UNI Legislative Update
The Office of Governmental Relations provides legislative updates to the campus community through online communication and bimonthly campus presentations. These updates will inform faculty, staff and students of hot topics facing the legislature and legislative actions affecting UNI and the Regents institutions.
June 10, 2009
Huge grant awarded to IMSEP
The Iowa Math and Science Education Partnership (IMSEP) has been awarded nearly $900,000 in grant money from the National Science Foundation. This is a tremendous accomplishment for Jeff Weld and his team.
Anytime the university is able to leverage state dollars into additional income for their program is critical. It goes to show that IMSEP is well worth the state investment currently provided by the state legislature.
The press release is below with more details on the grant.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Tonja Richards, Marketing & Public Relations
Iowa Mathematics & Science Education Partnership, (319) 273-2716
National Science Foundation invests nearly $900,000 in IMSEP
Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Award will provide scholarships at all three Regent universities
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- A major grant from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program will help Iowa’s three Regent universities put more math and science teachers in Iowa’s classrooms over the next five years.
The Iowa Mathematics and Science Education Partnership (IMSEP), a collaboration between the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), Iowa State University (ISU) and the University of Iowa (UI), recently won a $899,298 award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to encourage science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors and professionals to become middle and high school math and science teachers. The grant will not only provide money for scholarships, stipends and programs for college students who commit to teaching math and science, it also requires them to teach in high-needs schools, defined as those schools with a high percentage of student poverty, a high percentage of out-of-field teachers or a higher than average teacher turnover rate.
This is the first grant awarded to the organization since its inception in 2008. The grant application was written by key STEM leaders within Iowa’s three state universities: Jeffrey Weld, Ph.D., director, IMSEP; Thomas Greenbowe, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and coordinator of general chemistry, Iowa State University, Norbert Pienta, PhD, professor and director of undergraduate studies (chemistry), University of Iowa and Marc Armstrong, Ph.D., professor and chair, department of geography and administrative fellow, University of Iowa.
“We all rely increasingly on math and science with every passing year,” said Weld. “Yet data from multiple sources reminds us of the need to focus on improving student performance in math and science if we are going to compete today’s in the global, knowledge-based economy. Leveraging state and federal dollars will allow us to put more high-quality STEM teachers into Iowa’s classrooms.”
The NSF award will allow IMSEP to provide annual scholarships of $10,000 to junior- and senior-level math and science majors, or STEM-related graduate-level students, from all three universities. For each scholarship given, students are committing to teaching for two years in schools where needs are greatest. These awards complement the IMSEP I-Teach Program, a freshmen-level recruitment program established to tap talented incoming college students and producing more science and mathematics teachers for Iowa schools. Launched in fall 2008, dozens of talented new recruits have participated in I-Teach Programs on three campuses – ISU, UNI and North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC).
In 2008, the state launched an ambitious plan for repositioning Iowa as a leader in science and math education with the creation of IMSEP. A partnership of the state’s three public universities, IMSEP is headquartered on the University of Northern Iowa campus and charged with improving mathematics and science performance of Iowa students while preparing more high quality mathematics and science teachers for Iowa’s schools.
Applications for scholarships will be available for the fall 2009-2010 academic year. For more information about this award and other programs designed to increase math and science-savvy citizens, visit the IMSEP website at www.iowamathscience.org.
The NSF’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program was launched in 2002 to encourage talented STEM majors and professionals to become K-12 mathematics and science teachers. Named after Iowa native and Grinnell College graduate Robert Norton Noyce, recognized as one of the inventors of the microchip, the program provides funds to institutions of higher education to support scholarships, stipends, and academic programs for undergraduate STEM majors and post-baccalaureate students holding STEM degrees who commit to teaching in high-need K-12 school districts.
