2010 Issue #11 November 22, 2010
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
2010 Issue #11 November 22, 2010 A publication of ID Action in partnership with Iowaʼs DD Council New Legislature, New Committees Legislative committees will look quite a bit different this year, with six Senate chairs not returning to the Capitol and a shift in power in the Iowa House. PAGE 4 38 New Faces in 2011 Session Five of those faces are a bit more familiar, as In this Issue former legislators Bill Dix, Stewart Iverson, Sandy Greiner and Dan Rasmussen make a come back PAGE 1 38 New Faces in 2011 (and Kent Sorenson moves from House to Senate). Session PAGE 2 New Legislative Leaders There were quite a few surprises on election night. While Elected Republicans were expected to take control of the Iowa House of Representatives, few predicted they would go from a 44-member PAGE 4 New Leaders, New minority to 60-member majority. Here are a few interesting Committees statistics from election night legislative races: PAGE 5 New Leaders, New Priorities 25% of the Iowa Legislature will be new in 2011. More than a third of the House Republican caucus will be new. PAGE 6 Transition Teams Named: Governor & No Republicans running for re-election lost. Secretary of State Eighteen Democrats running for re-election lost (5 from the PAGE 7 Budget Challenges Senate and 13 from the House). These include: Greet New Lawmakers o Sen. Staci Appel (Ackworth) o Sen. Bill Heckroth (Waverly) o Sen. Keith Kreiman (Bloomfield) PAGE 8 ADVOCATE FOR o Sen. Rich Olive (Story City) YOUR ISSUES NOW o Sen. Becky Schmitz (Fairfield) o Rep. McKinley Bailey (Webster City) “The challenges of change are always hard. It is important that we begin to unpack those challenges that confront this nation and realize that we each have a role that requires us to change and become more responsible for shaping our own future.” Hillary Rodham Clinton 2010 Issue #11 November 22, 2010 New Faces (continued from page 1) New Legislative Leaders o Rep. John Beard (Decorah) Elected o Rep. Gene Ficken (Independence) o Rep. Geri Huser (Altoona) Change always offers opportunity, so opportunity o Rep. Doris Kelley (Waterloo) abounds in the 2011 legislative session. With 38 o Rep. Larry Marek (Riverside) new legislators, new House leaders, and a o Rep. Donovan Olson (Boone) reshuffled deck of committee assignments, the face o Rep. Eric Palmer (Oskaloosa) of the 2011 Legislature has changed significantly. o Rep. Mike Reasoner (Creston) o Rep. Nathan Reichert (Muscatine) Iowa will now have a Republican Governor, a o Rep. Tom Schueller (Maquoketa) Republican-controlled House of Representatives, o Rep. Paul Shomshor (Council Bluffs) and a Democratic-controlled Senate. o Rep. Ray Zirkelbach (Monticello) o Republicans will have a 60-40 majority in the Iowa While 23 Democratic legislative districts House of Representatives. More than a third of became Republican this year – only one the House Republicans will be new this year. Republican district became Democratic. Democrat Dan Muhlbauer (Carroll) beat o Democrats are expected to have a narrow 26-24 Republican Dan Dirkx in the House seat left majority in the Iowa Senate, depending on the open when Rep. Rod Roberts retired. outcome of two recounts and a special election. Democrats currently have 25 seats and A Note to Our Readers Republicans have 23 seats. The final count in the Senate is dependent on the Legislators elected this month take the oath of outcome of the following races: office in a formal swearing in ceremony at the State Capitol on the first day of the legislative o Tod Bowman (Democrat) defeated Andrew Naeve session (Monday, January 10, 2011). Until then, (Republican) by 71 votes in this Eastern Iowa race to your current legislators continue to represent you replace retiring Sen. Roger Stewart (Preston). and others in their district. Naeve has requested a recount, but most believe that it will not change the outcome of the For our readers receiving INFONET by mail, we race. Bowman’s win will bring the Democrats up have not yet updated the names of your newly to 26 members. elected legislators. We hope to do this before INFONET comes out again (early January). By o Sen. Keith Kreiman (Bloomfield) lost to Republican then, we’ll know the results of two Senate Mark Chelgren by only 12 votes. Sen. Kreiman recounts and the January 4 Special Election. has requested a recount, which by law must be A complete list of 2011 legislators and their completed by November 27. If the recount contact information will be available online within changes the result and Sen. Kreiman is re- the next few weeks at: www.infonetiowa.com. elected, Democrats will have a 27-23 majority. Follow us on Facebook to get alerts like this If Chelgren wins, Democrats will return to a 26- between issues of INFONET. 24 majority. