As many predicted, Iowa’s budget has quickly come to the forefront of this year’s legislative session. Many lawmakers continue to suggest ideas to help fix our state’s $1 Billion budget gap. In the same spirit of protecting Iowa taxpayers, I am working to assure that we balance the budget not just for this year, but to protect taxpayers into the future.
This week, I introduced legislation to create a Constitutional Spending Limitation to our state’s budgeting practices. Currently, there is a provision in Iowa law which only allows lawmakers to spend 99% of its tax receipts. Unfortunately, the expenditure limit is not in the Constitution and the legislature has repeatedly found ways around this statutory limit. Over the past several years, the spending limit has been temporarily suspended altogether, resulting in our current budget disaster.
In 2006, for example, the limit was suspended, resulting in an additional $84.2 Million in spending. In 2007, the limit was again suspended resulting in $45.7 Million more in spending. According to projections, if we had abided by this 99% limitation since 2007, our state would have saved $179 Million.
Years of ignoring the existing spending limit has contributed to the budget disaster we now faces. Our state could have avoided these bloated, unsustainable state budgets. That is why I have introduced this Constitutional Spending Limitation. Not only will this Constitutional Spending Limitation provide needed budgeting reform, it will also effectively provide much greater protection for the Iowa taxpayer.
If you have any additional thoughts on how we can save money, return the power to the people, or protect the Iowa taxpayers, please let me know.
