TIF Reform Continues in Bipartisan Fashion For the last six weeks, Republicans and Democrats from both the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees have been meeting to discuss various Tax Increment Financing (TIF) reform proposals. The House Republicans initially held three subcommittee hearings on the House Study Bill 540 and currently, a bipartisan effort […]
The recent report of rising state revenues is another sign that Iowa’s response to the national recession is working. Our economy is improving, and now’s the time to strengthen the foundations of a lasting recovery. When the deep national recession hit, we reduced the annual state budget by hundreds of millions of dollars by reforming […]
On March 19, the Iowa Senate voted to increase support for our local schools, keep college tuition affordable and fill openings for skilled jobs that are currently available. These kinds of efforts will help put local Iowans back to work and grow our economy. House File 2245, as amended by the Senate, provides a 4 […]
Supreme Court Issues Item-Veto Case Ruling Last week, the Iowa Supreme Court issued its decision on the Workforce Development Field Office Line-Item Veto lawsuit. The Court ruled against the Governor and stated that his vetoes were unconstitutional. The remedy of the ruling is that the portions of the Economic Development budget bill that were impermissibly […]
House Approves Education Reform On Wednesday, the House considered and passed House File 2380, the Education Reform bill. The bill received nearly twelve hours of debate on 56 amendments and passed on a partisan vote of 53 to 46 with eight amendments brought forward by the minority party and accepted. The final bill came before […]
When your tax dollars must be spent, they should help create jobs here at home when possible. Democrats and Republicans in the Iowa Senate have approved two bills that will do just that. Senate File 2287 would ensure that most publicly funded projects in Iowa use American-made goods, such as steel, iron and other materials, […]
OSKALOOSA – Decisions Iowa legislators make in the coming years will play a vital role in shaping our children’s and grandchildren’s future, State Senate candidate and Mahaska County Supervisor Ken Rozenboom said. “For our children and grandchildren to have a brighter future, we must offer them the best education of any state in our great […]
For our students to do their best, they need a great start in school. That’s especially important in the early grades, when kids are learning to read. That’s when one-on-one time with teachers can make a big difference in a student’s life. To ensure students get the attention they need, the Senate voted to prevent […]
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Talk about the events concerning the Democrat walkout Wednesday were only matched by the clatter of silverware off plates in the local Julie’s Café. Farmers, truck drivers, and a republican representative was just a small sample of the company. Guy Vander Linden (R-Oskaloosa), polishing off his last piece of bacon, was enjoying […]
Iowans support House Republicans’ Property Tax Plan A recent Iowa poll by the Des Moines Register showed widespread support for the House Republican Property Tax Plan. One of the questions posed was the following : A trade-off the Legislature is considering is about tax rates on commercial property. Reduced rates might make Iowa more attractive […]
