On Monday more than a hundred thousand Iowans participated in their precinct caucuses and made their voice heard in the first contest of the presidential nominating process. It will be nice to get a break from television ads and the flood of text messages. Even with the occasionally annoying aspects of the caucuses, it is a great privilege for Iowans to have this opportunity to play such a key role in picking presidential candidates. The caucuses have a significant economic impact to the state, and it gives Iowans the ear of the candidates in the shaping of their policies and agendas.
The second week of this year’s legislative session has come and gone, and I have been busy working through bills that have come across my desk. The Senate was not in session Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Wednesday was Veterans Day at the Capitol, and I met with a number of groups and individuals who came to visit. It was great to meet with the veterans that came to visit, talk with them about issues and initiatives important to them, and listen to these brave men and women who have dedicated their lives in service for our country.
One of the topics we have been hearing a lot about is area education agencies (AEAs). I appreciate all the messages I have been getting from my constituents on this issue, and I do appreciate their passion. We are all dedicated to ensuring Iowa students have the best resources at their disposal and have the support they need to be successful in their education. Our goal in looking at this system is simply to improve it and make sure it is still following its core objective, which is to help students requiring special education. This bill has just begun the legislative process, and we are still looking through the details of the legislation and getting feedback about how this would affect our districts. On Thursday, the governor announced several changes to her proposed bill in an effort to achieve that goal of improving services to students with disabilities and improving student achievement.
On January 1, another tax cut went into effect, meaning state tax withholding was reduced and Iowans are again keeping more of their hard-earned money. This increase is from the largest income tax relief package in Iowa history passed by the Iowa Senate that continues to take effect. This year the top income tax rate fell from 6 percent to 5.7 percent.
The compounding effects of inflation over the last few years continue to impact family budgets, often forcing tough choices for families as they try to manage their rising expenses. The Iowa Senate is implementing positive solutions for families by passing permanent income tax relief.
Conservative budgeting makes it possible to provide tax relief, while also supplying sustainable increases in funding to Iowa schools, public safety, and health care. Those principles have created billions of surplus tax dollars and set the stage for even larger income tax cuts this year.
This session I will work to continue to reduce income taxes for working Iowans. More tax relief means Iowa families will have more ammunition to use in the fight against inflation, and small businesses will have more resources to reward their employees and invest back into their business.
