Tuesday morning, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, told reporters that the legislative session was at a stand still because Culver had stopped communicating and negotiating with legislative leaders.

Culver Press Secretary Troy Price said the governor “respectfully disagrees” with McCarthy’s comments.

“Just last night, Lt. Gov. Judge had a lengthy conversation with Rep. McCarthy on the best way we could address the remaining issues Iowans care most about, balance a budget and move toward adjournment,” Price said. “In addition, the governor has had productive conversations about labor reform, mental health parity and giving a majority of Iowans a middle-class tax cut with a number of key legislators in the last 24 hours alone, with more meetings scheduled today.”

The governor has made it clear, Price said, what needs to be done to “put Iowans back to work with our I-JOBS proposal.”

“While there is room to negotiate, we cannot settle for a bill that won’t put people to work, allow us to assist flood victims and help us rebuild flood-damaged homes, businesses, roads and bridges,” he said.

Culver proposed a $750 million bonding plan to pay for flood recovery and infrastructure repair, to be paid back over 20 years with gambling revenue. Lawmakers have said they wish to alter the plan, taking out money to pay for road and bridge projects and using money from the general fund to repay the bonds.

In response to Culver’s claims, McCarthy told The Des Moines Register that he initiated the conversation with Judge in order to discuss communication problems between the governor and the legislature.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, left, and Gov. Chet Culver shake hands. (File photo.)

“[The governor's office is] just not negotiating with us right now,” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, said. “We can’t move forward until we start to get an agreement on these bills, so we encourage them to come to the table and negotiate. We’re ready, willing and able on our part to engage in good faith negotiation.”

The Des Moines Register is reporting that the rift is driven by Culver’s $750 million bonding plan to pay for flood recovery and infrastructure projects. Lawmakers have already cut that amount down to $700 million, leaving out money proposed to pay for road and bridge repairs. They’ve also questioned Culver’s intention to use future gambling proceeds to repay the bonds, believing they can get a better interest rate on bonds if they repay them with general fund dollars.

A Culver spokesman declined to comment for The Register and did not respond to a request from the Iowa Independent.

The standoff, which has apparently been going on for several days, follows comments from House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, last week that Culver’s changes to a proposed Democratic tax plan caused at least two Democrats to switch from “yes” to “no” on the bill, saying the bill would have otherwise been passed weeks ago.

Culver fired back in an interview with Des Moines NBC affiliate WHO-TV, saying his changes actually improved the bill by increasing the number of Iowans who will see their taxes cut.

“I think we’ve probably picked up some votes and maybe even a few Republican votes,” Culver said.

Last year’s legislative session was largely defined by differences between the governor and legislative leaders, culminating with Culver vetoing a bill expanding collective bargaining rights for public sector employees.

Legislators had hoped they could adjourn this week. Many pieces of legislation, including changes to the state’s sex offender laws; the Democratic tax reform bill; and the governor’s bonding plan remain unresolved.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, told The Register that differences of opinion at this point in the session are not uncommon, but that “This is not the time to be issuing ultimatums.”

McCarthy, who was first elected in 2003, has discussed new careers with Gov. Chet Culver and others in the private sector, sources tell Skinny. The Des Moines Democrat serves as the second in command to House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque. His district is considered one of the safest Democratic districts in Iowa, encompassing a large swath of Des Moines’ southeast side. So while McCarthy’s departure won’t mean a net loss for the Democrats, it could have impact on the workings of the House caucus.

If he does leave, it probably won’t break the heart of House Speaker Pat Murphy, who, no matter what Iowans for Tax Relief says, is not a jack-booted Nazi. The loafered American and McCarthy aren’t particularly close — Murphy is a voluble guy who wears his heart on his sleeve; McCarthy is a reticent guy who keeps his feelings to himself — and as a team they haven’t been particularly effective even though they have 56 of the 100 House members. They couldn’t round up enough votes to pass a bill desperately wanted by their labor backers, for instance, and labor’s other bills appear to be dead. But if McCarthy does bow out, there’s no obvious successor, which could make Murphy’s job even harder.

McCarthy did not respond to a request for comment from the Iowa Independent.

Skinny also reports that Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Lang considering a run for governor, despite the fact that it would mean challenging Culver, the very guy who appointed him to the Iowa Board of Regents. Lang is the latest name to be floated as a possible Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2010, along with U.S. Rep. Steve King, state Rep. Christopher Rants, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey, state Auditor David Vaudt and Ames businessman Bruce Rastetter. Sioux City businessman Bob Vander Plaats has already formed an exploratory committee to run in 2010.

House Speaker Pat Murphy had left the voting machine open all weekend — which required him or a designee to remain in the chamber all weekend — in hopes that Democrats could secure the 51st vote they needed for the bill to pass.

Culver said raising the gas tax during a recession would not be “a prudent thing to do” but stopped short of committing to veto an increase. He said, “If 150 legislators want to keep talking about it, they have that right.”

