As we begin the Eighty-Fifth Iowa General Assembly, work is already under way on issues that are important to all Iowans. With a new Legislature comes new hope that we will all be able to work together to make meaningful progress for our state.
In the House, we will remain focused on ways to make Iowa an even better place to live, work and raise a mily. Our focus will be on a balanced budget, promoting job creation through tax relief and reform, and building stronger schools and communities.
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Second, we will not use one-time money to pay for ongoing expenses. Many in the Capitol want to take our ending fund balance and create big new ongoing programs and entitlements. Our budget must not only be balanced, it must also be sustainable.
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For the budget, we will continue to show the leadership that got our fiscal house in order. Two years ago, the state ced a $900 million budget shortll. Today, we have an ending balance of $688 million and our budget reserves are full. This strong budget position is due to the fiscal discipline insisted upon by House Republicans and Gov. Terry Branstad over the last two sessions.
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Third, we will not intentionally underfund programs in order to balance the states budget. It is irresponsible to simply kick the can down the road. We will not underfund known obligations, only to come back a few months later needing to fix a self-inflicted hole in the budget.
Three , common-sense budgeting principals will continue to guide us:
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First, we will not spend more money than the state takes in. This means adhering to Iowas law which limits spending to 99 percent of ongoing revenue. We have also filed legislation to go even one step further and place this 99 percent limitation into Iowas constitution.
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I am excited and honored to once again have the opportunity to serve. As always, please let me know your thoughts and ideas.
(Rep. Chris Hagenow represents House District 43. A Republican, he is the House Majority Whip. Reach him by phone at or by email at chris..gov.)
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Beyond the budget, work is already under way on new proposals to reform Iowas property tax system. Iowans have made it clear that property tax relief needs to be a priority this legislative session. I remain committed to a property tax reform plan which provides predictable and meaningful relief for all classifications of property.
Related Topics:Iowa House District 43, Iowa House of Representatives, Iowa Legislature, Iowa Legislature 2013, and Rep. Chris Hagenow
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This has been a fundamental change in how the Legislature maeducation reformkes decisions. In the past, the Legislature spent everyHagenow Statehouse Report Fiscal Discipline Despite Surplus Education and Property Tax Reform education reform available dollar, even some we didnt have.
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By Rep. Chris Hagenow
We have also now had our first look at Gov. Branstads new education reform proposal. All legislators share the vision of sure that Iowas educational system once again be a model of excellence. We all share in the need to help our children get a world-class education. I am very interested to see what develops as this proposal moves through the legislative process.
