DES MOINES — A group of GOP House members from areas wracked by severe weather this summer called Wednesday for a special session of the Legislature to help spur recovery.

Some of the lawmakers also were sharply critical of Gov. Chet Culver.

“I’m told there’s no effort being made right now to prepare for a special session,” Rep. Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said. “That’s a lengthy process, and that’s something that takes a fair amount of time and energy to get everything done.”

Paulsen said Culver and Democratic lawmakers were forcing the state to play a “guessing game” about the status of a special session.

Culver and some Democratic legislative leaders have said a special session wouldn’t be held until mid-September at the earliest, after a panel appointed by Culver issues recommendations for flood relief legislation. That would mean a session less than four months before the regular session is scheduled to convene.

In a statement released Wednesday, Culver spokesman Troy Price said the governor is committed to doing whatever is necessary to help Iowans recover from devastating tornadoes and flooding.

“(Culver) has said that now is not the time to play politics and try to score political points, but rather that we should come together as one Iowa to help rebuild our state stronger and better than before,” Price said.

Paulsen flatly denied that the GOP’s call for a special session was playing politics with the state’s disaster recovery efforts.

“That’s exactly not what we’re doing,” Paulsen said. “To say this is partisan, or that I’m being partisan — why don’t you explain that to half the city of Palo who still can’t spend the night in their home?”

Another Republican lawmaker who joined in the call for a special session was less critical of Culver’s efforts.

“I think the governor has done a lot of things that he’s needed to do this summer,” said Rep. Tom Sands, R-Columbus Junction. “He’s toured all of the different areas … and I’m hesitant to say he hasn’t done all that he needs to do.”

Sands, whose Columbus Junction-based district was devastated by flooding in June, said a special session was necessary because several key steps needed to be taken as soon as possible.

“I’m seeing some rumblings in the paper where some of the leadership might not be thinking we need this … most of those guys live on the western side of the state or in Des Moines,” he said. “We’re trying to show that we’re hurting here and we need a special session to address some of these short term needs.”

In addition to calling for a special session, the lawmakers offered proposals for the Legislature to consider, including:

— Using Iowa Values Fund money to provide grants to small businesses affected by flooding.

— Using Iowa Power Fund money to provide grants to local governments to restore power and heating.

— Canceling the construction of a planned state office building in Des Moines and a new prison in Fort Madison, then using the funds for flooding victims.

— Freezing property taxes at pre-disaster levels and temporarily making up the difference with state “rainy day” funds.

In addition to Paulsen and Sands, Republican Reps. Sandy Greiner, of Keota; Tami Wiencek, of Waterloo; Dawn Pettengill, of Mt. Auburn; Jeff Kaufmann of Wilton; Dan Rasmussen, of Independence; Bill Schickel, of Mason City; and Pat Grassley of New Hartford announced their support for a special session.