Highway Funding A Constant Point Of Discussion At Eggs & Issues

Iowa Senator Ken Rozenboom talked about water quality and road funding at Eggs & Issues on Saturday.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The legislative session in Des Moines is well underway, and the area’s three representatives to that body were on hand Saturday inside Smokey Row.

The point of discussion this time focused primarily on how to fund road maintenance and construction in the state.

Before the topic of roadways took over, Iowa Senator Ken Rozenboom addressed the gathered group about water quality issues in the State of Iowa and in particular the Director of Des Moines Water Works threatening to sue three Iowa counties over nutrient pollution.

Rozenboom, who is the ranking member of the Natural Resources Environment Committee, said that to date they have had 9 hearings specific to water quality in Iowa. Rozenboom said that scientists from Iowa State and the University of Iowa and Iowa Agricultural Secretary Bill Northey have chimed in on the issue. “We’ve just had a variety of input as to water quality and of course prompted, in large part, by Des Moines Water Works intent to file suit,” says Rozenboom.

“What I want to say about that, I think, is this… I asked a question of Roger Wolf from the Soybean Association earlier this week. It seems like the discussion on water quality begins with a premise, that our water quality is bad and getting worse fast. That’s the narrative. And my contention is, is my sense is to push back against that. I don’t believe it’s bad and I don’t believe it’s getting worse,” said Rozenboom. “The impaired waters list is often the barometer that’s used to advance the narrative that our water quality is getting worse because there’s more impaired waters listed every year. Well that has more to do with the methods that are used to determine impaired waters.”

Rozenboom said there are very few ways to get off the impaired waters list.

Rozenboom added that 3 years ago, the nutrient reduction strategy started. “That’s in its infancy.” Going on, Rozenboom added that additional funding in past years, to help in soil and water conservation, have been in place for years and he believes are making a difference. “It’s picked up speed with the water quality initiatives that have been put forth and funded the past few years.”

“I feel really good about where we are in Iowa,” said Rozenboom.

The real heat to take the winter chill off came when the first of many participants asked the legislators about Iowa’s infrastructure and roadways. “Isn’t there something you can do to increase funding for the infrastructure of the roads without raising the gasoline taxes?”

“Yes, is the short answer to your question,” said Rep. Guy Vander Linden. “There is a number of other things we could do. And one of the things we can do is in a bill that’s in the House right now, which would take some money  from the General Fund, from sales tax receipts, put it into the road use tax fund. Protect it constitutionally.”

“A bill that is being considered now, that was dropped in our laps,” Vander Linden said, raises the gas tax instantly by 10 cents a gallon. “It will make Iowa the highest gas tax state in the region, except Wisconsin.”

Vander Linden added that other states are considering raising their gas tax as well.

Vander Linden said the bill was presented in such a way as to try to get it through both houses at the legislature and onto the governor’s desk.

“That is not gonna happen,” says Vander Linden. “We didn’t like it in the House when we saw the summary of the bill, which was about two weeks ago. When they finally got around to producing the bill itself, it’s far worse than the summary.”

Ken Rozenboom took the opportunity to speak on the issue as well. Rozenboom said that a task-force in 2011 quantified the need to better fund Iowa’s road infrastructure. “Four years have passed, and while I agree with Rep. Sheets and Vander Linden on their frustration,” that a tax increase is the only thing being offered, “I think we have to do something.”

“For me it’s come down to an ideological difference on how we spend money at the state level,” said Rozenboom. He believes that both parties need to work together on the issues. “Senate Democrats simply aren’t going to allow any General Fund money to escape their grasp and be used.”

“So while we have this ideological disagreement, our roads keep getting in worse shape. I’m a conservative. Part of what that means to me is we don’t kick the can down the road. We pay as we go. And we’re kicking the can down the road in two ways, in my opinion. One, we have counties increasingly going to the bonding process to fund the needed act of maintenance and construction activity, to the tune of over 200 million dollars. And that money has to be repaid by those that come behind us. The other way we’re deficit spending, in my view, is simply the fact the roads are deteriorating. We give our teenagers the keys to the car… and then we say, oh by the way, we left a billion dollar deficit in road maintenance. That’s another way of kicking the can down the road,” said Rozenboom.

The proposed 10 cent gas tax increase would help funnel $726,000 a year into the Mahaska County Secondary Road Department. The City of Oskaloosa would see just over $200,000 in increased revenue for roads. Currently, a new mile of pavement starts at 1.5 million dollars for a standard two lane road for new construction. That same mile that is milled and rebuilt costs approximately 1 million to complete.

The variety of views from the three Republicans on the stage shows the difference in views about road funding, even within the Republican Party. “My sense is, this thing isn’t moving forward,” said Rozenboom of any new funding for Iowa’s roadways.

The next Eggs & Issues is scheduled for February 28th at Smokey Row.