William Petroski

bpetrosk@dmreg.com

Iowa Senate Republicans, who have pushed this session for fiscal constraints and more efficient government, are proposing an amendment to the Iowa Constitution aimed a permanently putting limits on state spending.

Senate Joint Resolution 9 was introduced this week, co-sponsored by all 29 Senate Republican lawmakers. The resolution says the limitation would be the lesser of 99 percent of the adjusted revenue estimate for the state's general fund for the following fiscal year or 104 percent of the net revenue estimate for the current fiscal year.

Under current Iowa law, the Legislature is required to abide by a 99 percent spending limitation, but lawmakers have the ability to change the law and spend more than 99 percent, said Senate President Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny.

"This is a priority of ours and we hope to get it done," Whitver said.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, told The Des Moines Register Thursday he anticipates a Senate vote to advance the measure later this session. House approval of the resolution would also be required and Dix said he has made House Republican leaders aware of the Senate's plans. However, Rep. Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, said Thursday the issue has not been discussed among House Republicans.

Changes to the Iowa Constitution must be approved by the House and Senate in two consecutive General Assemblies. That means that if lawmakers approve the resolution this year or next year, it must be approved again by both chambers after the 2018 election. So the earliest the proposed constitutional amendment could be placed on the ballot for Iowa voters would be the November 2020 election, according to Secretary of the Senate Charles Smithson.

Sen. Robert Dvorsky, D-Coralville, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, said the 99 percent spending limit has been part of Iowa law since the 1990s and he supports it. But he questions the idea of placing the limit in the Iowa Constitution, saying Republicans "are just making a political statement."

"The 99 percent rule allows us to build up a rainy day fund and it has worked really well. I think if you put it in the Constiutiton and if you have a disaster or something befall the state, it will be a major major problem to deal with it," Dvorsky said.

Reporter Brianne Pfannenstiel contributed to this story.