Iowa House of Representatives

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Iowa House of Representatives
STATEHOUSE NEWS — October 31, 2007
[PDF Download]

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

• County Grant Program for Veterans

• Regents Universities and Credit Cards

• Health Commission Works on Recommendations

• Battle Flags to be Rotated at the Capitol

• TIME 21 Committee Meets to Discuss Road Funding

• Auditor Suggests Changes to Iowa Student Loan
• College Aid Says PLUS Loans Underutilized

• Executive Order Addresses Diversity in Government
• Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council Meets
• Criminal Code Reorganization Committee Meets
• Committee Hears Success of Drug Courts
• Grant Deadline for Arts and Culture Organizations

• Interoperable Communications Board Meets

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The Iowa Board of Regents gave their first approval today to a 3.2 tuition increase at state universities next year, the lowest increase since 1980.   Keeping tuition affordable at our state univerisities was one of the top priorties of Democrats in the Iowa Legislature last year.

The scoop from the Cedar Rapids Gazette:

“Students at Iowa’s state universities will likely pay a 3.2 percent more in base tuition next year, after the state Board of Regents gave initial approval to proposed tuition increases today.
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A new board created to keep Iowans safe through improved emergency communications met for the first time on Tuesday.  State Representative Bob Kressig of Cedar Falls, who has worked on the issue for several years, sponored and managed the bill (House File 353) that created the board during the 2007 legislative session.

The goal of the board is plan and implement an intergrated emergency communications network (called interoperability) that will allow all police, state troopers, fireman, and other first responders to communicate with each other in real time.

AMES, Iowa – Oct. 29, 2007 – 2:45 p.m. – The Iowa Department of Transportation is now expanding road closures in the Des Moines area due to an explosion on the city’s east side.

Now all eastbound lanes and ramps on Interstate 35/80 are closed between the west and east mixmasters.

Interstates 35 and 235 and U.S. 69 in the Des Moines metro remain open at this time.

Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

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Contact for road closure related information: Dena Gray-Fisher at 515-239-1922 or dena.grayfisher@dot.iowa.gov

Insurance Commissioner Sue Voss said that Midwest Medical Insurance Company (MMCI) is reducing physician base rates by 9.6% for 2008. MMCI is a Minneapolis based physician-owned insurance company and the largest writer of medical malpractice insurance in Iowa.

Also — the MMCI web site http://www.mmicgroup.com/ says that beginning on January 1, 2008, MMCI will offer a premium credit to those who use electronic records. Press Release below:

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A big thank you to Gordon Fischer over at Iowa True Blue for linking to our new House Democratic Caucus site.  You’re the best….

The support from a number of statewide blogs has been excellent.  Thank you to those over at Bleeding Heartland, Iowa Independent, and others….we’ll be regularly updating our blogroll.

Iowa legislators on the State Prison System Planning Study Committee toured the Iowa Correctional Institute for Women in Mitchelville yesterday. According to the Iowa Department of Corrections, the facility was designed to hold 443 inmantes, but the inmate population this year has averaged 609.

In today’s Des Moines Register, State Representative Todd Taylor of Cedar Rapids made the following remarks:

“Some of these infrastructure needs are serious. We are going to have to tear down some buildings and construct some new buildings.”

The committee will continue work this fall and make recommendations for the 2008 legislative session.

Posted by deanfiihr @ 12:15 PM

The Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) held their quarterly meeting yester and increased their revenue estimate for FY 2008, from 4.2% to 5.1%. This means the state is estimated to experience an increase in revenues of $288.6 million over FY 2007, an increase of $49.1 million since the April 7th estimate. Revenue coming in to the state is meeting expectations for our 2007 & 2008 budget years. We are making it a priority to maintain a fiscally responsible budget while keeping our savings accounts and “rainy day” accounts full. We are currently on track to keep those committments.

REC Update - October 9, 2007 [link]

REC Update - Raw Data [link]

The REC also made their first estimate on FY 2009. The REC is estimating that FY 2009 revenues will increase by another 2.6% above the new FY 2008 revenue estimate. This means the state is projected to have net general fund receipts of $6.091 billion, which is $156.2 million more than is estimated to be raised in FY 2008. The REC will meet again in December to review both the FY 2008 and FY 2009 revenue estimates. The December estimate for FY 2009 is the estimate that the Governor and Legislature must use when crafting the FY 2009 budget during the 2008 session.

The Governor has recently recommended that executive agencies submit FY 2009 budgets that maintain status quo budgetary levels with minimal “cost of living” adjustments. According to Culver spokespeople:

One reason for the potentially slow growth in 2008-09 is that current-year growth is expected to be large, which makes it a tough act to follow. The panel said Tuesday that 2007-08 revenues should come in at $5.9 billion, up 5.1 percent from the year before. Much of the growth is because of the $1-per-pack increase in the cigarette tax earlier this year.Charles Krogmeier, Gov. Chet Culver’s top budget adviser and a member of the panel, said the 2.6 percent forecast would leave the state roughly $200 million short of the money it needs to cover built-in expenses from previous years. But he noted that much of the shortfall would be covered by a projected budget surplus at the end of the current year.”I’ve been meeting with the governor the last couple days to go over those budgets and see where we might make some adjustments to make up that gap,” Krogmeier said. He said most state agencies are being asked to submit level-funded budgets for 2008-09.

Rep. Donovan Olson’s podcast from week 15 of the 2007 legislative session.