As it nears adjournment, the overall performance of this Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature should be evaluated. Some examples of its actions and inactions may provide a basis for assigning a grade.

1. It was unwilling to adequately fund education at all levels from elementary to university; supporting high quality learning in this state was obviously not a high priority.

2. It was unwilling to legislate effective standards to control air pollution around large livestock facilities, but it was willing to offer a very weak set of regulations approved by the industry.

3. It was unwilling to impose a large increase in cigarette taxes that would have provided critically needed funds for education or other critical state services, in spite of overwhelming support from citizens.

4. It was unwilling to apply the sales tax to a host of services not currently covered, even though almost two-thirds of the voters approved; this inaction resulted in ignoring another potential revenue source for the state government.

5. It was, however, willing to spend an inordinate amount of time on non-constructive debate on expansion of gambling which would further promote the state’s ill-advised dependence on this source of revenue.

This Legislature obviously had a very limited vision and had no interest in enhancing or even maintaining quality of life in Iowa.

Dean R. Prestemon

Ames