HOUSE TO HOUSE

By Polly Granzow

State Representative

 

End of Session

 

On Sunday, April 30, the 2007 legislative session ended at 12:38 a.m.  Many bills that passed fulfilled campaign promises.  Minimum wage went from $5.15 to $6.20 on April 1, 2007 and will go to $7.25 on January 1, 2008, an increase of $2.10 in less than a year.  The tobacco tax increased by a dollar from $.36 to $1.36 a pack.  Teacher pay increased by $70 million the first year, and another $75 million the following year.  This is on top the of increases I supported last year amounting to $35 million, $70 million, and $105 million.  Average teacher pay increases will equal $5,400 a year.  Pre-School teachers for four year olds will receive $15 million next year and additional amounts in following years.  The new Power Fund will receive $25 million a year for four years, totaling $100 million.  It will be spent for Research and Development and funding projects for renewable energy and other energy use efficiencies.

 

Promises cost money.  These, along with other budget increases, total an 11% increase in spending, and commits another 12% increase the following year.  Iowa’s growth is at approximately 6%, not enough to keep up with expenses.  Of the 13 budget bills, I supported some but not the ones which exceeded spending limitations.

 

On other issues, there is no longer a ban on human cloning.  There will also be special protections for gender identity and sexual orientation for employment and housing, and protection for these classes against bullying in schools.

 

A bill passed to allow same day voter registration.  This changes our current law of requiring registration ten days before an election.  Another bill makes it easier to deliver absentee ballot requests and removed some safeguards.

 

No Property Tax Relief

 

One disappointment was no action on property tax relief.  This was one of the main concerns of people.  There were two interesting attempts to address this issue.  One was submitted by Representative Wise.  It would eliminate property taxes by 2010.  A task force would be appointed to find an alternative and report back to the legislature for action.  It was very open-ended, placed a sunset on our current system of taxing property, and replace it with whatever they found appropriate.  The second attempt was a Senate version.  It would freeze the residential rollback at 46% of appraised valuation (although appraisals may increase), reduce commercial taxes by 1% a year, and change apartments from commercial to residential tax.  Commercial property taxes currently pay 100% of assessed valuation.  Neither one passed.  The only property tax bill that passed was to offer amnesty without penalty to those who had not paid their taxes.  This does not help those who responsibly continue to pay taxes.

 

I will continue to give you updates on legislative action this year.  If you have comments, questions, or concerns, please contact me at polly.granzow@legis.state.ia.us or at 641-858-5210.