Royd Chambers
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Fifth District
As the 2010 legislative session opens, I send greetings from Des Moines. It is very good to be back in this seat of service after missing last session while on military deployment. Thanks to all my constituents who allow me the privilege of serving you in the Iowa House. This session I will be serving on the Economic Growth, Education, Labor, Veteran’s Affairs and Education Appropriations committees.
As you know, the state’s budget situation will be the major issue this year. It was absurd to hear the governor call for more spending in his State of the State speech on Tuesday. Despite the spin from the governor, the state budget is more than one billion dollars in deficit. The budget is not balanced as claimed. The legislature needs to create a budget that does not spend more than the state receives in revenue. It is law that the state is not to spend more than 99 percent of yearly revenues, yet the majority party last year authorized nearly 70 loopholes to allow continued spending. Unfortunately, as with Congress, we have members of the Iowa legislature who have forgotten that they are handling the people’s money. In my view, they are doing a mighty poor job of it. My goal is to bring some sanity back to this process.
There was disappointing process in committee already this week with bills being brought up for votes with such short notice that the public had no chance for public comment. For a while I thought I was in Washington not Des Moines. I hope that practice is not a sign of how the session will proceed. Iowans have a right to transparent government and to be able to participate in the legislative process.
OK, so what is my approach? If legislation is offered by the majority party that truly helps to streamline government and allows Iowans to keep more of their hard earned money, I will be supportive. If legislation is offered that truly creates long term private sector jobs, I will be supportive. If proposals are offered that truly offers methods to improve education, I will be supportive. If legislation is offered that allows Iowans to vote on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman, I will definitely be supportive. But legislation that offers the opposite, I will stand strongly against.
In other news, Veterans Day at the capitol is January 21. Many of Iowa’s honorable veterans will be in attendance and I look forward to veterans from Northwest Iowa being in attendance. In addition, some Northwest Iowa FFA Chapters will be at the capitol next week, which is always a treat.
Track what is going on at the legislature by going to http://www.legis.state.ia.us/
Contact me any time in the Iowa House by calling 515-281-3221 to leave a message, or by e-mail at royd.chambers@legis.state.ia.us Royd Chambers of Sheldon represents House District 5, which consists of O’Brien, Osceola, the rural parts of Clay, and 4 townships in Sioux County.
