Posted by
Paul McKinley
on
April
16th
“The public has spoken, and they’ve spoken loudly, and that’s why I think you will see some of these projects that were touted so loudly throughout session beginning to fall by the wayside,” said Senate GOP Leader Paul McKinley of Chariton.
“Government is out of control, and I think that’s the reason that you see Democrats backing off some of these bills which are as far left-leaning as any being proposed anywhere in the United States,” he added.
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Posted by
Paul McKinley
on
April
16th
Iowans often dread this week every year because it brings about the deadline for the filing of federal income taxes. Yet, this year thousands of Iowans from communities all over the state decided to commemorate this annual occurrence by hosting tea parties to protest the unbridled spending that has occurred both at the federal level but especially here in Iowa where the governor and his legislative counterparts have unsustainably grown government’s budget during the last two years while continually looking for new ways to raise taxes on Iowa families and employers. I was proud to make an appearance at the tea party held at the Iowa Capitol this week where several thousand Iowans gathered to send a message to the governor and his party allies in the Legislature to stop the overspending and to dump the plans to enact additional burdensome new tax increases.
Just as Iowans all over the state are writing checks to the federal and state government for their taxes and heading to tea parties all over the state, the governor and his counterparts in the Legislature continue to press forward with their plans to raise taxes on hundreds of thousands of families and employers in absolutely every income tax bracket. The plan would force Iowans to pay a tax on a tax, would eliminate federal deductibility and would severely cripple the creation of new jobs because of the higher taxes that would be imposed. This tax on a tax legislation has been in front of lawmakers and the people of Iowa for several weeks now and the response of the people has been an overwhelming “No”. I have heard from thousands of Iowans regarding this tax increase scheme and I will continue to stand on the side of the taxpayers of Iowa by opposing this and other tax increase bills being pushed.
While this time of year means tax season for Iowa taxpayers, it also means the nearing of the end of the legislative session and that means lawmakers are busy crafting the next year’s state budget. The governor and the current majority party in the Legislature have spent the state into serious deficits during the last two years and as a result, they have been forced to significantly scale back their earlier budgetary plans. Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Governor Culver admitted that his party’s inability to budget with restraint during the past few years has lead to a prolonged session saying, “I think if we had our t’s crossed and i’s dotted we’d be adjourned by now.” When the Legislature finally does adjourn, the current budget being crafted will still be amongst the largest in state history thus reinforcing the fact that Iowa is facing a spending problem – not a revenue problem.
Beyond the deliberations over tax increase legislation and the spending plans for the state budget, there is an overarching issue that continues to hover over the business of the Legislature. Ever since the seven elite justices on the Iowa Supreme Court struck down Iowa’s Defense of Marriage Act, Republicans have been fighting to give the citizens a chance to have a vote on this important and emotional issue. In 1998, the legislative and executive branches of state government overwhelming supported traditional marriage and then two weeks ago the third branch, the judicial branch, went in the opposite direction. Our branches of government have divergent views on the definition of marriage and we believe the only way to solve this issue is to give the 3 million people of Iowa a chance to be the final arbiters. Unfortunately, Governor Culver, Senator Mike Gronstal and every other majority party senator continues to block every attempt that we have made to allow Iowans a chance to vote on a Constitutional Amendment to protect marriage as between on man and one woman.
Like the federal deductibility tax on a tax bill, the members in my Senate Republican caucus have heard from tens of thousands of Iowans who are outraged that Governor Culver and Democrats in the Legislature refuse to allow Iowans a vote on this issue. Iowans are simply asking their legislators to listen to them and give them a chance to have a greater role in their government. Iowans have seen legislators make grand statements about their own opinions yet they fail to take into account the opinions of the people in their own district. These are both historic and challenging times but now more than ever, we need to return government to it’s rightful owners: the people of Iowa. I continue to believe it is time to re-establish the notion that is the citizens who run government and not the other way around.
Posted by
Paul McKinley
on
April
15th
DES MOINES — Senate Republicans united to block Eugene Gessow as Gov. Chet Culver’s choice to direct the Iowa Department of Human Services during a stormy, partisan confirmation debate Wednesday.
Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley, R-Chariton, defended the rejection in the name of government openness and forthrightness, while the Senate’s top Democrat dubbed it “gutless” and Culver called for a redo on the 31-19 outcome before the 2009 session ends.
Gessow fell two votes short of the 34 affirmative votes needed to meet the two-thirds majority requirement for confirmation after senators sparred for an hour during a debate that was heated, combative and required repeated meetings with Senate President Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg, to restore calm and decorum to the Senate chambers.
All 18 GOP senators opposed the confirmation while all 32 majority Democrats voted for confirmation — but Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, switched his vote in a procedural move to keep Gessow’s nomination eligible for reconsideration yet this session.
McKinley said minority Republicans objected to Gessow because he was not forthright with legislators when discussing the handling of a recent situation where 21 individuals with mental retardation were found to be living in substandard conditions at an Atalissa bunkhouse.
To read the rest of the story, click HERE.
Posted by
Paul McKinley
on
April
15th
DES MOINES, IA - Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley (R-Chariton) issued the following statement today regarding the failed confirmation vote of Carrie La Seur, Governor Culver’s appointee to serve on the Iowa Power Fund Board.
“Though the governor is entitled to appoint who he wants to serve in his administration, members of the Iowa Senate have a serious and very distinct ‘advise and consent’ role to ensure Iowa taxpayers that the individuals selected are of the highest character and are capable of carrying out the important duties that are asked of them. During her tenure on the Iowa Power Fund Board, Ms. La Seur has been a driving force behind the Iowa Power Fund Board ignoring legislative intent regarding base load energy.
The Legislature’s intent through the creation of the Iowa Power Fund Board is to provide assistance and opportunities to grow Iowa’s energy economy and create jobs, yet Ms. La Seur has taken an active role in killing the Alliant Energy Marshalltown coal plant. As President of Plains Justice, a Cedar Rapids-based environmental law center, Ms. La Seur has raised money and brought forth litigation intended to stop the construction of that plant as well as others like it. She has ignored the guidelines and intent outlined by the governor and the Legislature for the Iowa Power Fund and instead pushed the power fund to become a policy making institution instead of its original intent to expand energy production in Iowa.”