The letter was sent by Reps. Kraig Paulsen, of Hiawatha; Jeff Kaufmann, of Wilton; Sandy Greiner, of Keota; Dawn Pettengill, of Mount Auburn; Tom Sands, of Columbus Junction; Pat Grassley, of New Hartford; Tami Wiencek, of Waterloo; Dan Rasmussen, of Independence; and Bill Schickel, of Mason City. All are from areas damaged by flooding.

“With winter getting nearer by the day, urgency is key,” the letter said. “It is imperative that the Legislature meet now to deal with this crisis.” It goes on to demand that the legislature reconvene immediately.

The letter was released just a day after the Rebuild Iowa Commission was reconvened to begin the transition from short-term needs of the disaster recovery efforts to long-term needs, a signal that a special session is likely no longer on the table.

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver has repeatedly said he believes that a special session is not needed, but reserves the right to call one if the situation changes. Most believe, however, that with only a few weeks left until statewide legislative elections, calling a special session could turn overtly political.

In a statement, House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Debuque, said lawmakers would do whatever is neccesary to help those affected by flooding.

“We will work together with Gov. Culver and legislators from both sides of the aisle to help Iowans rebuild, but it is essential not to let critical flood relief efforts get mired in partisan politics,” he said.

Below is the letter sent to House leadership:

October 2, 2008

Patrick Murphy, Speaker
Iowa House of Representatives
Statehouse
Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Dear Speaker Murphy,

Due to the historic flooding and tornado disasters in May and June of 2008, several
counties have sustained severe damage. In terms of cost, Governor Culver has stated it will rank in the top 12 of all natural disasters in the history of the United States.

While I support the Governor’s effort to help the impacted areas, much more needs to be done to help Iowans. With winter getting nearer by the day, urgency is key. It is imperative that the Legislature meet now to deal with this crisis.

Therefore, I submit this letter to request that you poll all 100 House members to see if
they are supportive of convening a special session to approve legislation regarding disaster relief in accordance with the Iowa Constitution, Article 3, Section 2. The House Republican Caucus has toured the damaged area and is ready and willing to work with the majority party on ideas that would help Iowans in the flood and tornado impacted areas.

Lastly, I herewith respectfully request the 82nd General Assembly reconvene immediately in special session to deal with the 2008 natural disasters and you may consider me polled on this question.

Very respectfully,

Kraig Paulsen
State Representative

cc:  Minority Leader Christopher Rants
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy
Mark Brandsgard, Chief Clerk

June 13

Culver said it’s possible he will call for a special session so that lawmakers could make policy or financial decisions that would help storm-recovery efforts.

The stadium of North High School in Des Moines after flood waters breached nearby levees (photo by Jason Hancock).

Lawmakers from both parties said they were open to the idea of a special session, but cautioned that knee-jerk reactions should be avoided.

“I know there’s a tendency for politicians to want to flock to solve any emergency. Government can take action, but that’s why we have the National Guard, local law enforcement and firefighters,” House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, a Republican from Sioux City, told the Des Moines Register.

June 27
Top state lawmakers, including state House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, said it will not be clear if a special session is needed to deal with weather-related disasters until Federal Emergency Management Agency officials decide if they will waive the huge local and state matching-fund requirements.

June 28
Culver announced the creation of the Rebuild Iowa Commission. The commission’s job includes assessing the storms’ impact on the state and recommending steps lawmakers can take to assist in recovery. Their report will be the cornerstone to a possible special legislative session.

July 11

Culver said a special legislative session could be held in late August or early September. He speculated that some of the issues to be tackled could include relaxing rules to allow families to qualify more easily for state assistance and ways to delay when property taxes are due for families hit by recent disasters.

A home near Ellis Boulevard in Cedar Rapids sits naked after construction crews removed all internal and external damage. (photo by Lynda Waddington)

July 24

Leaders in the U.S. Senate decided to postpone work on a bill that could direct millions of dollars in disaster aid to the state. Congress adjourned for the month of August without passing a relief package.

