Coffee And Conversation – Eggs and Issues Returns Saturday
Rep. Guy Vander Linden (R-Oskaloosa) sits down for a conversation on Wednesday afternoon on the floor of the Iowa House.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Every second Saturday, area residents wake up, rub their eyes and make their way to Smokey Row for that morning cup of coffee and a group conversation with their representatives from the Iowa state house.
Wednesdays have been a travel day for us, as we take off to the capitol to do what we can to help bring just a little bit more knowledge back to Oskaloosa to help in the conversation at Eggs and Issues on Saturday.
Guy Vander Linden (R-Oskaloosa), in his second year serving the residents of Oskaloosa, sat down with me Wednesday afternoon on the floor of the Iowa House for a 1 on 1 conversation that covered a wide variety of topics.
Vander Linden, who is on the House Ways and Means Committee, said that the two different property tax bills that were in committee have now become one bill.
Vander Linden says the intent is to get the property tax bill to the House floor next week.
According to Vander Linden, the purpose of the bill is to, “reduce commercial property tax significantly”, over what would be a 7 year period, “without impacting ag and residential, and without severely impacting local government.”
“I think we’ve got a pretty good plan. We’re going to back fill the school levy and also back fill some other funds to the county and cities”, Vander Linden stated, “so this doesn’t just hit like a ton of bricks.”
Recently, the Iowa Senate voted to allow 4% allowable growth to the state’s schools. I have spoken with Vander Linden in the past on this subject and wanted to touch base with him on this evolving topic.
In a press release sent out Thursday by Vander Linden, “There was movement this week on Allowable Growth for Fiscal Year 14; however there are two vastly different proposals. The Senate passed SF 2114, setting allowable growth at 4% for FY14 (the 2013/2014 school year). The House’s bill, HF 2245, doesn’t set growth for FY 14, but instead changes how allowable growth is set.
The Senate’s proposal passed on a party-line vote on Tuesday and is a simple bill on the surface. It essentially means a $143 million increase in the state budget for FY 14. The state cost per pupil increases $240 from $6,001 to $6,241. It would also mean a $59 million property tax increase, resulting from the school aid formula.”
On the Senates 4% proposal, Vander Linden says, “They didn’t provide any funding for that. It’s like they did 2 years ago, before I got here; when they allowed, I think, 2% allowable growth but no money. So that ended up costing a significant amount of money, because later on the Governor [Chet Culver] said oh, we’re just going to cut everything 10%. Schools actually ended up getting hurt out of that deal.”
“It’s a little bit like I said last year at Eggs and Issues, do you want the promise of more money or do you want the money. Well, that 4% is a promise that they don’t specifically explain how they are going to fulfill. So I think it means nothing, frankly”, was Vander Linden’s thoughts on the allowable growth debate.
Vander Linden says that the House has a different approach to the allowable growth. “I don’t know exactly what we’re [House] going to do either, but we’re certainly not going to make any promises we can’t live up to.”
Vander Linden also sits on the Rules Committee that helps to review the policy written by the bureaucrats after the legislature passes a bill.
