Area legislators provide insight into 2018 session

     Iowa Legislators returned to the Statehouse in Des Moines on Jan. 8 for the start of the new legislative session. Back at it are area legislators Sen. Tob Bowman (D), Sen. Dan Zumbach, (R), and Rep. lee Hein (R).

     With new Governor Kim Reynolds at the helm, and education and mental health funding being a hot topic right now, the Express reached out to are area legislators for their comments going into the new session.

Sen. Tod Bowman

     Q: What are the top three priorities for the state this session?

     A: Better-paying jobs, a revitalization of small towns and rural Iowa, and ensuring Iowa children receive the best education in the country.

     Q: What percent of the state’s budget is reserved for education? Do you see an increase in public education funding?

     A: Overall, education funding makes up about 60 percent of the state budget. The biggest share of the funding goes for basic funding of K-12 schools (about 42 percent of the state budget). The remainder goes to community colleges, regents and other educational programs.

     After enduring the worst funding increases in the state’s history over the past seven years, I am hopeful that the Legislature can find additional funding for our K-12 schools.

     Q: Where do you see the funding of education vouchers ending up this session?

     A: I am a strong supporter of public schools AND non-public schools. For the most recent fiscal year available, it is estimated that more than $44 million in state funding went to non-public education, including the School Tuition Organization (STO) tax credit appropriation.

     There are ongoing discussions about what legislation will be introduced regarding education vouchers for the 2018 session.

     Q: Do you anticipate increased funding going toward mental health?

     A: Republican and Democrats in the legislature must work together to create a mental health system that is there when Iowans need it. I hope the legislature can find the resources necessary to provide essential services, including mental health services.

     Q: After Congress passed a new tax plan recently, do you see Iowa falling in line as well with a new tax system for Iowans? Why is this something you would/would not like to see happen?

     A: When it comes to taxes, let’s learn from the mistakes of President Trump and the U.S. Congress. And let’s not forget the lessons of the Kansas disaster.

     I believe we must follow these guiding principles:

     • Taxes should be fair to all Iowans.

     • Corporate tax credits should be examined.

     • Tax reform must make Iowa’s tax code more transparent.

     • Tax reform needs to take into account our current budget situation.

     Changes should be developed with everyone’s input. Some of the biggest mistakes of the 2017 session – anti-worker legislation, voter suppression and other extreme changes – were cooked up behind closed doors without any input from hard-working Iowans.

     Q: Do you see more/continued incentives for Iowa to attract/retain more businesses?

     A: The legislature needs to focus more time and energy on revitalizing Iowa’s small towns and rural areas. This includes:

     • Expanding job creation efforts in all 99 counties.

     • Encouraging entrepreneurs, especially in small towns.

     Q: Where do see funding going in terms of economic development and affordable housing, especially in rural parts of Iowa?

     A: I would support efforts to direct more resources to small towns and rural parts of our state, including:

     • Expanding access to high-speed Internet in rural areas and small towns.

     • Ensuring accessibility to safe, affordable housing.

     • Increasing cultural and recreational opportunities.

     Q: Additional comments.

     A: The legislature needs to make a stronger effort to improve the quality of life in Iowa so that it’s the best state to live, work and raise a family. For the 2018 session, this includes:

     • Protecting retirement security.

     • Improving water quality and protecting Iowa’s environment.

     • Ensuring access to quality, affordable healthcare.

     • Protecting seniors from financial exploitation, neglect and abuse.

Sen. Dan Zumbach

     Q: What are the top three priorities for the state this session?

     A: Each legislator will have an opinion on his/her priorities. The three I will tackle first will be 1. Build a budget, 2. Develop a water quality bill, 3. Pass economic development policy to help rural Iowa.

     Q: What percent of the state’s budget is reserved for education? Do you see an increase in public education funding?

     A: Public education will consume approximately 56 percent of the state’s budget right off the bat. Many non-education departments will have to become more efficient. I will promote education be held whole without cuts.

     Q: Where do you see the funding of education vouchers ending up this session?

     A: Education vouchers will be a discussion again this year. It is hard to say how much steam this concept has. If it has any, it will be minimal.

     Q: Do you anticipate increased funding going toward mental health?

