Click here: U.S. aims to give up control over Internet administration
Category: Political
News from the Hill…
This is the time of year when patience runs short and days run long. That is a dangerous combination. The House is busy moving the Senate files that we have received through their respective committees that we want to keep alive for debate. At the same time the Senate is busy doing the very same thing with the House files we sent over to them. Iowans who care about certain bills or lobbyist who they have hired to watch out for their interest are busily scrambling around from House Committee to Senate Committee trying to advance the bills that their clients are interested in. Some bills will be advanced while others will fail to reach the next level of debate on each chambers floor for full debate. So, when the dust settles this week some will find relief, while others are trying to figure out how to breathe some breath back into their bill that just died during the second funnel this week. One such bill, SF 402, which deals with Dental Benefits and External Review, did not make it through the House Commerce Committee. I personally found that quite disappointing. On one side you had the dentist and the other side of the issue there was the dental insurance companies. As I listened to both the problem and possible solutions, I was very hopeful that a compromise could be reached. Especially on what appeared to be an issue ripe for finding common ground. However, an agreement could not be reached. One side was willing to bend and the other simply would not. Therefore the bill was not taken up in committee, very unfortunate.
Veterans Issues…
Presently there are numerous bills that have come from the House Veterans Committee that have tax implications sitting in the Ways and Means Committee. To name a few, HSB 647, increases the Military Property Tax exemption, HF 2372 exempt’s military pay from state income tax, HF 2374 creates income tax credit for military service in Lebanon, Grenada, Panama & certain Persian Gulf conflicts. The Senate sent us SF 303 which exempts Military pension income from state income tax. The total fiscal impact is around $30 million, it will be extremely difficult to do all of these this year, but we are trying to figure out which ones we can do at this time. I know we will definitely be doing something. What we do decide to do will most likely be combined into one bill as it moves from committee in the next few weeks. Our veterans have given a great deal for our country and to advance the cause of freedom. So whatever we can do for them is a small token of appreciation of what they actually deserve.
Ways and Means…
One of the bills we passed out of committee this week was HSB 670. This bill relates to the sales tax exemption for the purchase or rental of certain items used in manufacturing, research and development, data processing or storage, or recycling activities. The Department of Revenue and Manufactures spend lots of time and money disagreeing on what is taxed or what should not be taxed. Both sides were in favor of this law change to further clarify the law. A similar bill passed the Iowa House last year and died in the Senate. I have some new language in this bill and better information from different manufactures to help its success in the Senate. This bill passed out of committee with a vote of 21 voting aye, 3 voting nay and 1 absent. I strongly support any bill that saves taxpayers money and helps streamline the process. The bill heads to the house floor for full debate with a new number, HF 2443.
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” – Abraham Lincoln
For more information on these and other bills: www.legis.iowa.gov
Until next time,
Tom Sands
This weekend’s Forum: Saturday, March 13th
9:15-10:30 am West Burlington City Hall, West Burlington, IA
Jonathan Turley, professor of public interest law at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., said the legislative branch of the U.S. government is in danger of becoming irrelevant in the face of continued executive overreach.
“My view [is] that the president, has in fact, exceeded his authority in a way that is creating a destabilizing influence in a three branch system,” Turley said. “I want to emphasize, of course, this problem didn’t begin with President Obama, I was critical of his predecessor President Bush as well, but the rate at which executive power has been concentrated in our system is accelerating. And frankly, I am very alarmed by the implications of that aggregation of power.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZabKoPtgG3E
News from the Hill…
Drones…
One of the bills we passed out of the House and sent over to the Senate was HF 2289. This bill regulates the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s). The number of UAV’s is fairly low at this time, but they are becoming much more popular and affordable to the average person. While normally I am not an individual who votes for more regulations, the use of UAV’s are presently unregulated. The bill permits individuals to purchase and use UAV’s. However, they may not use them to harass, stalk, intimidate or terrorize others. This bill does not affect the military, but other Government Agencies must have permission to purchase UAV’s and they may not record information without a warrant unless there is an emergency and court approved within 48 hours. UAV’s may be purchased for about $30 up to several thousand dollars. They may be small enough to hold in your hand or several feet long.
There may need to be further changes to this law in the future, as the uses and number of people that may own them increase. There will be some very good uses that will be available sometime in the future. But there will also be some uses that none of us would want to occur. Technology will continue to change and become more affordable for more to use and/or abuse. The intent is to maintain the balance of personal freedoms and property rights of those who may own the UAV’s and those who may be affected by others flying the UAV’s. I voted for this bill in the Public Safety Committee and I voted for the bill on the House Floor.
Firearm Suppressors…
Thursday one of the bills that passed off the House floor and sent over to the Senate was a bill allowing Iowans to purchase and possess firearm suppressors in accordance with Federal law. A suppressor help to minimize the sound that comes from the use of a firearm. Federal law requires a person purchasing a suppressor to: be a resident of the United States, legally eligible to purchase a firearm, pass an extensive Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives background check, pay a onetime $200 Transfer Tax, fee per suppressor, reside in a state where civilians can legally own suppressors, be at least 21 to purchase a suppressor from a dealer, be at least 18 to possess a suppressor as a beneficiary of a trust or corporation. This will help to protect the hearing of those using their firearms as well as reducing the sound for others who may be affected by the sound. I support this bill and voted for it on the House Floor.
Ways & Means…
This week there was more floor action and less committee work, with the exception of the Ways and Means Committee. We assigned 15 bills and several of the subcommittees met and passed their respective bills on to the full committee. We should debate several of those bills next week in the full committee. One of those that will pass out of the Ways and Means Committee next week will be, HSB 644, the Internal Revenue Code update. House Study Bill 644 updates Iowa Code references to the Internal Revenue Code to January 1, 2014, which ensures that federal income tax revisions made by Congress in 2013 are applicable for Iowa income tax purposes. This applies retroactively to January 1, 2013, for tax years beginning on or after that date. In addition, House Study Bill 644 repeals the Iowa generation-skipping transfer tax and the Iowa estate tax. Both of these taxes have not been collected for Iowa for deaths occurring after December 31, 2004.
Normally I try to run this bill out of the committee very early in the year. But this year the Federal government hadn’t made any major changes to their tax code by the end of the year. I have been waiting to see if the Federal Government would make any changes in their Tax Code in January or February so we could make the same changes in our Iowa Tax Code. However, they have not made any changes so we will pass the bill and get it on its way to the Governor’s Desk.
“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” – Ronald Reagan
For more information on these and other bills: www.legis.iowa.gov
Until next time,
Tom Sands
This weekend’s forums: Saturday, March 1st
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Muscatine Community College Student Center
11:15 AM-12:15 PM State Bank of Wapello Community Room