Ragan Report

Maintaining our commitments in tight budget times
     The 2016 legislative session wrapped up April 29. It was a tight budget year, but as always, we balanced the state budget responsibly. Iowa will end the fiscal year with a $75 million surplus and $700 million in reserve funds.
     Some of our biggest accomplishments include:
     • Safeguarding the interests of Medicaid recipients with oversight of the governor’s new privatized Medicaid program in Iowa.
     • Improving K-12 student achievement through investments in early reading initiatives and quality teaching.
     • Investing more in apprenticeships and job training so workers get the skills they need to fill immediate openings at local businesses.
     • Providing more funding for our state universities and community colleges, and for grants to help students attend Iowa’s private colleges.
     • Boosting Iowa agriculture and renewable energy by promoting solar, wind, geothermal and biofuels, as well as turning byproducts from biomass into higher-value products.
     • Spurring Iowa’s tourism economy and quality of life with investments in the environment, recreation, arts, culture and history.
     • Strengthening public safety with more help for victims and enhanced emergency communication systems so that first responders and law enforcement can communicate with each other.
     • Tax cuts and other incentives to help small businesses, farmers, teachers and college students.
     Because we have a split Legislature – with Democrats controlling the Senate and Republicans in charge of the House – all bills that made it to the governor’s desk required bipartisan support. Though we’d hoped to accomplish more, we chose compromise over gridlock.
     Thank you to all who contacted me this year. Your calls, emails and letters keep me informed about what matters most, so please continue to reach out when you have concerns or ideas. You can get ahold of me at (641) 424-0874 or at amanda.ragan@legis.iowa.gov.
     I am hopeful that with your input and help, we’ll make more progress in 2017 on priorities to expand Iowa’s middle class and make our state an even better place to live, work and raise a family.
     To read more of this session’s highlights, go to www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats. I also encourage constituents to stay up to date on what the Legislature is doing by subscribing to my newsletter at www.senate.iowa.gov/senator/ragan.
     Sen. Amanda Ragan (D-Mason City) serves Franklin, Butler and Cerro Gordo counties in Senate District 27.