     A: Mental health is difficult because it is not a lack of funding or facilities. It is a lack of doctors in the mental health field. We will work toward a solution as best we can.

     Q: After Congress passed a new tax plan recently, do you see Iowa falling in line as well with a new tax system for Iowans? Why is this something you would/would not like to see happen?

     A: The U.S. Congress has given the citizens of Iowa more money in their pockets. I believe the Iowa Legislature should do the same. I see tax policy changing to promote economic growth and a smaller tax bite.

     Q: Do you see more/continued incentives for Iowa to attract/retain more businesses?

     A: Promoting job growth is always important. We will continue looking for responsible ways for competitive job creation.

     Q: Where do see funding going in terms of economic development and affordable housing, especially in rural parts of Iowa?

     A: Affordable housing and economic development will happen where local communities have a need. The funding and programs can help those needs as they develop in an area. Private, city, and state partnerships are the best systems.

     Q: Additional comments.

     A: Looking at Iowa from 10,000 feet, things are pretty good. Food, housing, and fuel are lower costs than most states. Unemployment is now in the 2 percent range. Education funding is better than a vast majority of the states. Our roads are being repaired. This allows us to concentrate on other topics that are concerns of Iowans. My mission is to work with other Senate members, members of the House, and Gov. Reynolds to make things happen.

Rep. Lee Hein

     Q: What are the top three priorities for the state this session?

     A: Water quality, healthcare issues (managed care and MCOs, opioid epidemic, and the individual health insurance market), and tax reform.

     Q: What percent of the state’s budget is reserved for education? Do you see an increase in public education funding?

     A: We spend nearly $3.2 billion on K-12 education every year, which accounts for 45 percent of the state’s entire budget. When you include the regent universities and community colleges, total education spending makes up more than half of the state budget.

     It’s looking like another tight budget year so I’m not sure how much additional funding schools will get next year. However, I anticipate that this will be decided very early in the session. Over the last seven years, we’ve increased funding for K-12 education by $735 million since 2011. In addition to more funding, we’ve also given schools unprecedented flexibility in how they can spend those funds.

     Q: Where do you see the funding of education vouchers ending up this session?

     A: While I support parental choice in education, it has a very large cost. With the budget looking tight once again, I don’t think we will be able to fit this into the budget this session. We will look for other opportunities to give parents choice in their kid’s education.

     Q: Do you anticipate increased funding going toward mental health?

     A: Mental health is an issue that many states are struggling with. We don’t want to reach the point where our jails and prisons become mental health treatment facilities. Like I said earlier, the budget is going to be tight, so I’m not sure what we’ll be able to do on this.

     Since I’ve been in the House, we’ve been very responsive to the needs of the mental health regions. Last session, we passed a bill that made mental health funding more equitable in the regions.

     Q: After Congress passed a new tax plan recently, do you see Iowa falling in line as well with a new tax system for Iowans? Why is this something you would/would not like to see happen?

     A: Tax reform is certainly something that we’re interested in doing this session, but we can’t do it at the expense of basic functions of government. I’d like to see Iowa have a tax system that is simpler, fairer, and more competitive. We have some of the highest income tax rates in the entire country. This means less money in Iowans’ pockets and puts Iowa at a disadvantage when businesses are looking to grow or expand.

     Q: Do you see more/continued incentives for Iowa to attract/retain more businesses?

     A: We should continually be reviewing Iowa’s various tax credits, deductions, and exemptions to ensure that they there are a good use of Iowan’s tax dollars. If some sort of tax incentive program is no longer useful, then we should consider doing away with it.

     Q: Where do see funding going in terms of economic development and affordable housing, especially in rural parts of Iowa?

     A: We passed a bill on this issue just last session (SF 488). The state currently provides $20 million in incentives for qualified workforce housing projects. These incentives are provided on a first-come first-served basis, but we changed the law to reserve at least $5 million for small cities and rural areas.

     Q: Additional comments.

     A: I’m ready to get back to work on behalf of all of my constituents. I’d love to hear their thoughts on bills as they are debated during session and encourage folks to reach out if they are having issues with a state department or agency. I can be reached with my e-mail address lee.hein@legis.iowa.gov or my phone number 319-480-1997.