(Le Mars) — State Representative Chuck Soderberg along with State Senator Bill Anderson were in Le Mars Saturday morning holding a legislative forum. A group of nearly 20 people from various businesses consisting of educational, utility, agriculture, mental health, and even seniors had attended the forum. Soderberg told the group how the State House of Representatives are becoming more frustrated with the State Senate’s inability to deliver budget bills. Soderberg, who chairs the House Appropriations committee says while the House has sent six budget bills to the Senate, the Senate has sent over to the other chamber only one budget bill.
Listen to
{audio} images/stories/mp3/April 2013/Soderberg budgets1.mp3{/audio}
The General Session is scheduled to end on May 3rd, however, both lawmakers are uncertain as to whether the legislature can complete its work on time.
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(Le Mars) — The State Senate has before them the task of confirming the various nominees for commissions and state boards prior to April 15th. Governor Branstad’s nominees for the Board of Regents and the State Utility Board have come under great scrutiny within the Senate committees. State Senator Bill Anderson says he intends to support Governor Branstad’s nominees for the Board of Regents, both Craig Lang and Robert Cramer and says it is a matter of Democrats wanting to play politics.
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There are just four weeks to go before the scheduled last day of this year’s Iowa General Assembly, but when lawmakers will actually pack up and leave the state Capitol is
anyone’s guess.
Issues like new education spending, property tax reductions and Medicaid expansion remain unresolved.
A projected state surplus of up to $800 million could be driving lawmakers to hold out for their priorities. And there’s no election cycle this year that might motivate members to finish up and start
campaigning.
Many like Republican Rep. Walt Rogers, of Cedar Falls, think negotiations will stretch past May 3, the last day lawmakers receive expense payments.
The drop-dead date for resolution is June 30, because a budget must be in place before a new fiscal year begins on July 1.