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The Iowa Mathematics and Science Education Partnership (IMSEP) is a state funded initiative led by the University of Northern Iowa in partnership with Iowa State University and the University of Iowa. IMSEP’s goals are to improve mathematics and science performance of Iowa students; to prepare more high quality mathematics and science teachers for Iowa’s schools; and to promote statewide collaboration and cooperation. For more information regarding IMSEP, go to www.iowamathscience.org.
June 3, 2009
Research Development School website
The RD School website is up and running full with information on the transition process and FAQ's.
May 27, 2009
Governor takes final action on bills
Late last night, the Governor signed the remaining bills that were passed in the closing days of the legislative session. Included in the bills that were signed into law was the language establishing the state wide research development school to be located at the current Price Lab School. A website describing the transition period and more details about the school will be up shortly.
April 30, 2009
Budget strategy presented to the Board of Regents
At today's Board of Regents meeting, President Allen presented UNI's budget strategy going into fiscal year 2010 that starts on July 1, 2009 (the state legislature just approved the state budget for fiscal year 2010 on April 26th).
Click here for the latest update on President Allen.
Click here for the PowerPoint presentation to the Regents on the UNI budget strategy.
April 28, 2009
Legislative session concludes
This past weekend, the Iowa General Assembly finished up business and adjourned at roughly six o'clock on Sunday morning. With significant decreases in tax revenue and other funding streams, almost all programs had their budget's cut this year.
UNI was cut by more than 12 percent, in excess of $14 million, from last year's appropriated amount. Special legislative initiatives at the university, such as the economic development programs and the Iowa Math and Science Education Partnership, were cut between seven and ten percent from last years allocation.
Although we are expecting significant amounts of money from the federal stimulus package that will help offset some of the burden of the budget cuts, it is important to understand that the federal stimulus money is one-time money. In other words, without a significant turnaround in the Iowa economy, the 2010 legislative session looks extremely bleak and there will be no federal stimulus money to fill in the gaps.
The Governor has yet to sign any of the major appropriations bill that were past last weekend and has approximately 30 more days to review the legislation before he signs. The education appropriations bill will probably be one of the last bills he signs given the immense size and scope of the legislation. Stay tuned for more updates and thanks for all your grassroots support this session!
April 24, 2009
Legislature approve plan to transform Price lab school
JENNIFER JACOBS • jejacobs@dmreg.com • April 24, 2009
Plans are moving ahead for a new, cutting-edge research school where the teaching techniques of tomorrow get tested on today’s children.
Lawmakers’ latest plan calls for a three-year timeline to transition Malcolm Price Laboratory School in Cedar Falls into a school that would be renamed the Research, Development, Demonstration and Dissemination Center.
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Teachers’ research at the school for preschoolers through 12th graders would be released statewide and nationwide, said Sen. Brian Schoenjahn, D-Arlington.
“Truly, Iowa will become a beacon of research in the delivery of instruction,” Schoenjahn said. “We want to know how to deliver information to tomorrow’s students, students who will text each other across the table rather than talk to each other.”
The Iowa Senate voted 30-18 tonight to approve the bill, Senate File 470, and sent it to the House.
The bill calls for the state to pay a consultant $35,000 to study whether Price Lab should be renovated or rebuilt, and what both options would cost.
Then in 2011, lawmakers would review the cost study and decide what to do with the building. Changes would begin in 2012, Schoenjahn said.
Right now, education majors from the University of Northern Iowa assist, observe and add input as lab school teachers try out innovative approaches in the classroom. The new plan calls for all three state universities to be involved.
All students would open enroll; enrollment would be capped at 650. The school’s currently enrolled 366 preschool through 12th-grade students would have priority, the bill says.
A sort of “in-house school board” would govern the school, Schoenjahn said. The advisory council would be comprised of 17 people, including business people, teachers, and public and private university representatives.
United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visits UNI
US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was on campus this Friday to discuss the county's educational system as well as how the federal stimulus money will affect education in the state.
Click here to see video and pictures of the event.
April 17, 2009
UNI Basketball team honored
UNI Mens basketball team was honored by the House of Representatives today for their outstanding season and NCAA Tournament berth. Congratulations!
