Several speakers at a public hearing made pleas for additions to the tax plan House Republicans have proposed, while others blasted the bill’s central theme of dramatically reducing the personal income tax rate.
J.D. Davis of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry praised elements of the House plan, but made the pitch for adding a corporate tax cut. “We just hope that all categories of businesses are considered in your final product,” Davis said.
Anna Gray of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation urged inclusion of the sales tax maneuver Republicans in the Senate have proposed that would finally put money into the Iowa Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Fund. “As you weigh various tax policies and ideas for making Iowa a competitive state for economic growth and workforce development, we encourage you to consider the trust fund and its potential and include it in your final tax bill,” Gray said.
A lobbyist for the Iowa Bankers Association asked House Republicans to include a tax cut for banks that’s in the Senate GOP tax plan. Raymond Phillips of Norwalk argued for a completely different approach. Phillips said his largest expense is the property tax on his home.
“Decreasing the income taxes to 0% for everyone will only help the rich and provide nothing for the senior citizens and the middle class,” he said.
Anne Discher of Common Good Iowa told lawmakers Iowa’s tax system is “already upside down,” with low and moderate income Iowans paying more in state and local taxes than Iowans at the top of the income ladder do.
“This bill will make Iowa’s already unfair tax system even more unfair,” Discher said.
The hearing ended after 22 minutes when the tenth and final person signed up to speak was done.