The Iowa legislature concluded the 2015 session at 3:50 Friday afternoon after passing a $7.3 billion spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The plan includes $7.17 billion in ongoing spending and $135 million in one-time payments from cash surpluses expected at the end of the current fiscal year June 30.
School funding has been a point of contention the entire session, with Democrats asking for a 4 percent increase and Republicans fighting to keep an increase to 1.25 percent. The spending plan approved Friday calls for a 1.25 percent increase and $55.7 million in one-time school funding.
Gov. Branstad Friday afternoon offered the following statement upon the close of the legislative session:
“The dawn of the 2015 legislative session offered hope that leaders of both parties would be able to come together to build Iowa for the future. The Battelle 2.0 study offered state leaders a roadmap for ensuring Iowa continues to move forward and is positioned to continue growing, bringing business and jobs to the state and increasing family incomes. As the study simply states, sound infrastructure is a prerequisite for economic development.
“Together, leaders acted to support the investment of $3.2 billion over five years in Iowa’s roads and bridges. These key improvements will elevate the state’s ability to attract economic development and job creators. Since 2011, our unemployment rate has been slashed by over 33 percent, more Iowans are working than ever before and our jobless rate is the lowest it has been in over seven years. To continue this growth, we needed to not only make strategic investments in our roads and bridges, but also in 21st century infrastructure.
“Time and again, Lieutenant Governor Reynolds and I heard from businesses across the state that the lack of high-speed internet is slowing – or worse, preventing – growth of Iowa small businesses. With the passage of this broadband bill, Iowa can begin stretching high-speed fiber across the state to give farmers the technology they need to fully utilize modern agriculture equipment, schools access to abundant resources available online and local small businesses the ability to connect with the global marketplace.
“With progress, however, comes disappointment. On the second day of the legislative session, I presented a budget that funded Iowa’s schools for two years. It provided school officials the certainty and predictability they need to budget. It would prevent the seemingly endless cycle of uncertainty for our schools due to legislative gridlock.
“After five months, the Legislature went home without reaching consensus on a two-year education budget that would provide budget certainty to our schools this year and next. Now, the only certainty that the Iowa Legislature provided to schools is that they’ll be back next year having the same old, tired fight about school funding – in an election year no less. That action – or lack thereof – is par for the course in Washington, D.C., but it’s a disservice to Iowans, our schools and most importantly our children.
“Perhaps more disappointing was the inability of the Legislature to come together to pass a bill that protects our children from bullying in schools. Every child deserves a safe and respectful learning environment. In 2014, both chambers passed an anti-bullying bill. Yet with nearly identical language this year, the bill to protect our children from the relentless bullying kids can face in the classroom and online through social media languished. First Lady Chris Branstad, Lieutenant Governor Reynolds and I will not stop working to end bullying in Iowa.
“Over the next thirty days, Lieutenant Governor Reynolds and I will carefully review the bills sent to my desk by the Iowa Legislature. We’ll review the bills in the same lens as we always do – the budget must balance in the biennium, fit within our five-year budgeting projections, and honor the commitments we’ve made in the past to the Teacher Leadership and Compensation System and the property tax relief.
“With farm incomes expected to decrease by 32 percent this year, farmland values already down 15 percent and expected to continue to decline this year, commodity prices down 40-50 percent since 2012 and an avian flu virus outbreak affecting nearly 30 million birds across the state, we must adhere to our conservative budgeting principles and resist the desire of using bad budgeting practices that in the past led to reckless across the board cuts.”