Pictured with team are State Representatives Kressig, Kelley, Burt, and Berry of Black Hawk County.
March 20, 2009
State budget sinks another $400 million
JASON CLAYWORTH • jclayworth@dmreg.com • March 20, 2009
Iowa’s sinking revenue projections plummeted another $400 million total for the current and upcoming July 1 fiscal year, under estimates adopted this morning.
It means lawmakers must consider further job cuts, furloughs and state service reductions, state leaders and elected officials said.
“The question is, ‘Has the economy bottomed out’ and, in my opinion, no,” said Holly Lyons, fiscal director of the Legislative Services Agency and a member of the three-person Iowa Revenue Estimating Conference.
The conference members produce the revenue estimates that guide lawmakers in setting the state budget. Their projections have a major influence on government because officials are legally required to balance the state budget.
The conference met this morning for the final time before the Legislature will end the 2009 session. The conference estimated that the current year’s revenues will sink by $129.7 million compared to its December estimate. Revenue for the budget year that begins July 1 will drop by $269.9 million.
The drop is in addition to December’s estimates, which cut $99.5 million in the current year and $132.6 million in the fiscal year that begins July 1.
Charlie Krogmeier, Gov. Chet Culver's chief of staff and a member of the conference, said federal stimulus money may help offset the blow but that the dramatically lower estimates will leave lawmakers with tough options.
It would be difficult to find enough job cuts and furloughs in the current fiscal year to fill the gap. The fiscal year ends June 30, in roughly 10 weeks.
“It’s going to be a struggle in the next week or two to figure this out,” Krogmeier said.
Culver, in December, called for a 1.5 percent across-the-board cut in the current fiscal year and recommended another 6.5 percent to be cut from spending requests for the upcoming fiscal year.
Culver and his staff were already preparing for more cuts and may resubmit the budget as soon as next week, said Dick Oshlo, administrator of the Iowa Department of Management.
Oshlo was more optimistic than Krogmeier, saying he doesn’t believe job cuts will be needed in the current fiscal year, largely due to the influx of federal stimulus money. There may be pain ahead for the fiscal year that begins July 1, however, he said.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy attended the Revenue Estimating Conference but left quickly before answering any questions and couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
McCarthy and other Democratic leaders noted on Thursday that they were already planning a budget that was $130 million less than Culver’s in the upcoming fiscal year. It’s unclear how they will make up the additional $270 million loss for the current and upcoming year.
Lawmakers will be forced to go through the state’s remaining $5.8 billion budget line by line to find the savings, said Rep. Scott Raecker, R-Urbandale, the top-ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee.
“What’s it’s going to require of the Llegislature is what it requires for every Iowa family and business right now,” Raecker said.
Culver issued a statement shortly after today's conference, saying his office would work quickly with lawmakers.
“While important decisions have to be made, I am optimistic that we will come together and develop solutions to meet these economic challenges,” Culver said in the statement. “From balancing the budget to investing in new jobs, we will do what’s necessary to provide a better, brighter future for all Iowans.”
Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate issued a joint statement that promised no tax increases will be proposed as a result of the most recent estimates.
House Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said the economic downturn has been compounded by the state’s overspending, a problem he blamed on Democrats. He further criticized accomplishments made so far in this year’s legislature.
“The legislature needs to stop wasting time on department bills, government commissions, and renaming agencies,” Paulsen said. “There are more than 80,000 Iowans out of work and the state needs the legislature to start focusing on economic growth, job opportunities and encouraging employers to invest in our workforce to head off further economic problems."
February 26, 2009
Democratic leaders release budget targets
The Democratic majority in the House and Senate released joint budget targets and recommended a 2 percent deeper cut than the Governor's budget for a total of 8.5 percent budget reduction in the base budgets of each individual appropriation subcommittee.
Over the next few weeks, the co-chairs of each appropriation sub committee will be making decisions on each individual line item. Stay tuned for the latest updates regarding UNI's budget situation as we move forward in the legislative process.