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 2 2010 Issue #11 November 22, 2010 New Legislative Leaders (continued from page 2) o Lt. Governor Elect Kim Reynolds (Osceola) resigned it sounds - to keep majority party members from her Senate seat last week (Senate District 48). in line and voting with their leaders. A special election to fill her seat will be held on Tuesday, January 4, 2011. Montgomery County Rep. Matt Windschitl (Missouri Valley), Rep. Auditor Joni Ernst, a Red Oak Republican, has Renee Schulte (Cedar Rapids), Rep. Dave Deyoe already announced her candidacy. Democrats (Nevada), and Rep. Steve Lukan (New Vienna) have not yet announced a candidate. Senate will be Assistant Majority Leaders. Assistant District 48 includes Clarke, Decatur, Taylor, leaders help their leadership team in a Adams, Montgomery and Ringgold counties, as number of ways, including counting votes well as parts of Union County. If Republicans and meeting with various groups to help set keep this seat as expected, the Democrats will their party’s session agenda. maintain control with a 26-24 majority. IOWA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (DEMOCRATS) Last week, newly elected legislators met in private partisan meetings at the Capitol to elect their Rep. Kevin McCarthy will be the House Minority leaders. Below are the new leaders for the 2011- Leader. Rep. McCarthy had been the House 2012 legislative sessions: Majority Leader. The Minority Leader is the leader of the minority party and acts as its IOWA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (REPUBLICANS) primary spokesperson. Rep. Kraig Paulsen (Hiawatha) will become the new Rep. Mark Smith (Marshalltown), Rep. Ako Speaker of the House. The Speaker of the House Abdul-Samad (Des Moines), Sharon Steckman is the top leader of the majority party and calls (Mason City), and Rep. Mary Mascher (Iowa City) the shots in the Iowa House of Representatives. were named Assistant Minority Leaders. Assistant Minority Leaders help out their Rep. Linda Upmeyer (Garner) was named the new party’s leader in many ways, including vote House Majority Leader, and became the first woman counts and policy agenda development. in Iowa history to take on this role. You might say the job is in her blood - her father (Del Stromer) IOWA SENATE (DEMOCRATS) served as Speaker, Majority Leader and Minority Leader during his 23 years in the Iowa House. Sen. Jack Kibbie (Emmetsburg) will keep his job The Majority Leader is very powerful, acting as as the President of the Senate. The Senate the floor leader during debate and deciding if President presides over debate in the and when bills will come up for debate. Senate, assigns bills to committee, and rules on questions during debate. Rep. Jeff Kaufmann (Wilton) will be Speaker Pro Tempore. The Speaker Pro Tem fills in for the Sen. Mike Gronstal (Council Bluffs) will remain Speaker of the House as needed; literally the the Senate Majority Leader. The Majority “temporary speaker.” Leader is the majority party’s leader in the Senate and is its chief spokesperson. The Rep. Erik Helland (Johnston) will be the House Majority Leader sets the policy agenda for Majority Whip. The Majority Whip’s job is just like CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 3 2010 Issue #11 November 22, 2010 New Leaders (continued from page 3) New Leaders, New Committees the party, determines which bills will come up Committees in the House and Senate will look quite for debate, and sets committee schedules. a bit different this year once legislative leaders decide who will chair and serve on the 26 Senate Sen. Tom Courtney (Burlington) will also remain and the 27 House committees. Majority Whip. Like the House Whips, the job of Majority Whip is to keep majority party The Speaker of the Iowa House Kraig Paulsen members in line and voting with their party. announced the chairs for the House budget committees, and plans to announce the remaining Sen. Joe Bolkcom (Iowa City), Sen. Bill Dotzer chairs later this week. House leaders say they too (Waterloo), Sen. Amanda Ragan (Mason City), Sen. will make announcements in the coming week. Wally Horn (Cedar Rapids) and Sen. Steve Sodders Rep. Scott Raecker (Urbandale) will chair of the House (State Center) will serve as Assistant Majority Appropriations Committee. This powerful committee Leaders. This is a new job for Sen. Horn and develops the state budget, with the help of the Sen. Sodders, who replace two Assistant following budget subcommittee chairs: Leaders that were defeated this year (Sen. Staci Appel and Sen. Bill Heckroth). o Administration & Regulation: Rep. Ralph Watts (Adel) IOWA SENATE (REPUBLICANS) o Agriculture & Natural Resources: Rep. Jack Drake (Griswold) Sen. Paul McKinley (Chariton) will remain the o Economic Development: Senate Minority Leader. The Senate Minority Rep. Jason Schultz (Schlesweig) Leader calls the shots for the minority party in o Education: the Senate and acts as its spokesperson. Rep. Cecil Dolecheck (Mt.