Wulf's Weekly Roundup: Back To Work in the 91st General Assembly

Week 1  

The Iowa Legislature is back in session, and I am eager to share the weekly updates with you as we work through this years priorities and legislative proposals. This year, in addition to the committees I  have served on in the past, I have the honor to take up the role as the Chair of the Committee on Agriculture. I am excited to lead policy work in Iowa’s biggest economic sector in the Iowa House. Here  is a quick preview of a couple of this years priorities:  

Property Taxes  

* Iowans have been loud and clear about the need for property tax reform. So this session,  we’ve made this topic a top priority.  

* Seniors are being priced out of their homes, young people are struggling to buy their first house, and families are seeing their bill rise with no predictability and no way to know if that money is being used effectively.  

* This week, we saw property tax proposals released from the Governor’s Office and the Iowa Senate Republican caucus. Our House Republican caucus has been working on a proposal of our own that we will release as early as next week.  

* The fact that the Governor, the Senate Republicans, and the House Republicans are all leading with property tax plans shows Iowans how committed we are to delivering significant relief this session.  * Our caucus is working on a proposal that puts the taxpayers first. For too long, the system has  prioritized the 'certainty' of government budgets over the 'certainty' of family budgets. House  Republicans are flipping that script.  

* Stay tuned in the coming weeks as these conversations continue, and House Republicans release our own proposal.  

New “Farm Bill Act”  

Expanding Economic Opportunities for Iowa Farmers  

The Iowa Farm Act expands opportunities for farmers to diversify products and income, access  new markets, and operate with greater certainty by:  

* Modernizing Iowa’s farm zoning exemptions to clarify that value-added processing, direct-to consumer marketing, agritourism activities and events, and other farm-supporting operations are  included under Iowa’s farm exemption.  

* Strengthening Iowa’s agritourism framework by updating the definition of an agricultural experience to reduce regulatory barriers and encourage farms to welcome more visitors, customers, and educational opportunities.  

* Expanding local food markets by making the Choose Iowa School Purchasing Pilot Program permanent, connecting schools with Iowa farmers and food producers and creating reliable new markets for Iowa-grown food.  

Delivering Tax Relief and Fairness  

The Iowa Farm Act delivers targeted tax relief that lowers costs, promotes fairness, and supports farm succession by:  

* Protecting family farms and succession planning by expanding the retired farmer rental income tax exemption to include modern farm business structures such as partnerships, S corporations, trusts,  and estates.  

* Reducing costs for grain businesses by eliminating the grain excise tax paid by cooperatives and grain handlers, supporting local elevators and a more uniformed tax system. 

* Supporting growth in Iowa’s honey industry by exempting the purchase of honeybees from sales tax, reducing input costs for beekeepers and strengthening pollination services. 
* Eliminating county-by-county uncertainty by codifying that above-ground storage tanks under 91,000 gallons are not subject to property tax.