It’s unlikely legislators will “re-distribute the wealth” some counties are getting from local option sales taxes for school improvements. Several lawmakers have offered proposals, such as one which would distribute the sales tax proceeds to contiguous counties around a big urban area. Representative Steve Richardson, is a teacher from Indianola — which is in Warren County, just south of Des Moines and Polk County, where the sales tax goes up a penny in July.House Republican Leader Christopher Rants says schools in sparsely-populated rural areas have needs, but there’s no agreed-upon solution yet.Rants is from Sioux City, where a local option sales tax is raising money for improvements in Woodbury County schools.
