Iowa Department Of Public Safety

Iowa Senate budget bills OKed today likely “dead on arrival”

The Iowa Senate passed three budget bills today that  Democrats believe meet Gov. Terry Branstad’s spending goals, but one Republican lawmaker predicted they will be “dead on arrival” in the GOP-controlled Iowa House.

The bills included a package of nearly $1.5 billion for state health and human services programs; $52.7 million for state administration and regulation; and $812 million for state universities, community colleges and preschool programs.

All three bills were approved on party-line votes with Democrats in favor and Republicans against.

Democrats described their spending proposals as compromise plans that will help them comply with Branstad’s demands for an overall state general budget of $5.99 billion as well as a two-year budget blueprint.

Today’s work is part of a week-long effort by Senate Democrats to approve an overall state budget that meets the financial goals of Branstad and House Republicans.

Both sides have been deadlocked for months on budget issues with the clock ticking towards the end of the state fiscal year on June 30 when money to run state government operations will run out.

Sen. Merlin Bartz, R-Grafton, suggested to Democrats today  they were wasting their time by taking another stab at approving budget packages within the full Senate chamber. During debate on the administration and regulation bill, he warned the measure was “dead on arrival” in the House and that Democrats’ actions were merely political posturing.

Bartz suggested Senate Democratic leaders could better spend their time negotiating directly on budget issues with House Republican leaders and Branstad.

He added,”This is not where we are supposed to be at this point in the session….In  some respects, it is a bad mark and a failing grade for the Iowa Legislture.”

Senate Democrats insisted their efforts were sincere. However,  Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines, chairman of the Senate health and human services budget subcommittee, expressed worries that spending levels in his panel’s budget bill were so austere they didn’t provide a sufficient safety net for vulnerable Iowans.

For example, Hatch cautioned Republicans that  if child abuse is unreported and undetected and children are hurt because of the tight budget “don’t be surprised….Don’t issue press releases that the bureaucrats, our public servants, didn’t do their jobs.

Seat Belt Safety Program Ends Tomorrow | KCII | The One to Count on

The program which started two weeks ago had law enforcement officials on the roadways making sure motorists are buckled up and are obeying all traffic laws through Iowa’s special Traffic Enforcement Program (sTEP).  Law enforcement agencies had a slogan of “Click It or Ticket” during this two week campaign.

Randy Hunefeld with the Iowa Department of Public Safety says that just by wearing your seat belt, your odds of surviving a crash and reducing the extent of your injuries is increased by 50%.  The sTEP program happens several times throughout the year around major holidays.

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Compilation of laws pertaining to motor vehicles and related subjects of the Iowa Department of Public Safety

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