Senator Tim Kapucian

As Iowans went to their mailbox after the first of the year, many may have noticed something missing; their 2011 Iowa Income Tax Booklets.

You may be wondering what happened and where you can get your forms. According to the Iowa Department of Revenue (IDR), with the continued growth of electronic filing, the IDR is no longer going to automatically mail paper income tax forms and instruction booklets to individual taxpayers beginning with tax year 2011.

What if a taxpayer still wants paper? The IDR recommends the following options:

Forms and instructions are available online at www.iowa.gov/tax. Many online forms are fillable

Request a form by e-mail at IowaTaxForms@Iowa.gov

Request a form by mail – Iowa Department of Revenue; P.O. Box 10460; Des Moines IA 50306-0460

Pick up a booklet at the IDR office on the 4th floor of the Hoover State Office Building, located at 1305 E. Walnut in Des Moines

Call their forms order line at 1-800-532-1531

NOTE: due to limited availability, only one booklet will be provided to each customer.

Passing a state budget is the most important task the Iowa Legislature must tackle every year.

And the good news for Iowans is that those discussions have commenced in earnest.

As you may recall, the legislature finally passed a budget on June 30 of last year averting a government shutdown by mere hours.

We can all agree, a repeat of last year is not what Iowans want.

1) The budget should not spend more dollars than our state takes in. Hardworking Iowa taxpayers have to tighten their belts and they deserve a legislature that has the same mindset.

2) Using one-time dollars for ongoing expenses is not responsible, is not sustainable and is not acceptable. We must continue to wean ourselves from using one-time dollars, which is precisely what got us into our fiscal mess just a few years ago.

3) Leave enough in the savings account to plan for the future. Just because we may have some additional dollars, does not mean we automatically have to spend it. We need to plan for the future and be ready in case of emergencies.

4) Let’s be transparent and accountable. Iowans want their priorities funded but they do not want to see politicians utilizing gimmicks to mislead or deceive. We should be straightforward and honest that’s what the hardworking taxpayers of Iowa deserve.

Make no mistake, we are just getting started. We have a lot of work to do. There is still more areas where government can become more efficient and effective.

You can count on Senate Republicans to stand true to our fiscally sound budgeting principles. Our children and grandchildren expect nothing less.

Governor Branstad this week announced the appointment of 30 Iowans to the Judicial Nominating Commission.

The Appointments take effect February 1, 2012, and are not subject to Senate confirmation. The individuals from our Judicial District are, Alice De-Rycke, Belle Plaine, Patricia Seebach, Dysart and John “Jerry” Welter, Monticello.

See you out and about the district,