House Journal: Page 10: Monday, January 14, 2002
Rather than discuss what we intend to do, I would prefer to take a few minutes of
your time to talk about how we go about doing it.
It has only been a couple of months since last we gathered here, but much has
changed, or, unfortunately stayed the same since that meeting.
We return to a capitol building where much work has gone into restoring the
grandure of Iowa’s beginnings. Yet at the same time changes have been made to adapt
to the sad new realities of our world. It was relatively easy to adapt our desks and
chamber to the wonders of all the new technology our world has to offer. If only it were
as easy for our state and her people to adapt to the challenges the economy of that
same world has laid before us. But adapt, we shall. Not only shall we adapt but we
shall also persevere, plan, and prepare for a better tomorrow. I think that is in our
nature as Iowans. It has never been easy, but from the time this land between two
rivers was settled. Our people worked hard to create a state that places a high value
on the education of its young people, can lead the world in agricultural production, and
is a land of opportunity for the person with the good idea and the work ethic to turn
that idea into reality. It is upon those principals that we can continually rely as we
face a challenging world economy.
So how do we advance those principals that we surely all agree on?
Mr. Speaker, last year it seemed that even before the first gavel fell, the session
was labeled as the most partisan ever. Right after a hotly contested election
expectations were that it would carry over into the session. Too often in politics
prophecies become self-fulfilling. With an election looming many critics, and not just
those in the press, are already predicting partisan bickering. I say we can prove them
wrong, and I ask that those who would write our eptitath to wait until the session is
over. We shall set higher expectations for ourselves. As Representative Myers has
said many times, we can "govern" with out all the politics. We know from the actions
we took during two special sessions that bi-partisan accords can be reached.
Mr. Speaker, I have often said that one of the difficulties the two parties have is in
identifying the problem. After all if you can’t agree on what the problem is, it makes it
very tough to reach a consensus on the solution.
Representative Myers, I will pledge to you today, that I will work with you to first
reach a consensus on what we consider to be the scope of our budget difficulties.
Rather than start this week with budget hearings, where we set ourselves up for a
session long debate over the budget, Republicans propose that we wait a few weeks
before hearings start. That will give us more revenue data that we can use in making
a decision as to how much funding is available for the 2003 fiscal year. The last thing
anyone wants is to start the budget process and have to hit the reset button on March
1st should the REC lower our estimate. Again, let us find agreement first on defining
the problem, and then we can work together for a solution.
If budget hearings are to wait, let us use this time productively to accomplish our
policy work. This year we will have policy committee meetings in the afternoon as well
as in the morning. I strongly urge our committee chairs to devote more time to the
subcommittee process, and to begin the work early on with your colleagues across the
rotunda. To meet the goal of adjournment in 90 days, we will need to accomplish many
of our key pieces of legislation before the first funnel. Given the economic challenges
© 2002 Cornell College and
League of Women Voters of Iowa
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