February 13, 2009
Weekend Forums
Saturday, February 14
Ames City Council Chambers -- 515 Clark Avenue, Ames -- 8:30am
Smokey Row -- 109 S Market Street, Oskaloosa -- 8:30am
Spencer City Hall -- 418 2nd Avenue West, Spencer -- 9:00am
Northwest Community Center -- 5110 Franklin Avenue, Des Moines -- 9:00am
Washington County Courthouse -- 222 West Main Street, Washington -- 10:00am
Farm Bureau -- 514 8th Street, DeWitt -- 11:00am
Lamoni Community Center -- 108 S Chestnut Street, Lamoni -- 11:00
February 3, 2009
UNI needs your support!
Over the next few weeks, please take in a forum, write your local legislator, and maybe even write a letter to your local newspaper showcasing your support for UNI and why it needs to remain a legislative priority even in these tough times. Educating the workforce of tomorrow is the purest and most effective economic development measure any society can take.
Still no significant movement with the budget process as of yet, but contacting your local elected leaders is still extremely important. Putting the bug in their ear at the beginning of the legislative session about the importance of higher education can only help the UNI cause as the legislature moves along to the budget negotiations.
January 28, 2009
6.5% cut officially rolled out
Governor Culver today issued his budget recommendations for the coming fiscal year. As expected, he recommended 6.5% less than the current fiscal year appropriations which would be an additional cut of over $40 million dollars to Iowa's public universities. This is in addition to the 2.5% cut that the Governor has already carved out of the current fiscal year. UNI's share of the cut will be around the $10 million mark.
It is important to remember that this the first inning of the ball game and we have a long way to go; but the situation facing UNI is extremely serious. The Democratic majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate will come out with budget targets of their own in March.
In these tough times, it is extremely important to remind your local legislators just how important higher education is to the future of the state. Any contact you can have over the next few weeks with lawmakers will go a long way. Keep back to UNITE for further details as they evolve over the next few weeks.
Des Moines Register article on the cuts.
January 26, 2009
More budget cuts
Governor Culver will ask lawmakers for an additional 6.5% cut for the upcoming budget. This compacts the earlier budget cuts facing UNI and Iowa's public universities now totaling 9%. The Governor is expected to fully submit his budget to the Legislature on Wednesday. Below is tonight's Des Moines Register story on the cuts.
BREAKING NEWS: Culver to propose 6.5 percent budget cut
JENNIFER JACOBS JEJACOBS@DMREG.COM JANUARY 26, 2009
If Gov. Chet Culver gets his way, almost all state programs aside from public safety, human services and a few other areas will see their spending cut by 6.5 percent next budget year.
It’s up to state lawmakers to carve out the new budget, and neither Democratic nor Republican lawmakers Monday night signed on to all of Culver’s ideas.
Culver’s recommendations to lawmakers include using $200 million in cash reserves to help balance next year’s budget, as well as trimming spending by $400 million.
“We’re not going to tax our way out of a tight budget,” he said during a speech tonight.
The proposed cuts would apply to 205 out of the state’s 280 programs.
Culver would like to protect certain areas from the full effect of the 6.5 percent cut: public safety, workforce development, human services, disaster relief, the teacher quality program, and early childhood education.
“If you’re not on that priority list, for lack of a better term, you’re going to see a six-and-a-half percent cut,” Culver spokesman Phil Roeder said.
The proposed 6.5 percent cuts would amount to about $400 million for the next budget year, which begins July 1. They would be in addition to the nearly $180 million in cuts for current budget year.
Schools would feel a serious pinch. School aid would go up only 2 percent instead of 4 percent, under Culver’s proposal. Some state employees likely face either furloughs or layoffs, he said.
Because of declining tax revenue and anticipated spending for next budget year, the state is short more than $700 million, according to some estimates.
