Governor’s Condition of the State

Governor Culver addressed a joint session of the legislature on Tuesday and outlined a ten point plan for the session: 

1. Focus on job creation through fully funding the Iowa Power Fund and investing $100 million in I-Jobs;

2. Achieve greater efficiency based on recommendations in the Government Efficiency Report (projected $1 billion savings over five years);

3. Major state government reorganization;

4. Continuation of flood recovery assistance using I-Jobs funding for flood rebuilding and fully funding RIO office;

5. Consider a transfer from the RUTF of $50 million to fund state troopers;

6. Reform Iowa tax credits with savings of up to $55 million;

7. Continued funding of children’s health insurance and preschools programs;

8. Secure $175 million for schools to use to comply with the federal Race to the Top program;

9. Require schools to spend down reserves rather than increase property taxes;  and

10. Fund 2% allowable growth for schools, appropriate $100 million to K-12 to backfill the 2009 cut, and adequately fund community colleges, private colleges and regents institutions.