Iowa Values Fund Fallout
John Drury, Democratic Candidate for Iowa State Senate, District 6, Comments on the Values Fund
This is indeed bad news for Iowans and points to the serious
problems that exist in the Iowa Legislature with partisan politics that
is harming Iowa. The loss of the Values Fund is a major blow for
economic development in rural Iowa. The Fund was already
seriously underfunded because of Republican politicking in Des Moines
and now it is completely lost. This could result in the loss of
thousands of new jobs for Iowa.
At a time like this when we are facing our own job problems in north
Iowa…particularly with the closing of the Armour Plant in Britt…it
will become increasingly difficult to develop new jobs.
The only good news out of this ruling is that the special interest tax
cuts the Republicans wanted that would have further increased local
property taxes will not come into play.
John Drury, Democratic Candidate for Iowa State Senate, District 6, North Iowa
Southeast Iowa lawmakers react
The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowa
What now?
The Iowa
Supreme Court's out–of–the–blue decision Wednesday overturning the
entire Iowa Values Fund had local lawmakers and economic development
pros wondering where the road leads from here.
Siding
with Republican leaders at the Statehouse, the court said Gov. Tom
Vilsack misused his line–item veto authority last summer when he
scratched out a series of tax cuts and regulatory changes tacked on to
the massive $503 million job growth fund.
But the
justices carried their ruling further than either side expected,
declaring “no portion of HF 692 became law because the entire bill did
not receive the affirmative approval of both the Legislature and
Governor” in the time allowed under law.
“What
that means is that both sides lost and, I would argue, the state of
Iowa lost,” said Rep. Philip Wise, a Keokuk Democrat who serves on the
Iowa Department of Economic Development board of directors.
The
Supreme Court decision creates a potentially embarrassing problem for
the state, since much of the initial $100 million allocated for the
Values Fund has already been doled out for 36 different development
projects.
(more)
Can Iowa's political differences be resolved?
The Ames Tribune
Back to
square one. The Iowa Supreme Court ruling that threw out the largest
piece of legislation of the 2003 session most likely means lawmakers
will have to come back together to hash it out again.
Will they be able to agree this time?
The
ruling blind-sided both parties by throwing out the entire bill that
created the Grow Iowa Values Fund. Gov. Tom Vilsack had vetoed
Republican-sponsored tax cuts and regulatory reform added to the values
fund bill. Republicans who sued only wanted those cuts and reforms
reinstated. Neither side wanted the values fund thrown out, too. But
the court ruled that Vilsack's vetoes rendered the whole bill null and
void.
Both parties were quick to start finger-pointing.
From the
Republican side, House Speaker Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City, said,
“We did not seek to invalidate the bill. Responsibility for this lies
squarely with the governor and his counsel.”
And from
the Democrats: “Because of the political game-playing by Republican
leaders, the Iowa Values Fund has been jeopardized,” Senate Minority
Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs and House Minority Leader Pat
Murphy, D-Dubuque, said in a joint statement.
(more)
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