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Senate
Democrats Legislative Report
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Senate takes another step to provide property
tax relief to Iowans
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Community colleges are key to Iowa’s future workforce
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Presentation highlights Iowa’s place as leader in
bio-economy
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Successful Families Caucus sets bipartisan priorities
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College savers to get bigger tax break in 2008
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Free e-filing available to Iowa taxpayers
The first bill approved
this session by the Iowa Senate will provide additional property tax relief
to Iowans.
Legislation, which
was approved unanimously, will immediately provide additional funds for the
Mental Health and Disabilities (MHDS) risk pool. This means direct relief to Iowa property owners
because mental health services are largely funded by property taxes.
The funding comes
from the sale of a utility plant near Palo,
Iowa, to an out-of state
company.
In the current fiscal
year, an additional $627,000 will be deposited into the risk pool for a total
balance of $1,187,000. In the next fiscal year, this legislation will provide
$1.2 million annually to the risk pool.
Counties have until
February 25, 2008, to apply for funds.
One of my top goals as a Senator is ensuring that our
community colleges continue to provide an affordable, high-quality education
to tens of thousands of Iowans each year.
That’s because community colleges have proven themselves
to be an excellent pathway to a better life for so many Iowans. Community colleges are the key to building
the high-skill workforce needed to attract high-wage jobs and grow our
economy here in Iowa.
For a decade beginning in the mid-1990s, the Legislature
failed to adequately support our community colleges. This resulted in tuition
increases that made Iowa’s
community college tuition rates the highest in the nation.
Over the past few years, the Legislature found the
bipartisan support necessary to significantly increase state support for
community colleges. In fact, the
length of the 2005 session was extended by three weeks because pro-education
legislators refused to adjourn until the issue of community college support
was settled in favor of Iowa
students.
Last year, we voted to make sure that community colleges
got a $12.9 million increase in funding and an additional $2 million
dedicated to community college faculty salaries. I am confident that community colleges will
be in great shape when the Legislature’s budget is passed this year.
Iowa’s
quality of life, high-skilled workers and agricultural economy are just a few
of the reasons that our state is a leader in the new bio-economy.
That’s the message officials with Pioneer-DuPont
delivered to the State Senate’s Agriculture, Economic Growth, and Natural
Resources & Environment committees Tuesday.
The good news is that there is bipartisan support for Iowa to continue to
provide leadership to keep pace with other states and nations around the
world as the industry grows.
Iowa
maintains its place at the forefront of the bio-economy because our farmers
have made us a world leader in corn and soybean production, and our livestock
production levels are near the top in the nation. The access that Pioneer and other companies
have to agricultural goods in Iowa
makes our state a natural location for businesses looking to become players
in the bio-economy.
However, as representatives from Pioneer are quick to
point out, agriculture alone is not what has put Iowa in the position we’ve achieved. Our quality K12 schools, colleges and
universities give us the well-educated, high-skilled workers these companies
need.
Iowa’s
quality of life is also an advantage to companies looking to recruit workers
from around the world. Iowa is seen as a
desirable place to live, work and raise a family.
The bio-economy holds great promise for the future of
our state. It brings jobs to our
communities, makes us less dependent on foreign sources of fuel, and gives us
environmentally friendly alternatives to petroleum-based chemicals used in
many everyday products.
We must continue to ensure Iowa’s place as a world leader in the
bio-economy with ongoing investment in our students and schools, in our
quality of life, and in growing our economy.
A bipartisan group of legislators took a major step in
2007 with the formation of the Successful Families Caucus. This coalition is now actively working to
alleviate poverty in Iowa through good state
policies that help Iowa
families and communities become more economically successful.
The Successful Families Caucus is broadening the approach
to helping Iowa
families beyond the traditional emphasis on social services. They are looking, instead, at all factors
that ensure family success, such as education, transportation, criminal
justice, workforce and employment, veterans' affairs, and economic
development.
The Successful Families Caucus is made up of Democrats and
Republicans from both the House and the Senate. These legislators come from a variety of
backgrounds and diverse perspectives, yet membership in the caucus is
growing. What’s bringing these law
makers together is the belief that when families are successful, communities
are successful.
Current priorities include providing quality health care
for all children, teaching financial literacy in our schools, improving
consumer protections, expanding collaborations that help Iowans find and keep
good jobs, and raising the Earned Income Tax Credit.
For more information about Iowa’s Successful Families Caucus, read
“Uniting lawmakers to help families succeed” in the August issue of Stateline Midwest at www.csgmidwest.org/MemberServices/Publications/SLMW/2007/0807/august07.pdf
Education is the key that opens the door to a world of
opportunity for our children, making their dreams for the future a reality.
While the value of higher education is priceless, the cost of it can be
overwhelming. For this reason, families who begin saving early are
better prepared to meet the future educational needs of their children.
College Savings Iowa is designed to give families a
tax-advantaged way to save money for college. The combination of
quality investments, convenient services, low costs and multiple tax
benefits, makes College Savings Iowa a good tool for those who are preparing
for their children’s future, and it’s getting even
better in 2008.
Each individual who participates in College Savings Iowa
can now deduct the first $2,685 they contribute to each account. For
example, a married couple with two children can deduct up to $10,740 in
contributions on their 2008 state taxes.
For more information, visit www.collegesavingsiowa.com or call
the State Treasurer’s office at 888-672-9116.
Hundreds of thousands of Iowa taxpayers qualify to electronically
file their federal and Iowa income tax returns free through the Iowa
Department of Revenue Web site at www.state.ia.us/tax.
One qualification of “Free File” is a combined adjusted
gross income of $30,000 or less. That means more than 650,000 Iowa taxpayers qualify
to eFile their taxes for free.
You also qualify for Free File if during 2007 you:
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Were age 25 or younger or
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Were age 65 or older or
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Served active duty military or
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Could claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or
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Had an income of less than $54,000 and are
under the age of 50
Those who do not qualify for Free File can eFile both their federal and state returns for as little
as $9. As an added benefit, eFilers get their refunds in just a few days and can have
their money deposited directly into their bank accounts.
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