Aug. 19
Several lawmakers told the Associated Press that chances for a special legislative session to deal with flooding are no better than 50-50.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs; House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque; and other lawmakers said a special session might not be worth the tens of thousands of dollars it would cost. State Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, told the Des Moines Register that it was “pretty dangerous” to have a special session close to the November elections because the effort could turn overly political.

Aug. 31
The state’s two biggest papers disagreed on the need for a special session.

A Cedar Rapids Gazette editorial titled “Make the call, Gov. Culver” said while it is commendable that Culver has been using his emergency powers to direct some state aide to flood relief, broader action is needed, and the legislators must “answer this curtain call.”

Pressure is mounting on Gov. Chet Culver to call a special session of the Legislature to address the state’s disaster recovery issues. Good. Lately, the governor has been straddling the fence on this issue; he needs to jump over it soon.

The Des Moines Register argued that calling a special session should only be done if it is essential, and from the paper’s viewpoint, that isn’t the case.

Make no mistake: There’s much work to be done. But unless there’s an essential step in the recovery that can’t be accomplished without an act of the Legislature — or that can’t be put off until the first few days of the regular session in January — there is no point in bringing 150 lawmakers to Des Moines.

Sept. 3
The Rebuild Iowa Commission released its final report on the state’s needs for disaster recovery, but the panel did not offer advice on whether a special legislative session should be scheduled.

Sept. 5

During a press conference, Culver said he would decide in the next 10 days whether to call a special session, with a decision hinging on whether FEMA will waive the 15-percent match requirement for local communities receiving federal disaster assistance.

That same day, a group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers from the affected region asked Culver to call a session anyway.

Rep. Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha; Rep. Bob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids; and Rep. Tyler Olsen, D-Cedar Rapids, joined with Linn County Supervisor Linda Langston in calling for the special session.

Sept. 8

Gov. Chet Culver, U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack viewed an exhibit of flood photographs at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art before speaking with local officials and the press about federal disaster assistance funding (photo by Lynda Waddington).

Before touring flood-damaged areas of Iowa, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent President George W. Bush a letter asking him to increase the federal share of disaster aid for Iowa. Bush followed her advice days later and issued an order increasing the federal share of disaster aid to Iowa to 90 percent of eligible costs.

Sept. 12
Sources close to the governor’s office told the Associated Press that Culver has “virtually ruled out” a special session.

In reaction to the news, lawmakers from both parties urged Culver to reconsider, saying there are policy changes local governments need before lawmakers return to regular session in January.

Rep. Todd Taylor, D-Cedar Rapids, told the Cedar Rapids Gazette that cities, counties and school districts need answers to questions about property taxes so they can certify their budgets by mid-March.

Sept. 13
Culver announced a $40 million program, called “Jumpstart Iowa,” designed to immediately help businesses and homeowners affected by the severe weather. Culver also said he doesn’t see an immediate need for a special legislative session to address disaster recovery.

An editorial in the Cedar Rapids Gazette praised the $40 million program but said it would be a mistake for the governor not to call a special session.

Skipping a special session sends a curious message to folks in this part of the state who are still up to their rolled-up sleeves in recovery work. If we don’t need our legislature on the job now, when do we need them?

Sept. 16
Culver met with the editorial board of the Cedar Rapids Gazette, assuring it that a special session is unnecessary. He said he and Lt. Gov. Patty Judge met with local leaders who had been demanding the Legislature be called back to Des Moines and they are now supportive of the governor’s plan, which involves using his executive authority to shift $40 million from the state budget into housing and business assistance.

Gazette columnist Todd Dorman said the governor insisted he can handle this disaster for now without the Legislature.

And stop questioning him. At one point [Culver] snapped “What is it you don’t understand?”

Sept. 19

The Des Moines Register reports that money that Iowa expects to get next year from the federal government to buy out flood-damaged properties could fall short by as much as $50 million based on preliminary estimates of communities’ needs.

