Sen. Tom Rielly Talks The 2012 Legislative Session

Iowa Senator Tom Rielly (D)

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The 2012 session should be all about jobs so that Iowa can continue recovering from the national recession and increase our global competitiveness. I intend to work in a bipartisan way to help Iowans create jobs and grow our economy.

We have plenty of opportunities.

First, we should help Iowa businesses create jobs by cutting commercial property taxes. Last year, the Senate voted to cut property taxes in half for four out of five Iowa businesses.

The tax cut would be paid for with state dollars, not by shifting the cost of local schools and services onto the backs of homeowners and farmers. Most importantly, the Senate’s property tax cut helps those who need it: Iowa’s small and Main Street businesses.

This proposal passed the Senate last year on a bipartisan vote of 46 to 4, but wasn’t taken up by the House. Now’s the time to finish our work on this commercial property tax cut and send it to the Governor for his signature.

Second, we should improve education in a way that will lure business to the state and prepare Iowans for high-skilled jobs. We want a more talented, more productive, more competitive workforce, as well as inventive, innovative Iowa entrepreneurs.

The ultimate goal of education reform is a stronger Iowa economy. Talented, skilled workers are the foundation of our economy, which is why student achievement is so crucial to creating jobs. We need great teachers, strong math and science education, and affordable college tuition.

Third, we should finish work on the job creation legislation awaiting action in the Iowa House. The 2012 session is the second year of the 84th General Assembly, so the jobs bills that the Senate approved last year can still be passed by the House and sent to the Governor for his signature. These measures include:

• Helping 60,000 Iowa businesses through a state tax credit to defray the cost of offering employee health insurance.
• Providing low-interest loans to small businesses struggling to recover from the national recession.
• Helping Iowans earn job training certificates that give them the skills to fill job openings.
• Jumpstarting Iowa’s clean energy industry through consumer rebates for small solar and wind power at homes and businesses.
• Making sure the benefits of rules and regulations outweigh the costs of implementing them.