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HOUSE REPUBLICAN PLAN WOULD END SOCIAL SECURITY TAX,
BOOST TEACHER PAY 9 SLOTS
Attention-grabbing headlines
unfortunately dominate news coverage each legislative session.
It has been
that way ever since I arrived here, and this year is no exception.
Take for
instance TouchPlay. Day in and day out, all we would hear on the radio and read
in the newspapers was about these slot-like machines that controlled the time
and attention of a few legislators and of the entire news media. Once the
Legislature banned them, little coverage has since occurred.
More
recently, it has been the salaries scandal at CIETC, where executives were paid
grossly inflated salaries on the taxpayers’ dime, with a handful of legislators
and the FBI currently investigating the situation.
While these
issues grab most of the headlines, it is the real work the legislators have done
that goes largely unnoticed. That’s unfortunate, because this year’s Legislature
has done more for the future of Iowa than a TouchPlay dispute or salary scandal
ever could.
The first
of these is ethanol. In a bi-partisan manner, with the interests of Iowans at
heart, legislators passed the most comprehensive renewable fuels package in the
history of this state. This legislation will put Iowa at the forefront of a
raging debate that asks how we decrease our reliance on foreign fuels. Iowa will
have the answer.
We also
eliminated taxes on Social Security, and significantly cut income taxes for all
seniors 65 and older. This legislation will allow our greatest resource –
seniors – to remain with us in the state. Seniors are role models, and I for one
am proud to offer them tax relief and give them further independence.
Our
education reform package has the most highest of aims: to allow our children to
compete in a global economy. We began with the student’s best interest in mind,
passing a series of measures that better challenges our students and offers more
accountability to the taxpayer. Funding is at an all-time high, and the
Legislature is ensuring that all parties involved see significant results.
Our most
recent teacher salary proposal will boost Iowa ahead of nine other states in pay
for our educators, from 41st to 32nd.
These
issues are the tip of the iceberg. We again offered a balanced budget. We made
health care more affordable and accessible. We continued to chip away at the
burdensome regulations that suffocate business expansion. We passed a series of
measures to snuff out crime and punish our criminals to the highest extent.
Our
proposals may not have grabbed all the headlines this session, but if the
legislative session was all about headlines, nothing would ever get done.
This year’s
session was instead about results. It was about our future.
IOWANS WIN WITH
REPUBLICAN BUDGET PLAN
In addition
to the tax cuts and more pay for teachers, the GOP’s budget offers a number of
big wins for all Iowans. Here is a rundown:
- Lives within the revenue
we are allowed to spend by the December REC estimate
- Completely eliminates the
Social Security tax
- Maintains the 3 percent
provider increase approved by the House
- Maintains the new
Technology Fund
- Fills the Cash Reserve
Fund to 7.5 percent
- Repays over $50 million to
the Senior Living Trust Fund
- Creates opportunity
scholarships for private and religious school students
- Doubles the number of
charter schools in Iowa
- Deposits $5 million in the
Veterans Trust Fund
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STATE INCOME TAX FILING DEADLINE IS NEAR
Under current law, Iowa Individual Income Tax returns are due April
30th each year, however this year, since April 30th falls on a
Sunday, returns are due Monday, May 1st.
In early March, the Iowa Department of Revenue reported it had
received almost half of the 1.4 million returns the department
expects.
The department is encouraging taxpayers to e-file tax returns for a
faster refund time.
Everyone with adjusted gross income of less than $50,000 qualifies
to file through Free File Alliance.
Those who do not qualify to file through Free File Alliance will
find links to online companies that charge a fee. Additionally, tax
professionals statewide provide electronic filing services.
JOB-TRAINING
SCANDAL CONTINUES TO GROW
John Bargman, former Chief Operation Officer (COO) of the Central
Iowa Employment and Training Consortium (CIETC) was back again to
answer questions for the joint Government Oversight Committee on
Wednesday, April 19. After being drilled for some time about the
frequency and amount of his bonuses listed in the auditors report,
Bargman openly admitted that receiving the bonuses and salary seemed
“greedy”. He still remained defiant that he worked hard for the
money he did earn, but stated that he did not authorize the bonuses
himself. Bargman ultimately “passed the buck” and stated he was
merely doing what he was told by Ramona Cunningham, former Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of CIETC. He said that Cunningham came to
him with a number for the bonuses and he was just required to plug
it into the budget and “make it work”. At no point in time did he
question the amount or frequency of the bonuses that were being
requested by Cunningham for either Cunningham, himself or former
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Karen Tesdall.
Bargman also provided a copy of his employment agreement, drawn up
by using a “template” he found on the Internet, that he signed when
becoming COO of CIETC. He testified that he drafted the agreement
and brought it to Cunningham and former CIETC board chair Archie
Brooks for revision and approval. Cunningham also used this version
for her own employment contract. Bargman asserted that there were
few if any changes made to the draft of the contract that he gave to
Cunningham and Bargman and, in essence, he ended up drafting his own
employment contract. This contract provided for a loophole in
bonuses. The contract articulates that supplemental bonuses could be
given in addition to the 15% quarterly increase that is offered to
all CIETC employees. Bargman again asserted that all employees of
CIETC, at one point or another, received some type of bonus.
Bargman was scheduled to appear in front of the committee again on
Wednesday April 25, but the committee was unable to hold the meeting
due to the House being in session. He will be rescheduled for
another time in the following weeks. Thursday’s joint Government
Oversight Committee meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. with IWD
administrative assistant Laurie Reick slated to appear, but is
tentative, based on whether or not the House is able to adjourn.
Ways & Means
Update
Bills introduced in committee this week:
Bills passed out of committee
this week:
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