2022 Iowa Legislative Session - Week 5 Summary

The first MAJOR deadline for the 2022 General Assembly is next Friday, February 18.  That is the date by which “most” bills must be out of the Committee of origin.  There are exceptions to this rule however for Ways and Means, Appropriations, and Leadership bills.  Next week will be a hectic one at the Capitol with many bills yet to be filed, subcommittees scheduled, and long Committee agendas.  After that, we will have a list of “dead” bills that will not be considered further in this session unless they come back to life as an amendment to another bill.   

A plan to increase Supplemental State Aid (SSA) by 2.5% was approved by House lawmakers Thursday afternoon. According to the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency, the package appropriates $178 million in total which equates to an increase of $186 per student for the next fiscal year. Rep. Cecil Dolecheck (R-Mount Ayr) managed the bill which passed with a vote of 57-39. Democrats cited worker shortages and increasing costs as reasons why the increase was insufficient. “Our schools have had to cope - cope as best they could - with the lower than actual cost of funding that’s resulted in staff reductions, the elimination of programs, . . . and salaries that have failed to keep up with comparable professions or alternative careers,” said Art Staed (D-Cedar Rapids). Republicans refuted those claims by stating that the school funding supplemental bill (HF 2315), provides more than $19 million in additional funding. “I believe the supplemental $19.2 million, along with the SSA that we just passed and the additional district cost per pupil, with almost $2 million in transportation funding, will be welcomed by an overwhelming number of school districts across our state,” said David Kerr (R-Morning Sun). Combined Republicans lawmakers said the measures provide a 3.2% increase. 

As tax discussions continue, republican proposals have cleared committees in both chambers. The House’s four-year plan cleared the Ways and Means Committee Tuesday. This proposal (HF 2317) differentiates from those set out by Governor Reynolds and the Senate by not reducing Iowa’s corporate tax rate. According to staff analysis, the plan would provide $1.7 billion in tax relief once fully implemented. The Senate’s bill (SF 2206) cleared the Ways and Means Committee last Thursday via a party-line vote. This package would eliminate local option sales tax and raise the sales tax statewide by 1 cent, thus triggering the funding of the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreational Trust Fund.

Additionally, democratic lawmakers announced their tax plans which would double the earned income tax credit and increase the state’s child and dependent care tax credit. “Democrats believe we need a fair tax system,” said House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst (D-Windsor Heights). “That means we’re ensuring there are no corporate tax giveaways, no new tax giveaways to corporations, no new tax giveaways to millionaires, no new tax giveaways to special interests.”

Sen. Dave Rowley (R-Spirit Lake) guided his first bill as a floor manager through a Senate vote Thursday. Senate File 2190 provides that a 16 or 17-year-old can man power-operated pizza dough rollers. Brought forward by Casey’s General Stores, the measure unanimously passed with a 46-0 vote.

In the Know

Iowa Republicans and Democrats may not agree often, but they generally do find common ground on the importance of protecting Iowa’s ‘First-in-the-Nation’ presidential voting status. GOP Chair Jeff Kaufman is leading the national party’s Temporary Committee on the Presidential Nominating Process which recently reviewed possible changes to timing of presidential caucuses and primaries. The committee’s final report recommends that no changes be made and will be presented to the Republican National Committee in the coming months. “Our lobbying efforts and our explanation and education efforts to the RNC and to the Rules Committee, I’m going to handle this like we’re behind by about 30 votes right now,” Kaufmann said.

However, a panel of Democratic National Committee members met in late January and publicly discussed potential changes to their presidential nominating process. Longstanding critics of Iowa’s first-in-the-nation status have called for the elimination of caucuses and the need for increased diversity. Critiques were amplified when Iowa Democrats failed to timely report accurate results of the 2020 caucuses. On election night, a smartphone app designed to streamline the reporting process failed. As a result, no winner was determined thus jeopardizing statuses for future caucuses. Scott Brennan, attorney, and former state party chair, represented Iowa democrats on the panel. 

Iowa has been the first caucus to vote in presidential elections since 1972.

BrownWinick Government Relations:

To view additional summaries from the 2021 Iowa Legislative session or to learn more about BrownWinick’s Government Relations Team, visit our Lobbying and Public Policy team page.