The Rozenboom Report – April 9, 2021
by Ken Rozenboom
In 2016, Iowa voters gave Republicans the trifecta, electing us to lead the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the governor’s office. We responded with major reforms to state government and the largest tax cut in Iowa history. Voters showed their support by again giving us the trifecta in 2018 while electing Gov. Reynolds to her first full term. Voters again signaled their support in the 2020 elections. This year Senate Republicans have continued to advance that pro-growth agenda by passing legislation to phase out the inheritance tax and eliminate the income tax cut triggers to provide certainty for families and small businesses. This week, we passed legislation to provide property tax relief.
The Senate passed SF 587 on Tuesday to addresses two major concerns for Iowans – property tax relief and mental health funding. It provides over $100 million in property tax relief for Iowans by eliminating property tax levies and removing the tax triggers put into place in the 2018 tax bill. Additionally, it provides $60 million in state funding for mental health in Iowa in the first year, $125 million in the second, and sets up sustainable, predictable mental health funding growth for the future.
Also this week, the Senate passed House Joint Resolution 5, which is the first step towards amending the Iowa Constitution to add a new section on the protection of life. The section reads, “To defend the dignity of all human life, and to protect mothers and unborn children from efforts to expand abortion even to the day of birth, we the people of the State of Iowa declare that this Constitution shall not be construed to recognize, grant, or secure a right to abortion or to require the public funding of abortion.” With the eventual adoption of this language, policy on abortion will be determined by the people of Iowa through their elected representatives and not through unelected judges.
The Senate passed House File 744 regarding the protection of free speech and First Amendment rights at Iowa universities and K-12 schools. The bill does a number of things, including prohibiting retaliation against a member of the campus community or a member of a school district who files a complaint, requires a disciplinary hearing if a faculty member knowingly and intentionally restricts protected speech, and requires first amendment training for members of the campus community, including students, faculty, and staff. It also directs the board of directors of each school district to establish policies protecting students and staff from discrimination based on speech and triggers a hearing with the Board of Educational Examiners if a school district employee is found to have violated the First Amendment rights of a student. This bill addresses a number of concerns we have heard from students at Iowa schools and universities and protects important First Amendment rights in educational institutions where diverse opinions and thought are supposed to be encouraged. House File 744 now heads to the governor to await her signature.
House File 228 allows all students the freedom to open enroll without interference from the local school boards and administrators by repealing school district voluntary diversity plans and disallowing denials of open enrollment based on those plans. The open enrollment law in Iowa should mean open enrollment for all students regardless of their district. This bill gives more choices to parents when it comes to their children’s education. They should be able to send their children to public schools that fit their needs, help them succeed and prepare them to be successful after graduation.
The House and Senate are beginning to work on the appropriations process through the various budget sub-committees with a view to wrapping the 2021 session up soon. As always, please feel free to contact me about the legislation moving through the Capitol, concerns or questions you may have, or the issues most important to you. It is an honor to serve you in the legislature and be your voice on these topics crucial to making our state better.
