Seven Iowa House Republicans joined Democrats in opposition to a bill that prohibits cities and counties from providing guaranteed income programs in the state, but it wasn’t enough to block the measure. House File 2319 passed with 55 votes and will now head to the Senate.
The bill would allow programs in place prior to the enactment date to run through Jan. 1, 2025.
Democrats said the bill restricts local control and noted the guaranteed income program targeting central Iowa doesn’t include a single state tax dollar.
Democrat State Rep. Dave Jacoby said it was just one legislative day ago that Republicans were championing the importance of local control.
“One legislative day – that’s what it took from the last time we heard about local control and the importance of listening to local, elected officials,” Jacoby said. “Balance and consistency. Even though I’m in the back row, frankly today I have to roll up my pant legs.”
Democrat State Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell said she’s grateful Iowans are passionate about serving low-income workers. UPLIFT, a program providing 110 Iowans from Warren, Dallas and Polk counties with $500 a month is, in her opinion, a worthy project to help end “generational poverty.”
“Allowing the results of the project to be concluded would be so valuable to learn how we can help end generational poverty,” she said. “Great things can happen at the local level and this bill takes away cities’ and counties’ ability to solve local issues and perhaps lead us into better public policy.”
In his closing remarks, Republican State Rep. Steve Holt said the authority of cities and counties comes completely from the state government and some important principles call for mandates on cities and counties.
“In this case, the importance of protecting our work ethic and preventing an increase of government dependence trumps the local control argument,” he said. “Just as we do not allow cities and counties to have differing laws on murder, we are not going to allow cities and counties to murder our work ethic.”
While there are no state dollars funding the programs that Holt has discovered, he said the $865,000 of federal taxpayer money involves money paid by Iowans to the federal government. He is also concerned the programs are intended to lay the groundwork for what will eventually come – guaranteed income programs at the local, state and federal levels – which is a goal purported of advocates for the programs, Holt added.
“In the end I believe these programs will increase government dependency and poverty as opposed to independence and prosperity,” Holt said. “When people work and earn their income there is great dignity in that.”
The bill passed 55-43. Republican State Representatives Jane Bloomingdale, Austin Harris, Chad Ingels, Brian Lohse, Brent Siegrist, Hans Wilz and David Young joined the Democrats in opposing the bill.
