While I hope the 2013 legislative session wraps up soon, I won’t vote to adjourn until Iowa has a balanced state budget that will help strengthen and grow our middle class.
We can do that in a fiscally responsible way because Iowa’s state budget is in good shape, thanks to sound bipartisan management. The state is expected to have a budget surplus of about $844 million on June 30, the end of the current budget year. In addition, we have $622 million in our reserve funds, the largest amount in state history.
I support these key initiatives to help strengthen our economy and create jobs:
• Expanding access to high-quality affordable health care for uninsured working Iowans (SF 296)
• Approving education reform that will improves student achievement (HF 215)
• Providing reliable, responsible funding for our local schools (HF 604)
• Ensuring affordable college tuition and expanded worker training opportunities (SF 429, HF 604)
• Helping every Iowa business, especially small businesses, by cutting commercial property taxes (SF 295)
• Cutting taxes for working Iowa families to help lift them out of poverty and boosts the economy (SF422)
• Assisting 73,000 Iowa small businesses by providing a state tax credit on employee health insurance costs (SF 449)
• Helping grow local communities by investing in economic development initiatives (SF 430, SF 433, SF 436)