Kim Reynolds and Deidre DeJear argue taxes, abortion in only gubernatorial debate

JOHNSTON — Iowa’s candidates for governor clashed over the best use of Iowa’s state tax revenue, education and abortion in the first and only scheduled debate between Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and Democrat challenger Deidre DeJear.

Monday night on Iowa PBS, Reynolds touted the record of her six-year term, pointing to tax cuts and keeping schools and businesses open during most of the COVID-19 pandemic as her major achievements and the reason voters should elect her again.

DeJear, a businesswoman from Des Moines, said the state has been underfunding critical systems including education and health care, and said state government is not prioritizing the needs of Iowans.

A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll released Sunday showed Reynolds with a solid lead over DeJear, with support from 52 percent of Iowa voters compared with DeJear's 35 percent. Libertarian Rick Stewart, who did not meet the qualifications to be invited to the debate, showed 4 percent support in the poll.

Taxes

Reynolds touted tax cuts passed during her administration, including the most recent tax law that will see Iowans’ tax rate reach a 3.9 percent flat rate by 2026. The law also drops Iowa’s corporate income tax rate to 5.5 percent if corporate taxes achieve certain revenue targets, and it eliminates tax on retirement income.

Reynolds said the law would help keep the state competitive with other states and attract people and businesses.

Reynolds said she will continue to look at areas where income tax can be lowered, but she didn’t commit to a specific percentage or fully eliminating state income tax.

“If we’re over-collecting, we’re going to get that money back to hardworking Iowans,” she said. “If we’ve over-collected then we need to turn it back to them. And so we’re going to look for opportunities to do that.”

DeJear said the tax cuts have not helped low- and moderate-income Iowans, who she said benefit more from robust public programs paid for through taxes. She told reporters after the debate she would not push for raising taxes as governor, but she criticized the tax cuts Republicans passed last year.

“What they need is systems that are going to work for them so they can have that economic sustainability, and at the end of the day, that means we’re putting their taxpayer dollars to work,” she said.

She pointed to a drop in expected state revenue, projected last week by the state’s Revenue Estimating Conference, as evidence the tax cuts will lead to a weaker state budget.

Abortion

As Reynolds seeks to bring back enforcement of the state’s six-week abortion restriction, DeJear said Iowa’s laws should codify the protections provided under Roe v. Wade and avoided naming a specific cutoff when abortion should be illegal.

Abortion remains a high-priority issue for voters going into the Nov. 8 election, as the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of the decision that provided federal abortion protections left abortion regulations up to states.

Reynolds did not say whether she would pursue further restrictions on abortions as she seeks to lift an injunction on the state’s so-called fetal heartbeat law, which would ban abortions after about six weeks. She also pointed to support for enhancing maternal health and birth control in Iowa.

“I signed the heartbeat bill, we continue to work with legislation or different support systems that we can put in place to help maternal health. We’ll build that out next year,” Reynolds said.

Enforcement of the heartbeat bill was blocked by the courts, but Reynolds currently is challenging that.

DeJear said she wants to see the protections that were present under Roe v. Wade enacted in Iowa.

Reynolds asked if DeJear supports legal abortions until the time of birth — something other Republicans in the state have asserted Democrats support.

“My personal belief has no space in a woman’s doctor’s appointment,” DeJear said. “When she goes into that doctor to make a decision that’s within her best interest, that is her decision.”

DeJear told a story of a third-grade girl she was tutoring while volunteering as a senior in high school, who she found out was three months pregnant. With “trying to dictate and regulate pregnancy in black and white, the way that our governor chooses to do,” DeJear said, “that little girl has minimal options, if any at all.”

Reynolds slammed DeJear’s position as support for abortion “right up until the time that baby is born.”

Education

The pair clashed over education, which has emerged as a central focus of each candidates’ campaign.

DeJear criticized Reynolds’ proposal to provide taxpayer-funded scholarships to families to seek education at a private school. The program was a key legislative goal of Reynolds this year — but didn’t gain enough support in the GOP-controlled Iowa House — and likely will be a focus in next year’s legislative session if Reynolds wins re-election.

DeJear said the state should commit more funding to bolster public schools rather than diverting taxpayer dollars to private schools. She pointed to the state’s near-$2 billion surplus and said the state is underfunding its institutions.

DeJear has proposed a $300 million one-time injection to the state’s public school system, along with an annual 4 percent increase in state aid.

“It shouldn’t be a matter of a parent choosing from an excelling school or a failing school,” DeJear said. “All of our schools throughout the state need to be set up for success in every single district.”

Reynolds defended her school choice proposal, saying the state can adequately fund public education while giving parents who couldn’t otherwise afford private school the option to seek it out.

“That choice should not be for only the people or families who have the resources to make that choice,” she said. “We want to make sure that every child has every opportunity to succeed and be the best that they can be.”

She also defended Republicans’ school funding record, saying the Iowa Legislature has consistently increased school funding. This year, Republicans provided a 2.5 percent increase to public school funding.

Mental health

DeJear also criticized the state’s mental health funding, saying the state has a shortage of child psychiatrists and mental health infrastructure. She said the state needs to increase reimbursement rates and increase education opportunities to get more people into the field.

“I’m looking at the damage right now, I’m looking at the harm and looking at what Iowans are asking for, and I’m of the firm belief that we can turn this system around,” she said.

Reynolds celebrated the state’s work on mental health, pointing to the state’s change from a county-funded mental health system to a state-based system. She said the state set up several access centers and mobile crisis teams for adults and set up a children’s mental health system.

“That built a continuum of care, from a child all the way to an adult,” Reynolds said.