HOUSE TO HOUSE

By Polly Granzow

State Representative

 Few Bills Vetoed

Over 900 bills were filed in the House this year, and just over 600 bills were filed in the Senate.  Of 226 bills passed by both chambers and sent to Governor Culver’s desk, 126 originated in the Senate and 100 bills originated in the House.

When bills are received before the last three days of session, the Governor has three calendar days to make a decision.  He can sign or veto a policy bill, or item veto an appropriations bill.  He cannot item veto a policy bill.  However, when bills are received during the last three days of session, he has thirty calendar days to make a decision.  Failure to sign a bill is considered a “pocket veto” and the bill fails to become law.

Governor Culver vetoed few bills which is understandable since his party is in the majority in both the House and the Senate.  One policy bill he vetoed would have changed the existing state interagency Missouri River Authority to allow each agency representative to serve as vice chairperson of the authority on a rotating basis.  These agencies include Agriculture, Utilities Board, DNR, Transportation, and Economic Development.  The law will remain with the Department of Natural Resources to serve a chair in the absence of the Governor or designee.  He commented the change would degrade the state’s influence on the commission and remove continuity.

Other bills he vetoed would have prohibited a person convicted of a simple misdemeanor from filing an application for relief; permitting a city utility or city enterprise to impose a deposit fee on residential rental tenants, clarifying that a delinquent city utility bill follows the landowner or tenant purchasing another piece of property (this would have protected a new buyer from finding out after the fact that an unpaid utility bill exists); and all bills relating to development of telecommuter employment policies and a plan designed to increase the number of telecommuting employees (he will direct the Department of Administrative Services and Department of Management to review current policies and make recommendations for any improvements).

I applaud the Governor for most of the line item budget vetoes.  With a $6 billion budget at 11% increase, these will account for a slight difference.  He vetoed $120,000 from the Road Use Tax Fund and $200,000 from RIIF.  He vetoed $150,000 for the Plasma Arc technology for disposal of solid waste, $100,000 for cosmetology and barber students under the Iowa Vocational Tuition Grant, $10,000 for organ donation after cardiac death, $120,000 for decorative planters at the Capitol, $80,000 for restoration of a Kimball organ, and $500,000 for the regional sports authority.  He also vetoed extension of Community Attraction and Tourism through 2013, $1 million for the World Food Prize, and $160,000 for the Real Estate Education Program a UNI.

Other corrective vetoes include implementing a statewide Career Ladder system for teachers (which I supported), language on how Public Health utilizes substance abuse funding, gambling money going to adult drug courts, FaDSS and a new utility payment program, requiring the Justice System to define requested salary increases (in conflict with collective bargaining), reimbursement rate for use of personal vehicles on state business, and requiring state agencies to get legislative approval prior to dispose of assets valued at $5 million or more.

These are the highlights.  The Governor’s comments can be found on his website. 

As always, you can contact me at polly.granzow@legis.state.ia.us or at 641-858-5210.

Enjoy the summer and all the festivities in the local communities.