Iowa Legislature and governor delivered a successful COVID response, tax cuts and freedom in 2021

Coming as no surprise, the Cedar Rapids Gazette’s editorial board has claimed that the Iowa Legislature failed the test COVID-19 laid out for them this legislative session, faulting Republicans in control of the Legislature for talking about “tax cuts and freedom” and not the pandemic plaguing Iowa. (“COVID-19 tested Iowa. The Legislature failed miserably,” May 30.)

My counter to their premise is simple: if the editorial board claims that Republican leaders in our state failed Iowans, how do they measure success? Based on findings by Wallethub.com published on May 4, a few short weeks prior to the Legislature’s adjournment, Iowa’s overall “COVID Health” score was 6th in the nation. Factors considered in this scoring included vaccination rates and vaccine usage, COVID-19 testing, positivity rate, hospitalization rate, and death rate, as well as doctor/hospital visits, staffing levels, and medical supply availability.

For perspective, many states that employed more rigid COVID-19 restrictions came in worse on the list in their health scoring, including California at 13th, New York at 34th, and Illinois at 37th. Some states with lax COVID restrictions also scored poorly, including Florida at 47th. While the loss of life and other impacts of the virus have been tragic, this data demonstrates that Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Republican-controlled Legislature chose a response most appropriate for Iowa, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic is not one size fits all. A COVID-19 response is dependent on many factors, and locking Iowans in their homes, shuttering their businesses, and removing Iowa children from their schools simply was not necessary for an extended period in Iowa.

Iowa’s overall COVID-19 recovery came in at second-quickest overall according to the same Wallethub.com report, behind only neighboring South Dakota. This is thanks to a governor and Legislature who recognized the necessity behind striking a balance between aggressiveness of response to COVID-19 and the implications to the broader economy and livelihoods of real Iowans, and they towed that line better than almost any other state in the country. Our children are back in school, our businesses are open, and our COVID-19 positivity rate is incredibly low, with anyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccine able to get one without an appointment if they choose.

Regarding the “tax cuts and freedom” The Gazette’s editorial board knocked— Reynolds and Republican leadership in the legislature delivered on those fronts, too, thanks largely to the successful COVID-19 response in Iowa. Iowa’s current fiscal year ends June 30th, and a Radio Iowa article published June 2 shows that net state tax revenues for the past 11 months were more than $7.3 billion, up almost $1 billion from last year. Because Iowa’s financial picture is looking so positive, Reynolds and the Iowa legislature, with bipartisan support, delivered on the largest income tax cuts in Iowa history, abolished Iowa’s death tax, and provided permanent property tax relief to Iowans.

Despite what The Gazette editorial board may think, it is possible to have a successful COVID-19 response while delivering tax cuts and freedom. Our governor and legislature did a phenomenal job this legislative session. I am grateful to live in a state where their leadership created an environment where I am still employed, my taxes are set to decrease and the COVID-19 pandemic is drawing to a close. Most importantly, my children have been able to return to daycare, see a neighbor’s friendly smile, and spend time with their grandparents for these precious years they have with them.

Victoria Sinclair is the government relations director for Iowans for Tax Relief.