"This is just the first phase," said Sen. Robert Dvorsky, D-Coralville. 

Culver recommended $156 million for the first part of the construction effort, but lawmakers beefed it up to $174 million. The extra money is mostly to build a new community corrections facility in northern Polk County next to the new jail. Such facilities are for low-risk offenders who often work during the day and return at night.

Money would also be spent on lake dredging, Iowa Public Radio renovations, commercial airports and other building projects.

Senate Study Bill 1274 was approved 15-8 by the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday.

Republicans on the committee voted against the bill, which also strips out money for a new Wallace State Office Building. It is now eligible for debate by the full Senate.

The Legislature voted last year to borrow money for the same projects using bonds backed by tobacco settlement money. When that bond market fell apart, so did the borrowing plan.

This time, Democratic lawmakers want to issue annual appropriation bonds.

That means lawmakers would have to decide each year where the money for repayments would come from, such as the general fund, an infrastructure fund or another state source.

Debt payments would amount to $13.9 million a year for 20 years.

Iowa currently has about $708 million in debt, one of the lowest debt levels in the country.

Plans to borrow another $540 million or so are in the works, said Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines.

In his Condition of the State speech in January, Culver called for lawmakers to approve borrowing $700 million. He has since increased the estimate to $750 million because market conditions are making it less expensive to borrow, a governor's spokesman said Wednesday.

Culver called for the money to pay for public buildings, utilities, roads and bridges.

But McCoy said Wednesday that roads and bridges probably will not be part of the plan.

Borrowing $750 million would cost Iowans about $56 million in each of the next 20 years in principal and interest.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090305/NEWS10/903050375/1007/NEWS05/Committee%20approves%20borrowing%20$174%20million%20for%20building%20projects 

The Iowa Senate has approved a bill which would strengthen Iowa's wage discrimination laws, making it easier for women to charge they've been underpaid on the job. The bill passed on a party-line vote, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed.

Senator Pat Ward of West Des Moines was one of three Republican women to vote against the bill. "Lawsuits just filed willy nilly could have a tremendous effect on the businesses that operate in your small towns," Ward said. "Any Main Street busiess with four or more employees could be affected."

Senator Kim Reynolds, a Republican from Osceola, also worried about "frivolous lawsuits" from women using the new law to charge they're underpaid, when current law already allows them to charge they're being discriminated against on the job. "And it seems to me that we already have existing laws on the books that would enable people to move forward with this," Reynolds said. "And that, really, disparity in pay is an open door to taking this further than we need to."

And Senator Nancy Boettger, a Republican from Harlan, worried about another section of the bill that Boettger says would let minorities and handicapped people sue if they believe they're underpaid. "We have a lot of good citizens in the state of Iowa that...hire some of our handicapped folks," Boettger says. "...I think the unintended consequence of this bill will be that not as many of our handicapped folks will be able to get jobs."

Senator Matt McCoy, a Democrat from Des Moines, ridiculed the Republicans. "We've heard arguments that this is a poor economy and therefore we should be allowed to discriminate against women based upon the fact that we're in a national recession," McCoy said. "...Never should we use the economy as a right to discriminate against somebody. Nor should we use the fact that somebody has a physical or mental disability as a right to discriminate against someone." McCoy cited the recent case of mentally retarded men in Atalissa who had most of their wages paid to a Texas firm that was housing them in a building that was declared a fire hazard.

Senator Jack Hatch, a Democrat from Des Moines, said the work of all should be valued, including the work of women. "To vote against this bill is an acknowledgement of three things. One -- you haven't been listening. Two -- you don't understand the issue and...sadly, you're afraid," Hatch said. "You're afraid of the consequences of what this would do for woman, actually give them a fair shot at all jobs in this state."

Senator Keith Kreiman, a Democrat from Bloomfield, argued the bill makes an important statement: equal pay for equal work.  "Maybe I'm a little touchy because I'm the only male in my household, but I do get a little concerned when I do hear some of the excuses for maybe not supporting this bill," Kreiman said.

Click on the audio link below to listen to all of the debate on the bill.

AUDIO: senate debate (mp3 runs 35 min) 

The legislation would outlaw wage discrimination based on age, race, sexual orientation, national origin and religion as well as gender and would apply to businesses with four or more employees. It must clear the Iowa House and be signed by the governor before it would become law. According to the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women, Iowa ranks 37th among the 50 states when it comes to pay equity for women.