House Republicans will begin working the first day of the 2011 legislative session on finding "several hundred million dollars" to cut in the current year's budget, House Speaker-elect Kraig Paulsen and House Majority Leader-elect Linda Upmeyer announced this week after being selected for their new leadership positions.
"We're going to look for opportunities to reduce spending in the current year's budget, and we will be doing that on day one," said Paulsen (R-Hiawatha). "I think it's several hundred million dollars. Are people going to notice? I don't know. I would say 'probably not' because I think there's several hundred million dollars in the current year's budget of marginal or no value to Iowans."
The legislature convenes January 10 and is expected to run 110 days - through April 29 - although Paulsen said he's amenable to shortening the session.
House Republicans intend to move quickly with that de-appropriations bill, and the Iowa Power Fund is one target for cuts. Republicans believe that if they don't address the Fiscal Year 2011 budget, then it's going to make the Fiscal Year 2012 budget that much harder to put together.
But Iowa Democratic Party Chair Sue Dvorsky said scrapping the Iowa Power Fund would be irresponsible. "Renewable energy is the future, and thanks to Democratic leadership, Iowa has become a national leader," she said. "It would be irresponsible to cut a program that has been so successful in moving Iowa into the 21st Century while creating jobs and expanding investments in the state."
House Republicans will also focus on job-creation, and on undoing property-tax increases of the past two years. As for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, Paulsen said he expects the House to handle that resolution "sooner rather than later." Such a resolution would have to pass two consecutive General Assemblies before being put to a vote of the people. Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal (D-Council Bluffs) has vowed to block such a vote.
Upmeyer (R-Garner) this week called being elected Iowa's first female House majority leader a "humbling experience." She is the daughter of Del Stromer, who served 23 years in the Iowa House and served as speaker, majority leader, and minority leader. She became emotional when talking to reporters about her father, who died during her first term as a legislator.
"I think back a lot to advice my dad gave me," Upmeyer said. "The thing that I always remember the most is sometimes when I complain that I didn't feel very lucky, I didn't win this or that. My dad always told me the harder you work, the luckier you get. And I absolutely believe that's true, and I think we demonstrate that every day. ... I hope he'd be really excited for me."
House Republicans also elected Jeff Kaufmann of Wilton as speaker pro tem and Erik Helland of Johnston as House majority whip. Rerpresentatives Matt Windschitl of Missouri Valley, Renee Schulte of Cedar Rapids, Dave Deyoe of Nevada, and Steve Lukan of New Vienna will be assistant majority leaders.
Paulsen said he plans to finalize committee-chair assignments next week. Four of the eight House Republican leaders have previously served in the majority. The caucus will have 22 new members next year, which means there will be a learning curve. "That's a third of the caucus," Paulsen said, joking: "We're past name tags. We actually can recognize by sight."
Charlie Smithson, executive director for the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board since 2001 and the board's attorney since 1998, was this week named chief clerk of the House by Paulsen. He begins his new job December 1.
GOP: Democrats Should Show New Willingness for Cuts
With Iowa Democrats losing control of the governor's office and the Iowa House and only having a slim majority in the Iowa Senate, they should be more willing to approve spending cuts in the state budget, Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley (R-Chariton) said Monday after being re-elected to his leadership position.
"I believe, with a House and a very close Senate count of 26 Democrats [and] 24 Republicans, that the Democrats who have a one-vote advantage should have read the same results that I read," McKinley said. "They know that they are in jeopardy if, in fact, they continue to spend at the rate they're spending. I think we will see a new willingness on their part, and if not, they do so at their own jeopardy."
With a Republican governor and House, McKinley expects a lot of bills to make their way to the Iowa Senate next year. He said Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal (D-Council Bluffs) will no longer have the luxury of letting three or four senators from conservative districts vote with their districts and against the Democratic caucus.
"He has no margin to spare," McKinley said. "I can tell you very clearly that many of these senators who have talked one way back home saying, 'We are fiscal conservatives, [and] we don't like all this spending,' now they're going to have the true opportunity to put their vote up on the board where it really counts. I think you may see Mike's caucus in some instances do the right thing and convince him the right thing is to cut spending."
Gronstal later said he was willing to work with Republicans and that lawmakers might be able to agree on deep spending cuts backed by the GOP. He said he's already reached out to Republicans who now hold the House majority and to Governor-elect Terry Branstad. "We are certainly willing to look at their ideas," Gronstal told the Associated Press. "We cut somewhere in the neighborhood of $250 million last year."
McKinley asserted that the three Iowa Supreme Court justices ousted in the November 2 election would still be in office had Gronstal allowed a vote of the people on a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
"I believe the judges would still be in office had Mike Gronstal allowed that vote over the past two years," Gronstal said. "It would not even have been an issue. You can lay that squarely at the feet of the Democrats. And I don't know if they want to be responsible for a re-do of this in two years on a retention vote or not. But I would think that many of their members who have professed that they think people should have a vote will be given the opportunity to do the right thing."
Two More Leadership Elections to Go; Democrats Meet Sunday and Monday
The race to be the leader of House Democrats appears to have come down to two candidates: current House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Appropriations chair Jo Oldson, both of Des Moines.
"Those two are the ones showing interest," said Representative Dave Jacoby (D-Coralville), who expected a flurry of activity at the end of this week from those campaigning for the leadership posts. "They're both very good. I think what it will come down to is who's the strongest raising money and keeping the caucus cohesive."
House Democrats meet at 10 a.m. Monday in the old Supreme Court chamber of the Capitol for a closed-door caucus to elect their leaders after a bruising election in which their numbers dwindled from 56 to 40.