Cities around the state requested $251 million to buy 2,752 homes after the summer’s massive flooding. But state officials estimate Iowa will receive around $200 million from the Federal Emergency Management Association.

Sept. 23

The Cedar Rapids City Council was told the city will take an estimated $20 million budget hit this year and next, once the city accounts for losses from unpaid taxes and drops in property valuations and for the added operating costs related to flood recovery, which would most likely mean big increases in property taxes.

Council member Chuck Wieneke accused Culver of “moral cowardice” for not convening a special session to provide some ability to raise local revenue in ways other than property taxes.

“We need help now,” Wieneke said told the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

Sept. 25

The U.S. House approved $23 billion in federal aid for disaster recovery, but officials said much of that money won’t be available until 2009. The U.S. Senate passed the bill four days later and sent it to President Bush, who is expected to sign it.

Sen. Tom Harkin told the Cedar Rapids Gazette that the $23 billion disaster aid package includes a provision requiring the HUD secretary to allocate at least one-third of the bill’s $6.5 billion in community development block grants within 60 days of enactment.

Sept. 29

Culver announces that state agencies have identified $73 million that they would have spent next year that can be redirected to flood assistance. This is in addition to the $40 million Jumpstart Iowa program.

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver addressing the media shortly after flood waters began to rise (photo courtesy of flood2008.iowa.gov).

Gov. Chet Culver has repeatedly said he reserves the right to call lawmakers back to Des Moines should it become necessary, but most believe if that were going to happen, it would have happened already.

Culver received near-universal praise in the days and weeks following the worst of the flooding in June. Even now, a recent poll by The Des Moines Register found 60 percent of Iowans approve of the job Culver is doing.

But despite the governor’s assurances that a special session is not needed, many of those in flood-damaged areas  can’t understand why legislators haven’t been called back into session. Their concerns are buttressed by recent reports that the majority of federal money could still be months, not weeks, away.

As an editorial in the Cedar Rapids Gazette put it, “Skipping a special session sends a curious message to folks in this part of the state who are still up to their rolled-up sleeves in recovery work. If we don’t need our legislature on the job now, when do we need them?”

Those affected by the disaster fear that instead of legislators being focused solely on recovery, as they would be during a special session, the needs of those still struggling could be thrown into the pile of issues facing the Legislature in a regular session. The typical crowded legislative agenda, critics argue, could mean waiting until March for the state to fully act.

Cities, counties and school districts are searching for answers about property taxes so they can certify their budgets by mid-March. Legislators could provide property tax breaks to affected businesses and homeowners while also helping local governments make up funding gaps.

Special session proponents fear that the governor’s assistance programs could fail to fill all the short-term gaps left by federal programs, especially if delays in federal funds persist. The biggest chunk of federal aid could still be months away, and winter is quickly approaching. The state’s cash reserves, estimated at around $600 million, could be dipped into to ensure all needs are met before the Legislature comes back into full session in January.

The main argument made against a special session is that it would serve no function. Culver has said he already has the authority to redirect state money to assist in disaster recovery. On Sept. 12 he announced the “Jumpstart Iowa” program, a $40 million assistance fund to help homeowners and small businesses in the short term while federal aid is pending.

Then just this week Culver announced another $73 million in reallocated money from state agencies they would have spent next year that can be redirected to flood assistance.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has already approved the state’s $85 million recovery plan, with $60 million for housing needs, $10 million to fund forgivable loans for affected businesses and nearly $11 million for public infrastructure projects.

Culver has said these steps to get state and federal help moving to businesses, homeowners and other victims should serve as a bridge until the Legislature reconvenes in regular session and billions of dollars in a federal aid package approved by Congress become available. Damage totals in Iowa alone have been estimated at around $8 billion.

Another big reason not to call a special session is politics. There are less than 40 days before crucial legislative elections, and the last thing a Democratic governor wants to do is give Republicans a soap box while the whole state is watching.

