The Rozenboom Report – February 25th, 2022
by Senator Ken Rozenboom
As I write this newsletter on Thursday evening the world is watching what appears to be a full-scale invasion of a sovereign nation by a Russian tyrant. I hope and pray that we are not witnessing anything like Adolph Hitler’s invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 that began the world-wide conflagration known as World War 2.
There is a new dimension to warfare in 2022 called cyber-warfare where countries are using hackers to target power grids, financial markets and government computer systems of rival nations, all with potential results that are every bit as devastating as any bullet or bomb. It’s impossible now to predict how all of this will play out, but it’s my hope that America will find unity as our nation and nations around the globe respond to this new threat to world peace. Join me in prayer for our president and other world leaders to find a peaceful solution.
On the Iowa legislative front, the big news this week is the passage of House File 2317, which implements a 3.9 percent flat tax for all Iowans. On average, Iowa taxpayers will receive $1,326 in tax relief, or about a 36 percent reduction in their tax liability. A flat tax of 3.9 percent moves Iowa from the 8th highest income tax rates in the country to having the fourth lowest among the 41 states that have an income tax. Additionally, it eliminates all taxes on retirement income and provides tax relief for retired Iowa farmers by providing a first-time pension exemption. The legislation also lowers the top corporate tax rate from 9.8 percent to 8.8 percent, reduces tax credits, and simplifies the corporate rate by moving from four brackets to two.
These generational changes to Iowa’s tax code passed in the Senate on a bipartisan vote by midafternoon on Thursday, passed the House on a bipartisan vote at around 7:30 Thursday evening. The bill is headed to the governor’s desk for her signature. The new tax rates will be fully implemented by tax year 2026. These policies are incredibly important as we try to make Iowa more competitive so people want to stay in Iowa, and others will want to come and make a home here.
We continue our work to address the need for access to affordable child care. Previously, a task force recommended making changes to the number of children an adult can watch in a child care facility. On Monday the Senate passed Senate File 2268 to address the accessibility and availability of child care and implement some changes recommended by the task force. It eases the regulations on child care centers and allows them more flexibility on how many children they can accept per adult. The rules are different depending on the ages of the children being watched. One example of the change is that one adult can now watch seven children two years of age instead of six. There was some pushback on this provision, but a review of the policies of surrounding states suggests that this is good policy.
We also learned this week Governor Reynolds will be delivering the official Republican response to President Biden’s State of the Union address on March 1. This honor is given to a strong Republican leader whose actions and policies embody true conservative leadership. Governor Reynolds’s strong leadership throughout the pandemic along with her common-sense policies and conservative ideals have helped keep Iowa open, successful, and thriving. We are excited to watch Governor Reynolds deliver her speech next week, and are very proud she is representing Iowa on the national stage.
And this just in from my friend Nik Rule, William Penn Athletic Director: “We’re excited to announce that the NAIA has chosen Oskaloosa, Iowa and William Penn University as one of 16 opening round sites for the NAIA National Championships for Men’s Basketball. The opening rounds are scheduled for March 11 and 12, game times and qualifying teams that will come to Oskaloosa have not been released yet. We do know that William Penn will be one of the teams at our site!” Congratulations to Nik, the Statesman team, and the entire William Penn community for this honor!
Please join me along with Rep. Holly Brink and Rep. Dustin Hite for the Eggs and Issues forum at Smokey Row in Oskaloosa from 8:30 to 9:30 this Saturday morning. As always, there will be a lively discussion about many issues.
