The Dickey Dispatch – March 25th, 2022

by Senator Adrian Dickey
I apologize for not getting a newsletter out last week. I simply had so many things going on. It was Monday before I had time to write it and by that time, a new week was under way!

This week we passed Senate Resolution 108. It recognized March 21 through March 27 as National Agriculture Week in Iowa. With the agriculture industry making up such a large part of our state’s economy, it is important we recognize the hard work and achievements of those who produce many of the items we consume every day.

This week the Senate Republicans tackled some bills that were great for Iowans but required some heavy lifting. Over the last several years Senate Republicans have made major reforms to Iowa’s tax code. In 2018, Republicans took the first step in simplifying our tax code, lowering rates for Iowa families and providing millions in tax relief. In 2019, legislation was passed to improve transparency in our tax structure and in 2021 we delivered a bill that provided $1 billion in property tax relief for Iowans. This year, we didn’t miss a beat and started the 2022 session with another historic tax reform bill. This bill provided permanent tax relief to Iowans by implementing a 3.9 percent flat tax for taxpayers.

However our tax “to do” list was not finished and this week the Senate passed SF 2372. It was the next step in our tax process and will make a number of changes to modernize our tax code. One of the highlights from this bill was exempting individual income tax for our full-time National Guard members for the first $20,000 of their pay.

Also discussed this week was SSB 3064. This would be a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds majority in order to increase taxes on Iowans. This would make it more difficult in the future for politicians at the Capitol who overspend to decide to take money from hard-working Iowa families. Raising taxes on Iowans should not be easy. Iowa families have to adjust their budget and live within their means every day. If the government cannot do the same, it should take more than just a simple majority to raise taxes on all Iowans!

As chairman of the Senate Labor and Business Relations committee, it was very fulfilling this week to watch my fellow Republican senators in the passing of HF 2355. This bill was the governor’s version of a bill I worked on, the “Iowa Re-employment to Prosperity Bill” and it addresses many of the issues behind the labor shortage in Iowa. While it is not everything that I had in my bill, the main structure is the same and it is a great start to the massive overhaul that our unemployment structure needs. A large portion of our unemployment structure dates back to the 1930s with the last significant changes taking place in the early 1980s!

The concepts in this bill are a reflection of the current and modern day job market. With 85,943 jobs available last month in Iowa, it makes no sense why so many Iowans are receiving 26 weeks, which is 6 months of unemployment benefits. Lack of opportunities is not the reason for prolonged unemployment, however countless checks from the federal government, unemployment fraud, and other issues have eroded the value of work. America’s hard work to become the premier economy in the world has largely been founded on the value of work and a reward for work. Work provides purpose and has an intrinsic value in life and that value has negatively been replaced for some by endless government payouts.

Last summer a left-leaning media outlet reported $87 billion in fraudulent unemployment payments across the country. In an effort to reduce this amount, our bill implements a one week waiting period on the first check, in order to verify the eligibility of the person applying for unemployment. In the debate of the bill, I heard Democrats complain how this hurts union members. However, a one-week waiting period exists in most states and, as I noted on the Senate floor, most unions also have a 1 week wait requirement for their members when they provide strike pay benefits. The changes in this labor bill are reasonable and provide added security to Iowans and the unemployment program.

While the bills I just addressed will go down as some of the most significant legislation this decade, SF 551 might have been the most meaningful to me. SF 551 was the very first bill I wrote as a senator last year and it passed in the Senate 46-0. This week it passed in the House 66-25, truly a bipartisan bill, and just awaits the governor’s signature. For the past 30 years, I am proud to have been, and still am, a volunteer fire fighter. In that time, I have never heard a victim say, “Why did you get here so fast?” It is always the opposite, “What took so long?” Most Iowans are surprised to learn our emergency responders are not allowed to drive a single mile per hour over the speed limit as they are responding to an emergency. Even more are surprised to learn it is not uncommon for these volunteer responders to be issued speeding tickets in the process. I know, I received one responding to an emergency in the past. SF 551 will allow firefighters and emergency medical responders to “reasonably exceed the speed limit” if certain conditions have been met and if certain training has been provided as to how to safely drive an emergency vehicle at elevated speeds.

Reducing taxes and implementing policy that helps Iowans is great but being a voice for our first responders is what really made me consider running for the Senate. As always, thank you for your support and trust in me to represent SD 41 (and hopefully SD 44 next year) and for representing this great state!
Senator Adrian Dickey
Packwood, IA