Forum: Iowa lawmakers talk workforce, taxes, human trafficking

Six Iowa state lawmakers discussed ways to help Iowa’s economy, attract more workers to the state, cut taxes, and efforts to reform Area Education Agencies on Friday, Jan. 19, during a gathering at the Hotel Blackhawk in downtown Davenport. Those topics – and others –  took center stage during the 2024 Legislative Event Series: Iowa […]

Six Iowa state lawmakers discussed ways to help Iowa’s economy, attract more workers to the state, cut taxes, and efforts to reform Area Education Agencies on Friday, Jan. 19, during a gathering at the Hotel Blackhawk in downtown Davenport.

1 of 4

Those topics – and others –  took center stage during the 2024 Legislative Event Series: Iowa Legislative Kickoff Forum presented by the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce. The breakfast meeting, which attracted about 100 business leaders, centered on a question-and-answer session featuring Sen. Cindy Winckler, D-Senate District 49; Rep. Monica Kurth, D-House District 88, Rep. Gary Mohr, R-House District 93; Rep. Mike Vondran, R-House District. 94,; Sen. Chris Cournoyer, R-Senate District 35; and Sen. Scott Webster, R-Senate District 47. Some questions during the event focused on ways to help businesses by providing better and less expensive child care, less expensive housing and addressing perhaps the top business challenge in the state: attracting and keeping a quality workforce. Several lawmakers took on workforce issues stating at least part of the answer could be found in forging public-private partnerships to help train tomorrow’s workforce. Mr. Mohr, for instance, pointed to scholarship and apprenticeship programs that encourage students to pursue in-demand careers and stay in Iowa and find jobs after they graduate. Mr. Vondran added that the solution to getting more workers in Iowa will likely be found through a patchwork of partnerships, not necessarily government actions, working together. “It’s going to be a lot of things working together in tandem,” he said. Other lawmakers encouraged more tax cuts to encourage business growth, training programs and open more jobs in the state. But Ms. Kurth added that tax cuts alone won’t solve Iowa’s workforce problems. She said some of the top ways to attract younger people to the state is to offer the amenities they are looking for. Those include quality of life issues, less expensive child care options and especially less expensive housing. “How can people come here if they can’t afford housing?” she asked. Ms. Cournoyer said she hopes Iowans tell young people about the quality-of-life advantages in the state in an effort to keep them from leaving Iowa for jobs in other places. “Make sure our kids know there are great careers right here in Iowa,” she said. Several members of the audience said they liked what they heard from the lawmakers. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson, for instance, called the event a “positive experience” because it shows that lawmakers are concerned with local issues and willing to listen to comments and concerns from the public. Decker Ploehn, Bettendorf city administrator, also said he was pleased with the event. But he also wants to see lawmakers take on an issue he is concerned with: Iowa’s property tax rollback. Last year, lawmakers passed a bill  to fix an error in a 2021 property tax law that gave local governments more money than it should have. According to the Iowa League of Cities, due to that mistake and the effort to correct it, Iowa cities could see an annual reduction of $39 million while school districts could see a $21.4 million cut in property tax revenues.  Mr. Ploehn said the city of Bettendorf is already seeing the impact of that property tax issue. “They’re here talking about quality of life issues. But they have to give us more money to help cities,” he added. Other topics addressed at the Friday gathering include: 

• Before the Q-and-A session started, former Iowa state Sen. Maggie Tinsman passed out a four-page document to the audience and lawmakers calling on them to allocate $5 million in state funding to help victims of human trafficking. The request was made on behalf of the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery. “It’s time for policy makers to recognize trafficking is happening in our backyard and make a meaningful expenditure to reduce its footprint in Iowa. … Iowa does not currently invest any state funding to support victims of human trafficking. An appropriation of $5 million is needed to make a difference to serve these victims of human trafficking,” part of the document reads. During Friday’s session, Mr. Mohr said he believes the state needs to help trafficking victims, but doesn’t know yet if it can or will allocate $5 million for the issue.
• Lawmakers also discussed Gov. Kim Reynolds’ efforts to reform Area Education Agencies (AEAs). The governor recently said she plans to introduce legislation making changes to Iowa’s system of AEAs, nine regional entities that provide special education services for Iowans with disabilities from birth through age 21. The governor’s proposal would allow school districts to contract with private companies, or hire their own employees to meet the special education and other needs now fulfilled by AEAs. On Friday, Ms. Winckler said she strongly disagrees with the governor on the issue. “The bill needs to go. … It has no value at all” in the state, she added. 
• Ms. Cournoyer added that the governor has made changes to her proposed overhaul of AEAs. She urged Iwans to read about those changes in a recent statement from Gov. Reynolds, which can be found here. 

Part of the governor’s new proposals on AEAs include: “An amendment will propose automatically shifting control of state and federal special education funding from the AEAs to Iowa’s public school districts. It will also allow schools to retain their share of AEA funding for general education services. AEAs will continue to provide all special education services they do now, including Child Find and Early ACCESS for children from birth to three years of age. AEAs will also provide general education services and media services if requested by schools and approved by the Department of Education.” 

• Lawmakers also discussed tax cuts in the state. Gov. Reynolds has proposed speeding up income tax cuts, especially in the face of Iowa’s $1.83 billion budget surplus. Mr. Mohr said he wants to see the tax rates cut, but wants to “be smart about it” and not make cuts that will hurt the state economy in the coming years. Meanwhile, Mr. Webster added that he has a different view on the issue as he sees a budget surplus as meaning Iowans have been overtaxed and cuts need to be made as soon as possible. “I think we’re headed in the right direction. … We are giving money back to people,” he added.

Friday’s 2024 Legislative Event Series event had these sponsors AM General, Arconic, Constellation, The Associated Contractors of the Quad Cities, and Hotel Blackhawk. The Quad Cities Chamber is scheduled to host another legislative forum for the Illinois Quad Cities at 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 26, at Bally’s Quad Cities in Rock Island. The lawmakers scheduled to attend that event include: Sen. Neil Anderson, Dist. 47, R.; Sen. Mike Halpin, Dist. 72, D; Rep. Gregg Johnson, Dist. 72, D.; and Rep. Dan Swanson, Dist. 71. D.