Legislators field questions about taxes

The 2020 session of the Iowa Legislature is beginning to bear fruit, and Rep. Tedd Gassman and Sen. Dennis Guth were at the Thompson Library on Feb. 7 to update constituents on what they’re working on and to hear concerns.

Guth says the first bill they’ve passed is a $20 million flood relief bill, which will primarily aid areas along the Missouri River. He says the dollar amount of the bill was chosen to maximize benefits the state is receiving from the federal government.

The House and Senate are pretty close to agreeing on an increase to supplemental state aid for Iowa schools, as the Senate passed a bill for $91.65 million in new funding, while the House passed a bill for $94.7 million. Part of that money will go toward transportation costs, which Guth says is important for rural schools.

Gassman says another education funding issue they’re working on is to equalize funding between districts that voted for an extra local sales tax years ago and those that did not. Districts that had approved the sales tax will get money for property tax relief.

Gassman is the floor manager for a bill to study special education. He says they want to look at mental health problems and whether it’s better for students with problems to be in the classroom or a separate room.

“Every school tells me they’re coming up short on special education funds,” said Gassman. Right now, districts are using property taxes to make up for that shortfall, but Gassman hopes to get that changed so the state or federal government pays what they’re supposed to.

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