Jacoby, who's currently an assistant majority leader, told IowaPolitics.com that he will not be among those running. "I'm not seeking any position in leadership this year," he said, noting that the minority has been known as the party of opposition. "I'm just not in the mood to lead the opposition. If we do good things together, I'm going to vote for it."
But Jacoby has received calls from lawmakers vying to hold an assistant leadership post. He believes six people - state Representatives Ako Abdul Samad of Des Moines, Roger Thomas of Elkader, Mark Smith of Marshalltown, Bruce Hunter of Des Moines, Mary Mascher of Iowa City, and Sharon Steckman of Mason City - are vying for the four positions.
With a 40-member minority, it's expected that some House Democrats will feel less obligated to vote with their caucus next year because their votes won't likely determine passage or failure of a bill. "People are more free to vote their conscience and district," Jacoby said.
That may be especially true with a resolution that would allow a vote on a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. The issue is expected to be taken up in caucus shortly after the session convenes January 10, and will be brought quickly to the House floor by the new Republican majority.
"I think you're going to see some people in rural areas having to dig deep to see how they're going to vote," said Jacoby, who supports the Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriages and would not support the resolution. "If it came up for a vote of the people, I would vote against it. I don't think marriage should be part of the government; it should be individual churches making the decision."
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats will caucus at 1 p.m. Sunday in Room 22 of the Iowa Capitol to discuss legislative priorities and elect their leadership. Senate President Jack Kibbie (D-Emmetsburg) and Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal (D-Council Bluffs) are expected to be re-elected to their leadership positions.
Counties Canvass Election Results; No Recounts Expected in Close Races
Recounts will not be requested in five legislative races won by thin margins, officials with the Iowa Democratic Party and Republican Party of Iowa said Thursday.
Friday was the deadline to request a recount in the 2010 election. With no recounts looming, the final tally has Republicans with a 60-40 majority in the Iowa House and Democrats with a 26-24 majority in the Iowa Senate.
County canvasses held Monday and Tuesday altered vote counts slightly but did not change the results of the November 2 election.
In the Iowa Senate:
· Republican Mark Chelgren defeated Senator Keith Kreiman (D-Bloomfield) by 12 votes in Iowa Senate District 47.
· Democrat Tod Bowman defeated Republican Andrew Naeve by 71 votes in Senate District 13.
In the Iowa House:
· Representative Andrew Wenthe (D-Hawkeye) defeated Republican Roger Arthur by 36 votes in Iowa House District 18.
· Republican Chip Baltimore defeated Representative Donovan Olson (D-Boone) in Iowa House District 48 by 23 votes.
· Democrat John Wittneben defeated Republican Lannie Miller by 32 votes in Iowa House District 7.
The Executive Council - made up of the governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, and agriculture secretary - will meet Monday, November 29 as the State Board of Canvass to certify the 2010 election results.
Branstad Names First State-Agency Head
David Roederer, already the chair of Governor-elect Terry Branstad's transition team, was this week named the new director of the Iowa Department of Management.
Roederer, a former chief of staff to Branstad, is currently the executive director of the Iowa Chamber Alliance. He'll assume his new position when Branstad takes office January 14. The job is currently held by Dick Oshlo in the Culver administration.
"In David, Iowans will have a hard-working and dedicated public servant running the Department of Management," Branstad said. "He will bring energy and enthusiasm to this position, and is someone who will be a trusted ally for Iowa's taxpayers. We have a significant number of challenges facing our state budget, and David will be instrumental in helping me create a five-year strategic budget plan, implement a two-year budget, and bring state spending back in line with state resources."
Roederer, who previously said he's helping oversee the 72-day transition period but didn't plan to work for the administration, this week said he looks forward to his new position. He was among three top names in Branstad's campaign who have already been given key positions on the transition team and administration.
In addition to Roederer, Jeff Boeyink will be co-chair of the transition team and Branstad's chief of staff; while Tim Albrecht will be communications director for both the transition team and the new administration.
Meanwhile, former state Representative Carmine Boal (R-Ankeny), who served as the policy director of the Branstad campaign, said she will also be working for Branstad. "I have been told I have a job," she said.
As is customary, Culver will still give the Condition of the State address to a joint session of the Iowa legislature on January 11, while Branstad will give his inaugural address January 14 and submit a proposed state budget for Fiscal Year 2012 by the end of January.
Meanwhile, the job hunt has begun for 1,183 state workers who are considered "at-will employees" and serve at the pleasure of the governor and his administration. Those employees include department directors, bureau chiefs, other state-agency administrators who work directly below directors, some public-information officers, and the governor's office staff. They also include the majority of workers - a spokesperson estimated 82 percent or more - at the Iowa Department of Economic Development, which Branstad has proposed eliminating and replacing with a public/private partnership.
2012 Presidential Campaign Gears Up
Two possible contenders for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination have released new books and will make Iowa stops on their book-signing tours.
Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich will be here next Tuesday and Wednesday to sign copies of and talk about his new book, Valley Forge: George Washington & the Crucible of Victory. He'll make stops in West Des Moines, Ames, and Cedar Rapids.
Meanwhile, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will make two Iowa stops - in Des Moines on Saturday, November 27, and in Spirit Lake on Thursday, December 2 - as part of her nine-day, 16-stop signing tour for her book America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, & Flag.
And former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, the winner of the 2008 Iowa caucuses, will also return to Iowa this month. He will be the keynote speaker at the The Iowa Family Policy Center Action's "Celebrate the Family" event on Sunday, November 21.
This weekly summary comes from IowaPolitics.com, an online government and politics news service. Reporter Andrew Duffelmeyer and other correspondents contributed to this report.
