Ragan Report

Special session needed to protect middle-class Iowans
 
This year, Senate Democrats fought long and hard for education, health care, jobs and public safety initiatives that will strengthen Iowa’s middle class. We hoped to accomplish much more, but after five months of negotiating, we opted for compromise over gridlock.
     Unfortunately, Gov. Terry Branstad ignored many key bipartisan compromises, vetoing them just minutes before the start of the Fourth of July holiday. His vetoes will hit Iowa students, workers and families particularly hard by:
     • Jeopardizing quality at our K-12 schools.
     • Ending a tuition freeze at our state universities.
     • Making our community colleges more expensive.
     • Eliminating treatment options for families coping with severe mental health issues.
     Strengthening Iowa’s middle class depends on smart investments in the economy, education and health care. Given Iowa’s strong fiscal outlook, the Governor’s vetoes make no sense to a majority of Iowans.
While state revenue growth is strong, we continue to budget according to the most conservative projections of the state’s nonpartisan revenue estimating panel. Republican and Democratic legislators worked in a bipartisan way to avoid using one-time money for ongoing needs, and our budget ultimately spent less than the Governor’s did.
There is bipartisan support for a special session of the Legislature to override the worst of the Governor’s vetoes. Two-thirds of Senators and Representatives must sign a petition to initiate a special session. Republicans worked with us on this year’s final budget agreement, so I am hopeful that they will agree to patching some of the holes left by the Governor.
 
     If you believe schoolchildren, college students and Iowans needing mental health treatment deserve better, make your voice heard. We must continue fighting together for Iowa’s future.