Our next legislative session will be challenging; certainly the most challenging in my six years as your legislator.