Some of that could be offset by federal aid, but Culver said he doesn’t want to bank on that. His budget plan doesn’t include more federal disaster assistance for last summer’s flooding, infrastructure money from a proposed economic stimulus package, or extra Medicaid money.
Democratic leaders, in a short written statement, did not endorse Culver’s 6.5 percent cut or the $200 million dip into the rainy day fund.
“In the coming weeks and months, we are committed to listening to our constituents, working with the governor, lieutenant governor and Republican legislators and passing a fiscally responsible state budget that attempts to protect the progress we’re making on creating good-paying jobs, improving student achievement and teacher quality, and ensuring affordable health care,” said the statement from Senate leaders Mike Gronstal and Jack Kibbie and House leaders Kevin McCarthy and Pat Murphy.
House Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen said he’s concerned with Culver’s idea to drain $200 million from the state’s rainy day fund. “I’m not sure this is the right time to use cash reserve funds for ongoing expenses,” he said.
Paulsen added that he’s not sure Culver’s cuts bring the budget into balance, saying “the math just doesn’t add up there unless he’s doing some shuffling that I’m unaware of. We’ll just have to see the details.”
Culver intends to release complete details of his recommendations for the next budget year at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Culver said his proposal would mean less spending than in 2008 or 2009. Spending in each of those years is expected to total about $6 billion.
“Here’s the good news: Iowa is well positioned to get through the recession,” Culver said during a speech before the Iowa Business Council’s annual meeting. “In fact we’re better situated than almost any other state in the nation.”
He said the state’s fiscal management is sound, but cuts in government spending are unavoidable due to the national recession.
“Simply put, just as families and businesses across the state and around the nation are doing more with less, so too must state government,” he said.
Culver has already made cuts for this budget year, fiscal year 2009. In December, he made selective cuts of $40 million to the $6.2 billion appropriated by the Legislature. On Jan. 1, a 1.5 percent across-the-board cut went into effect that cut about $90 million. And Culver has requested that the Legislature not spend $37 million for a new state office building and approve transferring another $10 million to the general fund.
January 23, 2009
Still no budget
The end of the second full week of the 2009 legislative session came with still no budget from Governor Culver. He has until Feb. 1 to submit it to the General Assembly, but we expect it to be released sometime early next week.
Check back here again for the latest updates on the Governor's budget recommendations!
January 13, 2009
Condition of the State Address
Governor Culver's Condition of the State speech this morning revolved entirely around disaster recovery and provided no details on the current budget dilemma the state is currently facing. The Governor has until February 1 to submit his budget to the General Assembly and once he does that, UNI will have a better picture of where it stands in the pecking order.
For coverage of the speech, click through to the Des Moines Register's story.
One thing is for certain though; it is going to be an extremely difficult budget year and will more than likely continue to get worse as we move forward.
Looking ahead, the Revenue Estimating Conference is scheduled to release another set of budget estimates in March and that is when the rubber will hit the road with respect to determining the final budget numbers between the Governor's Office and the legislature.
As always, if you happen across your local legislators, please put in a plug for the advancement of UNI!
December 18, 2008
More budget cuts for UNI
Below is a statement from Governor Culver outlining his recent budget cuts. This round calls for roughly $10.5 million cut from Iowa's public universities (UNI, Iowa State University, and the University of Iowa) for a total of roughly $17.5 million cuts from the public university system. UNI's share of the burden is around $2.5 million.
Governor Culver Takes Action To Meet 'Historic' National Economic Challenges
Announces 1.5% across-the-board reduction, seeks $10 million in fund transfers
DES MOINES - Governor Chet Culver has announced new steps he is taking to meet the budget challenges facing the state of Iowa caused by a global economic downturn, including an across-the-board cut in State spending.
"We are in the midst of an economic challenge that is historic in its scope," said Governor Culver. "While its cause comes from actions on Wall Street, supported by misguided federal policies from Washington over the past eight years, the result has been an economic recession that is hitting Main Streets and factories and farms and families across the nation. This world-wide economic recession is affecting every state in the nation, no matter if they are big or small, rural or urban, Democratic or Republican. We are all facing this challenge together. And together, we must accept the reality and share in the sacrifice."
