Senator Jake Chapman (R-Adel) delivered a passionate speech in committee on Wednesday against the extension of SAVE. Chapman was the lone member of the Senate Ways and Means committee to vote against the legislation.
“I will not be supporting this bill. What we just heard is a prime example of why none of us should be supporting this bill,” he said. “We have no data sets, we have no knowledge of capacity, we have no knowledge of what our infrastructure needs are — we are completely shooting in the blind.
“We’re taking a vote based on emotion, not on any factual data. I will not support it for that reason.”
Chapman corrected a couple things as well. The bill doesn’t scoop 30 percent of the new money for property tax relief, he said, because only one percent each year is scooped.
“Out of a $19 billion, let that set in folks, $19 billion tax extension,” Chapman said. “We go from today through the extension it’s $27 billion. We have no knowledge of what we’re doing with this money. And out of that we’re going to give $5 billion for property tax relief.”
He then talked in defense of Iowa taxpayers.
“Iowans are sick and tired of being taxed,” he said. “They’re taxed to death and we have an opportunity here to really give them some relief and we’re not doing that. I’m looking forward to the floor debate and having some amendments that will give Iowans some real property tax relief and use this as a mechanism to help them. I am in favor of our schools getting money for infrastructure, not necessarily going out and putting it on property tax. But folks, we’re losing schools. We’re losing rooftops. We’ve had 100-some school district consolidate and here we are, today, voting on a $19 billion extension.”
The bill passed originally in the Iowa House, 96-3. Representatives Skyler Wheeler (R-Orange City), Phil Thompson (R-Jefferson) and Jeff Shipley (R-Fairfield) were opposed to the tax extension.
