Vander Linden Capitol Update – April 14, 2016
Rep. Guy Vander Linden (R)
Budget Process Kicks Into Gear
With agreements on the framework of the Fiscal Year 2017 state budget, individual budget subcommittees have spent the past week putting together the details for spending plans for the various departments and agencies of Iowa’s government.
Last week’s announcement of budget targets showed how the funds would be spread through the various budget subcommittees:
FY 2016 Change compared to Standings FY 2017
Budget FY 2016 Adjustment Budget Target
Administration & Regulation $51,795,769 -$1,095,769 $143,068 $50,843,068
Agriculture & Natural Resources $43,111,995 $0 $0 $43,111,995
Economic Development $42,250,763 -$696,763 $1,540,702 $43,094,702 Education $992,236,365 $4,894,121 $12,606,196 $1,009,736,682
Health & Human Services $1,832,865,612 $3,498,653 $609,266 $1,836,973,531 Justice Systems $742,991,531 $5,242,781 $10,000 $748,244,312
School Aid &
other Standing Appropriations $3,469,042,636 $162,862,306 -$14,909,232 $3,616,995,710
TOTAL $7,174,294,671 $174,705,329 $7,349,000,000
Unlike the previous several years, many of the budget bills are expected to be moved out of subcommittee as a joint budget bill approved by the subcommittee members of both chambers. As of Wednesday at noon, the Agriculture and Natural Resources budget and Economic Development budgets had been jointly approved by their subcommittees. Agreements on joint bills had also been reached by the Administration & Regulation and Education budget subcommittees.
By the end of this week, it was expected that the House Appropriations Committee will have taken action on the six budget bills the House is to start this year – Ag & Natural Resources, Economic Development, Health & Human Services, Justice Systems, Judicial Branch, and School Aid & other Standing Appropriations. The swift action on these bills gives the General Assembly the opportunity to complete the 2016 legislative session next week.