Getting 150 lawmakers to come back to Des Moines is simple. All the governor has to do is ask. Getting them to leave, however, is another story. In what’s shaping up to be a big year for Democrats, with most expecting gains in both the House and Senate, what if GOP lawmakers were to try for a Hail Mary? There’s no shortage of controversial issues that Democrats would much rather save until after voters have spoken. When campaigns hope to be touting the successes of Democratic control of the Legislature, they could easily get pulled into a debate over same-sex marriage or the statewide smoking ban.

That’s the kind of risk Democrats would take if a special session were called.

In the coming weeks and months, as Iowa slips into winter, the speed of federal money reaching those still in distress will determine whether Culver was correct in his decision not to call lawmakers into session. One way or another, history will be the judge.

For a timeline of events in the debate over a special session, click here.

The story quotes two anonymous legislative sources. Culver is holding a press conference this afternoon to discuss flood relief efforts, though it is still unknown if he will make his decision public today.

The decision came after federal officials agreed to pay for 90 percent of the costs of some flood recovery projects — up from the traditional 75 percent — and as Culver pushed for the release on an $85 million package of money from the Department of House and Urban Development.

Many had worried about calling a special session so close to an election, fearing political infighting could break out. House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City, released a statement calling the decision a disappointment.

“In my opinion, this decision is a bad one,” he said. “Instead of worrying about upcoming elections, the governor needs to focus on the local officials and people begging for action and leadership.”

Culver is expected to speak today at noon.

The latest volley came from a group of Republican legislators who told The Des Moines Register that the state should cancel a planned $131 million maximum-security prison at Fort Madison and redirect that money toward flood recovery.

The group also made five other specific suggestions, including the cancellation of other projects such as an $80,000 repair to an antique musical organ in Clermont.

“We’re playing a guessing game on what the governor is going to do. Our constituents need help now,” said Rep. Kraig Paulsen, a Republican from Hiawatha. “Reallocating funds in the time of crisis is an absolute necessity because we don’t want to pile a fiscal disaster on top of a natural disaster.”

Democratic lawmakers, unsurprisingly, were not as gung-ho about the plan.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Democrat from Des Moines, said the ideas are irresponsible and indicate Republicans are gearing up to play politics with critical recovery efforts.

McCarthy noted that cancellation of the prison would not immediately bring more money into the state. The loan payment for the prison will largely be paid from revenue of court fines. Those fines are currently being used to pay for previous prison improvements and won’t be available for at least three years, McCarthy said.

Meanwhile, members of the Rebuild Iowa Commission told the Associated Press that the legislature needs to act quickly to deal with the flooding, including a special session.

A special session is still possible, but the governor and legislative leaders will decide in the next few days if the state’s emergency needs can be met without one.

“There’s a 50-50 chance,” said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Many lawmakers have said that because the special session would be called so close to an election there is a strong likelihood that politics could rear its ugly head. That fact hurts the chances that a special session will be called.

But a group of legislators told The Des Moines Register that a special session is doubtful, with state Sen. Bill Dotzler, a Waterloo Democrat saying that it’s “pretty dangerous” to have a special session close to the November elections because the effort could turn overly political.

State Rep. Tami Wiencek, a Republican from Waterloo, was also skeptical that a special session would take place this year.

She noted that key questions remain, such as the match Iowa governments will be expected to contribute in some programs to qualify for federal assistance.

“If I was playing Psychic Tami, I would say no,” Wiencek said.

With the federal government going into recess before debating a proposed $10.1 billion in federal aid, state lawmakers are left wondering when federal money will come and how much the state will have to kick in. Culver asked the feds to pick up 90 percent of the tab for recovery and rebuilding efforts, but the exact total will not be known until Congress comes back into session and passes a relief spending bill.

If that’s granted, it would make a $112 million difference to the state.

“That means the Legislature and I don’t have to worry about $112 million in costs,” said Culver. “Those types of things ultimately will have a huge impact on ultimately whether or not we have a special session.”

Culver said he expects to learn the outcome of his requests “in the next couple of weeks” and that will weigh heavily on whether he summons lawmakers into session.