News from the Hill…
This week the Iowa House took up several bills on the House floor to be debated. The motivation of most members is to get the work done and adjourn for the year. The scheduled last date for this year’s session of the 85th General Assembly is April 22nd. However, it appears the train to adjournment is moving right along at a faster than normal speed. History would tell us the wheels will come off sometime to derail the speed we are presently going. So the question is this, if in fact the train derails how bad and how long will we be knocked off course? Only time will answer that question.
Motor Sports Recreational Vehicles…
Presently under Iowa Law, people who own a unit that is an RV on the front half pulling an enclosed trailer usually for racing purposes are being stopped by the Iowa DOT and being fined for over length. This problem was brought forward to me by some local car racers. I filed a bill, HF 2198, earlier this year to correct this problem. The best way to correct this and to keep in compliance with Federal Regulations was to establish a new class called “Motorsports Recreational Vehicles.” This bill will allow these units to travel on Iowa roads legally as long as they stay under 85 feet in total length. This bill passed out of the Ways and Means Committee this Week and now moves to the House Floor for full debate. It has been assigned a new number HF 2447.
Home Base Iowa…
One of the Governor’s priorities this year was “Home Base Iowa.” Governor Branstad stated in his State of the State speech, which he wanted veterans to move back to Iowa to work, live and retire. We passed SF 303 and a House amendment to that bill, which moves many of those concepts to the House Floor for full debate. The bill exempts military pension pay from Iowa income tax, eliminates the special plate issuance fee charged for certain motor vehicle registration plates associated with military service and exempts military survivor benefits from Iowa income tax. There was an attempt with an additional amendment during committee which asked to prove to the legislature by 2019 that this bill was accomplishing what it intended to do but it was soundly defeated. As Chair, I reminded the committee that these benefits were for our veterans and they had already proved the worthiness of this bill when they signed on the dotted line to protect our freedoms. That amendment failed with 1 voting aye and 23 voting nay. The bill passed 24 voting aye, 0 voting nay and 1 absent to move to the House floor for full debate. I strongly support this bill and hope it is just the first step to exempt all pensions from Iowa income tax.
First Time Home Buyers…
Many times the hardest house to buy is the first one. First time home buyers tend to be younger, with little to no down payment and financial institutions have tightened up their lending standards since the financial home crisis. This combination is making it more difficult to purchase the first home. To help and encourage people to save for a down payment, the Economic Growth Committee passed HF 2353, to initiate a program that mirrors the 529 college plans for home buyers. The bill then came to the House Ways and Means Committee for consideration. This bill allows a first-time homebuyer who is a state resident to establish the special savings account, either individually or jointly with the resident’s spouse who is also a first-time buyer. The account must be an interest bearing account and they will pay a penalty if they use the money for anything other than a down payment on their first home.
“The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.” – Ronald Reagan
For more information on these and other bills: www.legis.iowa.gov
Until next time,
Tom Sands