The final session of the 2003 Iowa General Assembly wrapped up late Thursday night, but Gov. Tom Vilsack plans to bring lawmakers back into a special session as an economic stimulus fund failed to be passed in the Senate.

Local leaders said the Legislature succeeded in passing some key bills for Iowa, but agreed some improvements were needed and more bills could have been passed.

Rep. Lisa Heddens, D-Ames, said passing the Iowa Values Fund out of the House was a key piece of legislation.

“I had a number of individuals from my district contact me in support of the Iowa Values Fund,” she said. “It does cover additional dollars for the universities, dollars for culture and dollars for the environment.”

Rep. Jane Greimann, D-Ames, said the Iowa Values Fund is an $810 million dollar economic development fund that would generate money through bonding to regenerate Iowa’s economy and attract new businesses. She said $60 million of the fund will come from money generated from state gambling.

Greimann said money usually goes to the general fund, but this year the money for the general fund will be made up by Internet sales tax money.

“I think what some of the senators would’ve appreciated is the opportunity to discuss [the Iowa Values Fund],” Heddens said.

Greimann said she is not sure the Senate will pass the Iowa Values Fund in special session.

“I’m afraid I’m a bit pessimistic about it [being passed], just because we left with such disagreement,” she said. “[Opponents of the fund] have a philosophical aversion to bonding, as they see it as going into debt.”

Nevada Republican Rep. Jim Kurtenbach said he believes there are ways other than the Iowa Values Fund to spur Iowa’s economic growth. However, with the amendments currently attached to the fund, he said he will support the governor’s efforts to create the fund.

“I’ve never been a strong supporter of the Iowa Values Fund,” he said. “I think we need to significantly change the business structure in Iowa.”

Kurtenbach recalled four areas of reform that were passed by the house this year, including regulatory reform, income tax reform, property tax reform and the Iowa Values Fund.

He said a $684 million tax cut was passed. Kurtenbach said the tax plan has to go through two more assemblies before it becomes law, meaning people will not see a tax cut until the fall of 2005.

“Next spring we’ll have to vote on a constitutional amendment and then the following spring we’ll have to re-vote on it,” he said. “Then the people of Iowa will have to vote on it and decide if they really want to decrease their taxes.”

Greimann said she is unhappy with this bill, as it passes the responsibility to raise taxes onto the individual counties.

“We passed responsibility of raising taxes onto cities and counties,” she said. “To me that’s just a chicken way out.”

Greimann said she believes the new tax idea benefits the richest people in Iowa.

“[Cities and counties] are going to have to have to raise taxes just to stay in business, and then we give tax credits back to the richest,” she said. “I found that the most upsetting in all the things that we did.”

Greimann said in looking back on the session, she was happy with passing the .08 blood alcohol limit, passing the renewable energy bill supporting funding biodiesel fuel, granting money for REAP (a group constructed to generate helping the environment), and passing the Iowa Values Fund out of the House.

She said she was not happy with taking money out of education, failing to increase minimum wage, not funding mental health, cutting child welfare and not improving the quality of Iowa prisons.

“We didn’t fund education like I thought we should have,” she said. “Every level has lower funding than it had last year and to me that just erodes the base of our Iowa Values Fund.”

Heddens said she is pleased with how the House came together to negotiate all bills, especially the Iowa Values Fund. “We had a goal and the governor had a goal with the Values Fund and the House got the work done,” she said.

Greimann said she is also happy with the House’s cooperation this session. “I think we tried harder to work together this year,” she said. “Our leadership tried very hard to come to consensus and work together.”

Kurtenbach said he is happy with this year’s session. “I think the session started on a bold note and it’s going to end on a bold note.”