Senate Journal: Page 931: Monday, April 2, 2001

  BILLS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR

  A communication was received announcing that on March 30,
  2001, the Governor approved and transmitted to the Secretary of
  State the following bills:

  S.F. 146 - Relating to the tobacco master settlement agreement and providing
  an
  effective date.

  S.F. 509 - Making a supplemental appropriation to the state department of
  transportation from the primary road fund for the purchase of salt and
  including an
  effective date.

  GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE

  March 30, 2001

  The Honorable Mary Kramer
  President of the Senate
  State Capitol Building
  L O C A L

  Dear President Kramer:

  I hereby transmit Senate File 66, an Act relating to state general fund
  expenditure
  limitation requirements for transmission of the state budget by the Governor
  and
  passage of the state budget by the General Assembly.

  I am unable to approve Senate File 66.  This bill makes changes to the state
  expenditure limitation even though the present limitation accomplishes the
  purposes
  for which it was created.  This is an unnecessary and, in some instances,
  unworkable
  revision to Iowa's original budget reform legislation.

  A key part of Iowa's 1992 budget reform law was creating a mechanism for
  filling
  the state's two reserve funds.  One of those reserve funds, the economic
  emergency
  fund, pre-dated the 1992 changes, but it had never been adequately
  maintained.  The
  expenditure limitation, which provides that only 99% of estimated revenues
  may be
  spent, created a mechanism for filling those reserve funds.

  That original expenditure limitation has worked very well.  Both of the
  state's
  reserves are filled to their statutory maximum.  Combined, they contain
  nearly half a
  billion dollars.  Given that the present law has worked so well, there is no
  reason for
  change.

  Senate File 66 would change that original expenditure limitation by
  stipulating
  that reversions (which are appropriated but unspent funds) not be considered
  in
  calculating the expenditure limitation.  This is an unnecessary alteration
  of the
  expenditure limitation.

© 2001 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

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