Helland’s Highlights

A bill to destroy Iowa’s Right to Work law was introduced this week in the Iowa House.  The bill, dubbed ‘fair share,’ is forced unionism.  Our Right to Work law protects workers from being forced to join a union as a condition of employment.  The union’s argument is they are representing non-union workers in union negotiations and they need these dues to cover their negotiating costs.  Although a union representative told the Des Moines Register recently the forced union dues will not go to cover their non-member costs, as they have claimed for over two years, but instead will go to increased organizational efforts and recruiting.   I will not support this bill.  Instead of focusing our time on bills which cause more headaches for employers and workers, we need to focus our efforts on balancing the budget and getting Iowa back to work.

This week the Legislative Fiscal Services released the general fund revenue numbers through the first eight months of this fiscal year.  The numbers in Iowa are following the national trend, with all revenue dropping.  We all know revenue to government is the product of hard working taxpayers paying government for services, and everyone is feeling the current economic pinch.  With revenue estimates dropping it means the budget bill approved last week to balance the 2009 budget still spends too much money.  

In two weeks the Revenue Estimate Committee (REC) meets for the first time in 2009.  The REC meeting is important because by law the Legislature must use these revenue estimates to set the state budget.  Then by law, if the revenue estimate is lowered from the previous estimate, the Legislature must go back and reduce its spending.  This would then require the Governor to re-submit his budget and the majority party to issue a new set of reduced budget goals for next year.  Iowa is fortunate to have a good system in place to make sure in tough economic times the government must take steps, like every taxpayer, to rein in spending.

Also this week the National Popular Vote bill passed out of committee.  This is a bill which would have Iowa join a compact with other state to change the way we count our votes for the President of the United States election from the Electoral College to the Popular Vote count. 

If Iowa were to join the compact with other states it would eliminate Iowa’s voice in Presidential elections; Iowa’s population ranks thirtieth in the United States.  No longer would our seven electoral votes be important and candidates would fly over Iowa on their way to the populated coast states.   When this happens, issues like agriculture and immigration in the Midwest would have less of a voice.  We would lose the level of national interest we receive and candidates would not be educated on issues important to Iowa. 

Our founding fathers set the Presidential electoral system in place to help make sure all states would receive a more equal footing even in states with a limited population.  The electoral system also helps to reduce the likelihood of election fraud as it is easier to find lots of individual votes to influence the popular election.  Also with the electoral system election recounts for the Presidential race are done on a state-by-state basis, not a nationwide recount of all popular votes.  Fortunately, both the Secretary of State and Governor Chet Culver released statements this week stating they were opposed to the proposed bill.

As always, I ask for your input on issues and concerns facing you, your family, and your business.  You can reach me by email at erik.helland@legis.state.ia.us.

I will be holding forums with Senator Larry Noble on Saturday, March 14 and Saturday, April 11 at the following location and times:

7:30 am Elkhart at the Fire Station

9:00 am Polk City at Polk County Bank

10:30 am Johnston at the Public Library

12:00 noon Grimes at the Public Library

Sincerely,

Erik Helland