“[Culver] hasn’t said ‘no’ in my presence,” said Senate President Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg, Thursday morning.  Kibbie argued for a gas tax increase during his opening remarks to the legislature.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said legislators think that based on Culver’s public statements there is a willingness to listen to the legislature on this issue.

House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, said it would be closer to the end of the session before legislators tackle the issue.

The gas tax issue seems to be driven by a feeling that the next Revenue Estimating Conference, which will take place in March, bring more bad economic news. Most believe revenues will be down further than expected, which would mean more spending cuts on top of those already proposed by Culver or increased taxes.

Supporters say truckers driving along the state’s interstate system would pay the majority of a gas tax increase.

The group points to what it calls Mertz’s ties to the factory farm industry, including the fact that her son owns a 4,000-head hog factory, as motivation for House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, to remove her from the chair position. Mertz, D-Ottosen, was re-appointed by House leadership as the Ag Committee chair for the 2009 legislative session last week.

“Mertz claims she supports family farms, but her votes and actions clearly show she has bent over backwards to please the factory farm industry,” said Kevin Shilling, a CCI member and livestock/poultry farmer. “McCarthy and Murphy knew exactly what they were doing when they re-appointed her as House Ag Chair. It’s shameful that they care more about the factory farm industry than the quality of life of everyday Iowans.”

Rep. Mark Kuhn, D-Charles City, is the group’s choice for the position due to his support for legislation that “called for stricter regulations on factory farms.”

Iowa CCI has long been an advocate for giving local governments zoning power over hog confinements. Currently, the authority rests in the state government.

House Speaker Pro Tem Polly Butka will also remain in her position, but there are some new names among this year’s assistant majority leaders. The four state representatives awarded that title include Ako Abdul-Samad, Elesha Gayman, Mike Reasoner and John Whitaker.

In a press release, Murphy and McCarthy released the following statements:

“Our top priority will be to help Iowans recover and rebuild from the devastating storms and slowing national economy. We are creating a new House Rebuild Iowa Committee that will consider recommendations from the Rebuild Iowa Advisory Commission and help Iowans recover from the natural disasters this year,” said Murphy.

“It’s a great honor to serve as House Majority Leader and I’m extremely proud that the House is more representative of our state with a record six African-Americans serving in 2009.  Democrats are committed to keeping our promises, focusing on the bread and butter issues that Iowans care about, and keeping the state’s fiscal house in order,” said McCarthy.

So who are the front runners? Well, all the gossip apparently points to Iowa’s Attorney General, Tom Miller, taking a Washington job in the Justice Department, Iowa House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (a big-time supporter of VP nominee Joe Biden) getting a shot at to be United States Attorney for the Southern District, and Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba, who according to Civic Skinny’s sources would “look hard at any Washington job offer.”

Next on the list are Jackie and John Norris. Jackie Norris, who spent several years in Washington, including time in the office of Vice President Al Gore, ran the Obama operation in Iowa — very successfully — and “there clearly will be something for her in Washington if she wants it,” says a person who claims to know about such things. John Norris, one-time Congressional candidate, one-time chief of staff to Gov. Tom Vilsack, and now comfortably ensconced in a well-paying but kind of boring post as chair of the Utilities Board, could also find work pretty easily in the nation’s capital.

More benefits to Iowa’s first in the nation status.

Republicans, McCarthy said, are making the Iowa House their top priority.  “The Republicans have made no secret this election that one of their primary focuses 30 days from now is going to be to take back” the Iowa House, he said.

“We’re 53-47, and the Republicans are going all in.”

Iowa Senate President Jack Kibbie is delivering his speech now, and he is considerably more optimistic.

Update (7:49PM): Contradicting McCarthy, Kibbie predicted that Democrats would increase their majority in the Iowa House as he concluded his speech.

The Des Moines Register’s Iowa Ear describes a heated exchange between House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City, and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, over how to best help those affected by this year’s severe weather. If it is any indication of things to come, the special legislative session will most likely be held in an octagon cage somewhere in Las Vegas.

Rants proposed in an e-mail to supporters that the state offer tax breaks to business affected by the floods. McCarthy was none too impressed with the idea, saying Rants is a “one-trick pony” and that his plan is “virtually the same corporate tax cut proposal (the Republicans) pushed before the floods even occurred.”

“Their proposal is another major warning sign that the Republican Party has veered terribly to the political right and is completely out of touch with mainstream Iowa.”

Rants fired back, saying the idea was far from complete and that Republicans would support different ways to help the state recover.

“McCarthy makes this some big political bash fest,” Rants said. “I don’t know what they’re thinking in the majority leader’s office but the reaction they had was just beyond bizarre.”

Remember fellas, no head butting and no punching below the belt. Now go back to your corners and when the bell rings, come out fighting.

]]> http://iowaindependent.com/3554/the-politics-of-flooding/feed 0