The Iowa Legislature concluded its work on Friday, April 29, after spending 110 days doing the work of Iowans.
This legislative session will be remembered as one that took Iowans’ priorities and turned them into realities by working together and finding common ground.
The highlights include:
• Responsible Budgeting: For the sixth year in a row, the Iowa Legislature made a serious commitment to Iowans to not spend more than the state takes in.
• Increased Investment in Education: Support for K-12 education increased by $135 million, which accounts for 77 percent of the state’s new revenue.
• Certainty for Iowa Taxpayers: The House championed and insisted on legislation that gave taxpayers a seat at the table this session.The House pushed to prevent an unexpected $95 million tax increase on 177,000 Iowans and eliminated the unfair double tax on Iowa manufacturers.
• Continued efforts to combat human trafficking: The House continued efforts to combat human trafficking in Iowa by establishing an office in the Department of Public Safety to oversee and coordinate efforts to combat human trafficking. Other efforts were passed that protect victims and penalize those who commit this horrific crime.
• Unprecedented Oversight for Medicaid: The House supported significant oversight efforts to monitor the state’s transition and ensure that consumers are protected, patient health and financial outcomes are monitored and transparent, and the integrity of our health care system remains.
• Sustainable funding for water quality: The House was able to find a long-term, dedicated source of funding for water quality projects across the state without raising taxes. While this did not become law, it has spurred an important conversation on how we can address improving our water and natural resources for future generations.
• Increased tax credit for adoption: In an effort to provide increased support to those families who have made a decision to adopt, the legislature doubled the one time per child adoption tax credit. It increased from $2,500 to $5,000.
Iowans work hard to earn their money and I take my responsibility to protect the taxpayers and families who trust us with their tax dollars very seriously. This session, we were able to give taxpayers a seat at the table while also following through on commitments that were made for education, health care, and public safety.
It has been another eventful year and I am blessed to be serving the constituents of House District 27! I hope you all have a wonderful summer and I look forward to visiting with you over the interim.