With the start of each new legislative session, we’re filled with anticipation and energy, ready to work hard on behalf of the people of Iowa and fulfill our commitments to them.
We’re also proud of what we’ve accomplished alongside the people of this great state.
Last year, we passed the most significant tax reform package in Iowa’s history, eliminating retirement tax and enacting a flat 3.9% income tax rate, the fourth lowest in the nation. We increased school funding for the twelfth consecutive year under Republican leadership by $159 million. We created the nation’s first Registered Apprenticeship program to recruit, educate, and employ more teachers for our schools. We overhauled our unemployment system, shifting its focus to re-employing Iowans sooner and better supporting businesses’ workforce needs. We protected girls’ sports, bolstered Iowa biofuels, and expanded broadband access to homes, schools, and businesses statewide.
For these reasons and more, Iowa has been recognized as the most fiscally responsible state in the nation, remains the #1 state for opportunity, and is ranked in the top ten states to live in America.
Much effort has gone into making this possible. Not only at the Capitol, but across our state where hard-working, resilient, innovative Iowans have always been ready and willing to do their part.
Iowans are real people living real lives, and they deserve a government that advocates on behalf of them and what’s best for their families, communities, and the state.
Together, we’ve built a strong foundation upon which Iowa will continue to rise. A place where families thrive, businesses grow, and government is responsive to those it serves.
A place where everyone has the freedom to flourish.
Governor Reynolds proposes: