Iowa Press Host Dean Borg was part of the public at the League of Women Voters Legislative Forum at the Mount Vernon City Hall on Saturday. Borg lives in Mount Vernon and addressed the Iowa Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Bob Dvorsky and Mount Vernon School Board Member, Bob Penn. “What is the school district doing about preschool budgeting?” asked Borg. “Preschool will be impacted by the budget, both by allowable growth and the governor's statement that he intended to eliminate preschool.”

On allowable growth, Dvorsky said that the Senate proposes 2% allowable growth, the House is at zero percent and the governor is at zero. There is no indication anyone is willing to compromise. When the two largest employers in town are Cornell College and the school district, Mount Vernon residents are very interested in what goes on in Des Moines regarding education. Penn indicated the Mount Vernon school board is committed to preschool and that the board would have to see how things played out. Linn County Supervisor Linda Langston spoke up that people “will live with uncertainty” until the state budget is finished.

Regarding elimination of preschool, Dvorsky said the Branstad administration is wrong. “When they say we can't afford it, Baloney! What we can't afford is the consequences.” Dvorsky indicated the governor has changed his position since his campaign recommendation to eliminate preschool, and that it is shifting further. He recommended that a compromise on preschool include the ability for the governor to save face if he changed positions again to be more accommodating regarding preschool funding. Whether the Governor would change his position is uncertain.

The rest of the meeting centered around topics of interest to a small town: the Mayor, Paul Tuerler, was excited about the new sewer project and fire station improvements. He pointed out renewed interest in a U.S. Highway 30 bypass around Mount Vernon. Supervisor Langston said she was glad there was no shutdown of the federal government on Friday and the county was looking at redistricting as an opportunity to make some of the townships larger so less poll watchers were needed during elections. There was plenty for legislators to talk about, mental health reform, property taxes, Local Option Sales Taxes and there were a couple of news items:

Senator Dvorsky said he thought the Senate would vote on the first redistricting map on Thursday, April 14.

April 15 is the deadline for confirmation of Governor Branstad's appointees and some key ones may see Senate floor time this week, including Roger Lande to Department of Natural Resources, Jason Glass to Education and Isaiah McGee to Human Rights.

When asked about dove hunting, Dvorsky indicated that rule making was required by the Iowa DNR Natural Resource Commission. The NRC will take up establishment of a mourning dove season at their April 13 meeting at Honey Creek Resort State Park when there is an agenda item for public participation. Contact the NRC here to find out more.

Driving east on Highway 30 after the meeting, one couldn't help but feel glad to live in a democracy.