Legislators Chuck Soderberg (House District 3), Christopher Rants (House District 54), Roger Wendt (House District 2), and Steven Warnstadt (Senate District 1) joined us for a legislative wrap-up at the Chamber this morning. Each shared highlights of the session and their opinion of what is to come.
Warnstadt spoke first highlighting some of the legislation that was pasted this session. He said that community attraction and tourism efforts will help Sioux City. Warnstadt also said that the Historic Tax Credits bill will be beneficial for Siouxland.
Wendt said that disaster relief was a big focus of the session and will continue. He did highlight preschool education saying that 90 percent of kids (age 3-4) could attend preschool right now if they wanted.
Rants spoke about the downfalls he saw this session. “We made it tougher on small business,” he said. He also said that there is an attitude that we don’t want people to know what we’re doing and that has to change. Rants spoke highly of the Highway 20 project and said that things are always moving forward even if we can’t see it.
Soderberg discussed the bonding issue, and summed up the session by saying that essentially we had less revenue but increased spending. He also said that now is not the time to push labor bills such as choice of doctor and collective bargaining for teachers.
Legislation passed this session to date:
- Data Centers – SF 478 (Chamber supported)
- Fright Rail Investment – HF 822 (Chamber supported)
- Historic Tax Credits – SF 481 (Chamber supported)
- Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center Funding – HF 811 (Chamber supported)
- Renewable Energy R & D Tax Credit – SF 478 (Chamber supported)
- Research Credit – SF 483
- Targeted Jobs Withholding Tax Credit – SF 304 (Chamber supported)
- Transportation Appropriations – HF 805 (Chamber supported)
- Vision Iowa (CAT & RECAT Funding) – SF 376 (Chamber supported)
A complete Iowa Legislative Wrap-Up will be sent to all Chamber members once the governor’s timetable for signing bills ends next week.