The Governor is taking action after last week's meeting of the Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) determined that state government would see a decline in revenues during the current fiscal year. After meetings with state budget officials and members of his Council of Economic Advisors, the Governor determined the end of the economic downturn has not yet reached Iowa and that the REC could make further reductions to revenue estimates.
The Iowa Constitution requires a balanced budget; the state cannot deficit spend. Today"s actions by the Governor meet the demands of the current and projected declines in revenue, and balance the state budget. He has taken the following steps:
1. He has directed the Department of Management (DOM) to revise its projected balance sheet for the General Fund at the end of December in order to adjust for the recent REC action and make other adjustments based upon DOM's best projections of income and expenditures. This action has already been done, which projects a negative balance at the end of the current fiscal year. A copy of the revised sheet is attached.
2. Pursuant to Iowa Code, the Governor will sign an Executive Order making an across-the-board reduction in General Fund expenditures, currently expected to be 1.5%. This is estimated to save the state $91.4 million. However, the Governor will protect funding for Corrections Officers and State Troopers, and will ask the legislature to backfill these cuts when they convene next month.
3. He will work with legislative leaders and members of the legislature to transfer $10 million to the General Fund from accounts and funds in state government that have balances that exceed the amount needed for the current fiscal year.
Governor Culver assured Iowans that he would hold the line on taxes, saying, "Maintaining a balanced budget and staying in front of this national economic crisis requires sacrifice throughout state government, as well as business, workers, urban, rural, and all of Iowa. And I intend to do this while holding the line on taxes."
Today's announcement represents a $101 million reduction in general fund expenditures for the current fiscal year. When combined with last weeks announced $77 million in cuts, this represents nearly $180 million in budget savings for the current fiscal year.
During his remarks today, the Governor reassured Iowans that Iowa is in a strong position to meet the challenges presented by the national economic downturn.
"I don't want to be alarmist or suggest to Iowans that their state government is in financial trouble," the Governor said. "The fact is we have more than $620 million in reserves that will help us through this situation. We have a AAA bond rating that would allow us to do some things that other states may find impossible."
The Governor added: "We have a history, under both Democratic and Republican leadership, of balancing our budget and acting appropriately to economic tough times. And we have a strong, unmatched, talented citizenry who demands that their political leaders pull together to keep Iowa strong. The difficult, current economic circumstances may not be the fault of Iowans, but it is something we must all face together. Like most Iowans, I am both optimistic and confident about what the future holds for our state. We have always met challenges with solutions, problems with answers. And we always will."
Below is a listing of budget savings announced by the Governor in recent weeks.
SAVINGS ANNOUNCED ON DECEMBER 9TH
Freeze on Out-of-State Travel, Filling of Vacancies, and Equipment Purchases and savings from Judicial Branch, Legislature, and the Regents: $28.0 million
Transfers from Alcoholic Beverages Division and Executive Council: $12.0 million
De-appropriation of New State Office Building: $37.0 million
Total $77.0 million
ADDITIONAL SAVINGS ANNOUNCED TODAY
1.5 % Across-the-Board Reduction: $91.4 million
Transfer of Funds $10.0 million
Total $101.4 million
Total Budget Savings: $178.4 million
December 12, 2008
Governor Culver To Announce $60 Million In Additional State Spending Reductions Next Week
DES MOINES - Governor Chet Culver will announce steps next week to reduce state spending by an additional $60 million, which represents one percent of the State’s General Fund revenues.
The Governor made his announcement in response to new projections made this morning by the Revenue Estimating Conference. The REC is estimating that state revenues for FY2009 will be $99.5 million below estimates made in October; revenue estimates for FY2010 are $132.6 million lower.
