Supporters of a statewide sales tax for schools have agreed to drop some controversial portions of the bill in hopes of winning approval in the legislature.
The bill takes the one-cent local option sales taxes approved in each of Iowa’s 99 counties and, instead, has the state collect that money and distribute it for school building construction and repair on a per pupil basis. A proposal which would have tacked a one percent sales tax on vehicle sales in Iowa was stripped from the bill. Lawmakers involved in crafting the plan hope that encourages more people to support the bill.
To answer other critics of the measure, backers have agreed to end the statewide sales tax for schools in 2029 and they plan to put specific language in the bill saying lawmakers do not intend for the money to be used for teacher salaries.