The Rozenboom Report – March 16, 2018
Ken Rozenboom (R) at his desk in the Iowa Senate Chambers. (file photo)
by Ken Rozenboom
Friday is our second major legislative deadline as we make our way towards adjournment. These deadlines help us focus on our priorities during the session and spend time on the issues that have enough support to pass through both chambers of the Iowa Legislature.
Honey Bee Day
Believe it or not, the best part of my week was the celebration of Iowa’s first annual “Honey Bee Day”. These insects were recognized for the important role they play in the everyday lives of Iowans, including crop pollination. In this case, they made the intangible contribution of bringing people together. My great niece, Megan Eveland, is the Mahaska County Honey Bee Queen this year. Pictured below are a few of my family members, including my dear wife, Becky.
REC Day on the Hill
This Wednesday the Iowa Capitol hosted another successful REC Day on the Hill. Rural electric cooperatives from multiple counties gathered in the rotunda to meet with legislators and discuss the importance of renewable energy in the Iowa infrastructure. Iowa’s RECs play a critical role in our state’s infrastructure by providing power to roughly 650,000 Iowans throughout all of our 99 counties. RECs provide power that is affordable, reliable and importantly, environmentally responsible.
I enjoyed meeting with a variety of individuals from the three electrical cooperatives that serve my constituents and appreciate them taking the time out of their busy day to come meet with me at the capitol. It is always great to meet and speak with constituents about the issues important to them and we always value their input when we consider legislation. Support of our RECs is important. Reliable and affordable electricity in rural Iowa is an essential key to economic development and quality of life for many Iowans.
A Change in Leadership
The Monday morning news that previous Senate Majority leader Bill Dix was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a lobbyist was shocking to everyone, especially to those of us who worked with Bill every day. I would describe the caucus emotions as a combination of total surprise and sadness, with some anger. To watch a long, successful political career end this way was painful. Knowing how devastating this is to Bill’s family just adds to the sadness. To his credit, within three hours of the breaking news, Bill did the right thing by resigning from his leadership post and from the Senate to return home. On Wednesday we elected Jack Whitver to head up our caucus as Majority Leader, and Charles Schneider as Senate President.
Despite the distractions we’ve had no delays in our efforts to move legislation that will grow Iowa’s economy while efficiently providing the essential government services that Iowan’s depend on.
Continued Work on Taxes and Revenue
As we continue to move forward this legislative session, it is evident the positive impact tax reform can have on economic growth. The Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) is projecting 6.4 percent growth in revenues for the 2019 Fiscal Year.
One of the key reasons for a larger than normal percentage of growth is again due to the federal tax bill, which is $188.3 million coming to the state. Remove the bump from the federal tax bill, the projected increase is around 4.2 percent. This increase is only a 0.2 percent above the December estimate and is only slightly higher than Iowa’s historic revenue growth over a 10-year period. Negotiations continue to adjust Iowa’s tax policy to reflect the changes at the federal level, and to encourage economic growth.
Upcoming Forums
Please consider joining me at one of our upcoming legislative forums. On March 17, Rep. Larry Sheets and I will be in Albia at the First Iowa State Bank Heritage Hall from 8:30 to 9:30, and in Centerville from 10:00 to 11:00 at the Chariton Valley Planning office on the west side of the square.