The Governor issued the following statement:
"When I announced more than $75 million in budget cuts and cost savings earlier this week, I reminded Iowans that our state is being hit on two financial fronts: a national economic recession and the natural disasters of last summer. Both events are having an impact on families, businesses and government across the state.
"At the same time, we cannot lose sight of the fact that Iowa has benefited from strong financial management. While bordering states are facing deficits that are measured in billions of dollars, Iowa has a record level of cash reserves, the highest possible bond rating, and a diversified economy.
"The budget savings that I announced on Tuesday, which included asking the legislature to de-appropriate $37 million for a new state office building, not only met our immediate needs but also anticipated today's new estimates. However, we are going to need to find additional savings in order to reduce spending, maintain an appropriate year-end budget balance, and continue to be fiscally responsible.
"Next week, after carefully reviewing our options, I will announce additional steps to reduce state spending by $60 million, which represents one percent of our General Fund revenue. These savings will come from a combination of further administrative spending reductions, transfers of unused funds to the General Fund, and recommendations to the legislature for additional de-appropriations when they convene in January.
"As economic conditions have changed, my Administration has neither overreacted nor under-reacted, but has taken prudent steps to balance our strong fiscal management with the services Iowans need. As Governor, I will continue this approach, not only during this current fiscal year but as we head into what will likely be a very difficult budget year in 2010. But I am confident that, working together in a bi-partisan way, we will meet these economic challenges."
Iowa tax collection dips; more spending cuts likely
The below article is certainly not good news for UNI. At this point, we are in a holding pattern to see what the Governor recommends in his budget for the universities, but it is obviously not a good start.
DES MOINES Iowa leaders today said deeper cuts in state spending likely will be required by next June 30.
A three-member panel that projects state tax collections today scaled back current year expectations by nearly $100 million and knocked down fiscal 2010 by $132.6 million.
State Revenue Estimating Conference members gave a pessimistic view of Iowa's chances of coming out of the recession soon, with employment expected to slip and other economic indicators staying flat or declining.
The panel revised revenue estimates downward over the next 18 months, with REC member David Underwood of Mason City expressing concern that the cutbacks aren't deep enough and that the revenue forecasters may be back in the spring to lower them even further.
REC member Charles Krogmeier, director of the state Department of Management, said today's action likely means Gov. Chet Culver will have to make deeper cuts than the $40 million he trimmed from general fund spending earlier this week. He also called for halting construction of a new state office building to save another $37 million.
"We'll have to go back to the drawing board," said Krogmeier, who did not rule out unpaid employee furloughs as a possible option to reduce current-year spending by another $40 million to $60 million. He also ruled out an across-the-board approach to cutting state expenditures.
"It's a problem, but it's a manageable problem," he said. "While this isn't good news, it should not be surprising."
Krogmeier said the lowered revenue estimate also makes the fiscal 2010 budgeting cycle much more difficult now that the governor and lawmakers will have $132.6 million less to spend when the new fiscal year begins next July 1.
REC member Holly Lyon of the Legislative Services Agency said today's decision increased the likelihood that the governor and Legislature will have to use some of the state's $640 million cash reserve to address one-time emergency needs in fiscal 2010.
"We will take action in January to keep the 2009 budget balanced," House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, said in a statement. "There will be difficult decisions to make, but we will not balance the state budget on the backs of middle class families in these difficult times.
"Last week, Gov. Culver took the first step in tightening our belts, but there is more that must be done," he added. "When the Legislature convenes next month, we will keep the state's fiscal house in order and provide more security for Iowans facing economic hardship and recovering from last summer's devastating storms."
November 5, 2008
Election Day!
The election day results are still being counted and processed and more absentee ballots have not yet arrived but one thing is for certain... the Democrats have retained their majorities in both the Iowa House of Representatives and Senate. Check back in a few days for the updated tally.
UPDATE:
Democrats have increased their majorities in both chambers.
56 - 44 seat advantage in the House
32 - 18 seat advantage in the Senate
Here's a link with the the winner's in each district.