Vilsack calls Legislature's work �historic'

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| Sunday, May 22, 2005 12:05 AM CDT | () comments

Charlotte Eby

DES MOINES � Iowans soon will be allowed to drive faster on the state's rural interstates, but now face more obstacles buying cold and flu medicine containing meth ingredient pseudoephedrine because of actions by state lawmakers this year.

Those measures in the Iowa Legislature's 2005 session probably will be the most notable changes in Iowans' everyday lives, but scores of other changes were set in motion by lawmakers.

Legislators adjourned for the year late Friday after rejecting a cigarette tax hike and agreeing to funnel more money into educational programs next year.

Gov. Tom Vilsack, a Democrat, has called the Iowa Legislature's work this year "historic" and said they deserve credit for expanding access to health care and pre-school to more Iowa families.

"When was the last time we saw so much progress on so many different fronts?" he said.

The session also was historic because of a 25-25 split between the parties in the Iowa Senate. With no tie-breaking vote, members were forced to overcome their ideological differences to reach a budget accord.

"In the end, we put aside our partisan rhetoric and said, �What can we get done here?'" said Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs.

Senate Co-president Jeff Lamberti, R-Ankeny, said difficulties striking a budget deal in the closing weeks of the session shouldn't overshadow their achievements. "We have a long list of accomplishments this year," Lamberti said.

Lawmakers came together to expand health-care access to low-income Iowans through Medicaid and boost funding to the state's public schools and higher education system. They also took steps to improve the quality of life for Iowans, approving tax credits that will help build a racetrack in Newton.

And the Legislature worked to continue the momentum of Iowa's business and job growth with a $500 million economic development program, the Iowa Values Fund, used to lure firms that will locate or expand in Iowa.

Iowa House Speaker Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City, expects the session to be known for its crime legislation, which he said had to be addressed because of a rising meth problem and the high-profile murder of a Cedar Rapids girl, allegedly by a convicted sex offender.

Legislators pushed through get-tough-on-crime measures to curb the growing number of illegal methamphetamine labs. They also voted to lengthen prison terms for sex offenders and track them with electronic monitoring bracelets after their release.

But the monumental task of reforming Iowa's property tax system went undone this session, and GOP leaders pledged to put it at the top of their agenda when they return to the Statehouse in January.

"There were some ideas floating around this year that we just could not get a consensus on," said Senate Republican Leader Stewart Iverson of Dows.

The Iowa House passed property reforms that would have eased the burden on commercial property taxpayers, a problem GOP leaders say is stunting business growth in the state. But the measure never reached a debate in the evenly divided Senate.

Rants knows people also will remember the 131-day session, the longest since 1981, as one that stretched into late May.

"That's not terribly surprising, given the circumstances we found ourselves in," Rants said.

Charlotte Eby can be contacted at (515) 243-0138 or chareby@aol.com.