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Capitol Notebook: Reynolds, GOP governors warn ag economy at risk without new farm bill
Also, Iowa Department of Education invests $3.5 million to provide first grade students with literacy instruction books to take home
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Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds joined a letter from fellow Republican governors urging congressional leaders to pass a new farm bill rather than another one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill as a deadline looms.
Funding for many farm programs ceases after Dec. 31 without another extension or passage of a new bill.
The comprehensive package of legislation supports several key farm and safety net programs, like crop insurance, as well as agriculture research, rural development, conservation projects and food assistance for low-income families. It is supposed to be updated every five years, but partisan gridlock got in the way, forcing Congress to extend the 2018 bill another year. The extension to the previous bill expired in September.
House Republican leadership reportedly plan to pass another extension of the existing law, according to The Hill. House Republicans and Senate Democrats have been deadlocked over issues related to conservation program funding, the amount of subsidies paid to farmers when commodity prices fall below a certain level, and a tool for setting benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that provides benefits for low-income households to buy groceries.
The letter, signed by Reynolds and 16 other Republican governors, warns that further delays threaten to jeopardize the well-being of U.S. farmers, who already face inflationary pressures, high interest rates and supply chain disruptions that have depressed farm income. The cost of seed, fertilizer and fuel has risen sharply over the past year, some by more than 30 percent, according to the letter signed by Republican governors.
The letter reiterates that another extension of the 2018 farm bill would force farmers to operate under an outdated plan, while the industry “has faced powerful headwinds beyond its control.”
“Over recent years the agriculture industry has experienced high inflation, high input costs, high interest rates, catastrophic weather events, natural disasters, regulatory uncertainty, and a growing agricultural trade deficit,” the letter states.
The U.S. agricultural market is facing a downturn, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasting a decrease in net farm income for 2024.
The Iowa Farm Bureau last month highlighted the need to pass a new farm bill to avoid significant interruptions in many critical programs. A Farm Bureau analysis estimates a sharp downturn in the agricultural economy could lead to more than 11,000 jobs losses in the state.
“Our nation’s agriculture industry is in trouble and if meaningful support is not provided soon, the well-being of the nation is at risk,” the GOP governors warn. “Reauthorization of a Farm Bill and immediate assistance in the interim will allow farmers and ranchers to do what they do best — provide for America and feed the world.”
Iowa to provide first-graders with take-home literacy instruction books
Nearly 38,000 first grade students in Iowa will receive literacy instruction books to take home and keep as part of a $3.5 million state investment to boost early literacy.
Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education announced the statewide investment Monday to provide elementary schools in the state more than 100,000 “decodable book packs” to send home with students to reinforce classroom reading instruction.
In total, 1 million books will be sent to all public and accredited non-public schools across the state this winter, according to the Iowa Department of Education. Schools and families need not apply; books will be sent directly to them, according to a press release.
Reynolds, in a statement, said the book packs build upon legislation she signed into law earlier this year adding new supports and requirements for early readers and teachers.
Under the new law, young students falling behind on reading skills will receive extra attention. Their parents will have the option for them to repeat a grade, and Iowa college students learning to become elementary school teachers will be assessed on their ability to teach young students how to read.
Studies repeatedly have shown the importance of young students being proficient readers by third grade, and drawn correlations between positive academic and social outcomes for proficient young readers and negative outcomes for struggling readers.
“These book packs, based on the Science of Reading, bring parents more fully into that process by giving them a fun way to reinforce at home what their children are learning at school,” Reynolds said. “It’s a powerful way to teach our kids to read — so they can spend a lifetime reading to learn.”
The books are written for beginning readers and use simple words to help students connect letters and sounds, according to the Iowa Department of Education.
The department selected Just Right Reader through a competitive bid process to provide the books at no cost to Iowa elementary schools and families. The book packs are customizable and available at multiple reading levels. Each includes a QR code with access to video lessons, according to the department.
Kindergarten through second grade students in need of support who attended a summer reading program or before- and after-school program this year also will receive books to further advance their reading gains, according to the press release.
The books will be paid for by federal pandemic relief assistance funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
More information on literacy instruction in Iowa is available on the Department’s literacy instruction website.
IEDA awards $43 million in tax credits to revitalize historic buildings
The Iowa Economic Development Authority awarded more than $43 million in tax credits to revitalize 10 historic buildings in the state.
The Historic Preservation Tax Credit program provides a state income tax credit of up to 25 percent of qualified expenses to projects that rehabilitate underused or vacant buildings while preserving their historic character. The IEDA received 13 applications overall requesting more than $63 million in tax credits.
Approved projects include:
- Cedar Rapids — $2.1 million for the rehabilitation of exterior features to convert the long-vacant Strand Theater into a fitness center; and $564,000 for the rehabilitation of dormitory restrooms and other areas of Greene Hall on the Coe College campus.
- Muscatine — $5.6 million to convert the former McKee Button Co. factory into office space. KENT Corp., headquartered in Muscatine, plans to expand into the three-story brick building that was once the world’s largest freshwater pearly button factory. Plans call for 27 offices, 60 open offices, six meeting rooms, a research kitchen, presentation kitchen, lounge areas and an employee fitness area.
- Sioux City — $4 million to East High Lofts to redevelop the century-old East Junior High School building into one- to four-bedroom energy-efficient apartments designed to serve individuals and families with low to moderate incomes. Five units are proposed to be set aside for those at risk of homelessness. Plans also call for a community room, a fitness center and outdoor recreational areas.
Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau
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