Right now, we are dealing with a flurry of hot-button issues: mandatory civics test for high school graduation (SSB3119/HSB573); Medicaid work requirements (SF2158); death penalty (SSB3134);a militia amendment to the Constitution (SJR2004); immigration (SF471); abortion (SSB3143); religious discrimination (SSB3171); school vouchers (SF2091/HSB651); more anti-worker legislation (SF2110); firearms in courts and schools (SF2044, SF2052, SF2104, SF2086, SJR2, etc.)]; and changes to Iowa’s judicial system (SF2153), etc.). You can find these bills and legislative contact information at www.legis.iowa.gov.

Please keep speaking up on the issues you care about, but don’t forget the budget and taxes.

On the budget, the Senate Republicans passed Senate File 2117, which would slash $44 million from the budget Republicans passed just last April. Some of the major cuts proposed in Senate File 2117 include:

$14.5 million from our three universities
$1.8 million from our community colleges
$10 million from the Iowa Skilled Worker and Job Creation Fund
$6.2 million from the Department of Human Services
$925,000 from Department of Public Health
$220,000 from area agencies on aging
$3.4 million from the Department of Corrections
$1.6 million from the Iowa Courts
$200,000 from the Department of Public Safety
$377,376 from the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
$123,373 from the Department of Natural Resources

Many of these cuts come on top of past cuts that have already reduced staff, taken away services, and closed valuable programs and facilities.

These cuts are unnecessary because the state has more than $600 million in our “rainy day funds” for just such a purpose, and Governor Reynolds is actually planning a $72 million addition to our reserve funds this year. Please speak up with Representatives in the Iowa House to stop the cuts. After eight years of Branstad and Reynolds, why are we making more mid-year budget cuts?

I am also asking you to begin speaking up against the massive tax cut proposed this week by Governor Reynolds. With all the budget mess, and with all the hot-button issues this week, Governor Reynolds decided to submit a proposal to cut taxes for Iowans by $1.7 BILLION by 2023. That’s totally reckless. If the budget is a mess now, which it is, massive tax cuts would make it a HUGE mess. Please let legislators know that the Governor’s tax cut proposal doesn’t add up; tell legislators to fix the budget mess instead.

You can find contact information for legislators at www.legis.iowa.gov, or you can contact House members at 515-281-3221 and Senators at 515-281-3371 through the Capitol switchboard Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.