"We've done more for Iowans and their families than probably" has been done "in the last 20 years in this session," said Sen. Jack Kibbie, a Democrat from Emmetsburg.

Democrats, who represent the majority in both the House and the Senate, highlighted a $6.25 billion budget that includes $621 million in savings, progress toward increased health care for uninsured Iowans and various educational efforts.

"We talked about, in the beginning of last year, that we were going to govern from the mainstream and not the extreme. We think we've done that," said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Democrat from Des Moines.

Republicans, though, offered a glass half-empty perspective.

"This has been a session where they've punished employers, they've punished poor people and they've punished taxpayers," said House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, a Republican from Sioux City.

Republicans are unhappy with a proposal that was sent to the governor to allow public employee unions the ability to negotiate a wider range of issues at the collective bargaining table. The idea, House File 2645, will result in higher taxes, they said. Many Democrats, however, say the added union powers would foster a stronger work environment, and increase safety and productivity.

Iowa drivers will plunk down an extra $161 million a year in vehicle fees under legislation that Gov. Chet Culver signed into law. The increases will help pay for a massive, multiyear effort to repair Iowa's aging roads and infrastructure. Officials have estimated the state needs an additional investment of $4 billion over the next 20 years to cover the costs.

The issue is one of public safety, Culver said, noting the bridge collapse last year in Interstate Highway 35W in Minneapolis.

The increases mean that pickup truck drivers, for the first time in 20 years, will pay more than a flat-rate $65 registration fee. Owners of aging vehicles won't see their registration fees decrease as quickly or as much. Title and trailer registration fees will also increase.

Many of the increases will be phased in, beginning in January. Any cars and pickups Iowans already own won't see higher fees. The increases would apply to vehicles purchased after January 1. The money collected from the fees would grow from just over $104 million in 2011 to $161.4 million by the budget year beginning in July 2012. The proposal falls short of the $200 million a year that's needed, but it's a start, lawmakers said.

Culver has said he's willing to consider a gasoline tax increase as soon as next year, but he wants to make sure motorists are sold on the idea that it's needed to pay for road construction projects. By law, all the money collected from the increased vehicle fees will be used for road improvements. Sixty percent will be used by the state, while cities and counties will each receive 20 percent.

Activity on bills during the last week of the session:

HF 2672 Water Permit Fees – PASSED by House and Senate. Goes to Governor for signature.

SF 2160 Unemployment Charges – PASSED by House. Goes to Governor.

SF 2222 Wage Ooverdraft Charges - PASSED by House. Goes to Governor.

SF 2386 Energy Efficiency Goals – PASSED by Senate. Goes to Governor.

SF 2420 TIME-21 – Among other things, changes truck registration to be the same as car registration. PASSED by House and Senate; signed by the Governor.

Note from Paula