Articles Tagged: Iowa Legislature

Although the $13 million in tax revenue Iowa collects from sports betting is a relatively small pot of money in the state’s $9 billion-plus annual revenue stream, it has caught the attention of lawmakers.

In four years, every Iowan’s income would be taxed at 4 percent under a new proposal from Gov. Kim Reynolds, who introduced her proposed flat tax during her annual condition of the state address to the Iowa Legislature this past week. Flat taxes have their fair share of both supporters and critics.

Republicans who complain reporters don’t get it right are now making it more difficult to get it right.

On this week’s edition of the On Iowa Politics Podcast, the Iowa legislature is in session, the federal Voting Rights bill, and Governor Reynolds' proposed flat tax.

Davenport Democratic state lawmaker Jim Lykam will not seek reelection to the Iowa Senate. He will retire after serving out this current term through 2022.

Educators in Iowa have been relaying their concerns with opening-day remarks made by Republican Iowa Senate President Jake Chapman, who accused teachers of having a “sinister agenda” regarding books in school libraries, Democratic legislative leaders said Thursday.

Watch live as Maj. Gen. Ben Corell, the Iowa National Guard adjutant general, delivers the annual Condition of the Guard address at the Iowa statehouse at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Clearly, cooler heads were not prevailing as the Legislature returned this week. Republican Senate President Jake Chapman set the tone.

Some statements in the 2022 Condition of the State address drew cheers, while others might have angered listeners. The Gazette Fact Checker checked 10 claims for accuracy.

Iowans placed more than $2 billion in wagers on sporting events in 2021, according to recently published state figures. That number envelopes the $575 million that was bet on sports in 2020.

Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen tells legislators “the court system is 100 percent fully operational, but we are continuing some practices adopted on an emergency basis” to keep proceedings moving “without jeopardizing health or conflicting with their work schedules.”

Watch live as Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen addresses Iowa lawmakers on the Condition of the Judiciary in the Capitol at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

To pass good legislation, your legislators need to hear from you. Despite what the pessimists will tell you, they want to hear from you.

A four-year transition to a flat state income tax rate of 4 percent, shorting the time Iowans could claim jobless benefits and a new plan for devoting public K-12 for private school tuition are among the proposals introduced Tuesday night by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in her charge to state legislators.

The merged department should be able to help people seamlessly receive the maximum services in the most efficient way to give families the tools to be independent, she tells legislators.