The second benchmark of the 2005 legislative session has arrived and lawmakers have been busy attending committee meetings and debating legislation in an effort to keep bills alive beyond the second ìfunnelî deadline.
In order for a bill to be eligible for debate after the second funnel, it must be approved by the chamber where it originated as well as a committee in the opposite chamber. That means Senate files are required to have passed the Senate and a House committee by now in order to stay alive for the rest of the session. The funnel deadline does not apply to tax, leadership or appropriations bills.
Senate committees have taken up fewer bills this year due to the 25-25 split where control is shared equally between Republicans and Democrats.
Yet despite the slow pace, progress still has been made on a number of measures. Legislation approved by the Senate this year includes bills to crack down on Iowaís meth labs, improve the college readiness of high school students, establish a quality child care rating system, shrink the size of the stateís deer population and deregulate Iowaís large telephone companies. Lawmakers are also developing legislation to toughen Iowaís sex offender laws and spur new job and business growth across the state.
In the coming weeks, budget negotiations will continue as we try to find agreement on appropriations bills for the 2006 fiscal year. The Senate has approved only one of the nine budget bills that lawmakers must pass before the 2005 session adjourns.
While lawmakers generally agree on many areas of the budget, there are significant differences over funding levels for state employee salaries, education and health and human services. Right now, Democrats and Republicans are about $200 million apart in their spending proposals. Senator Hatch and I are millions of dollars apart in Health and Human Services.
A critical element in the budget negotiations is whether lawmakers will approve an increase in the cigarette tax, or ìuser feeî as I refer to it. Any potential hike would bring more revenue into the state treasury and lawmakers who are supportive of the measure, as I am, have a number of ideas on how they would like to spend the money. I am still advocating the dollars to go into the Senior Living Trust Fund to be used only for Medicaid or long term care. Others do not want to raise taxes on Iowans to increase spending. Lawmakers will have to make some decisions on the issue before our budget work is complete- the sooner, the better.
As we enter the last few weeks of the 2005 legislative session, senators will consider legislation that has made it past the second funnel in addition to budget bills and economic growth measures. As we work towards these goals, senators are committed to developing good public policy that focuses on the priorities of Iowans. I do believe that we will be able to agree on helping our seniors, children, families and the disabled with the budget.
