The View From Here

The items I have heard about the most from all of you are tax reform, water quality, Medicaid, and freedom of religion/speech. This second week of the session, my focus was on how to make the 16 budgets I oversee a little smaller because revenue again came in smaller than predicted. A cut of two and a half percent doesn’t sound like much, but it is actually millions of dollars and could jeopardize the timely provision of services that people expect from their government. In my case, that’s money to inspect nursing homes, restaurants, and following up on tax and welfare fraud. I also work with budgets that keep the heat and lights on in all the buildings at the Capitol complex. This is not very glamorous work, but all of these bills have to be paid.
In Governor Reynold’s first Condition of the State, she mentioned a lot of great things Iowa does have going for it. We have a solid economy even with the slower growth stemming from agriculture’s low commodity prices. The tax reform passed in Washington D.C. will be a shot in the arm. We would like to magnify that with state reform. If we can pass meaningful tax relief, we will embolden our middle class and encourage citizens to invest in themselves. Last month, the Wall Street Journal published an article identifying states with the highest top tax rates. Iowa ranked fifth on the list, even ahead of states like New Jersey with a reputation for high taxes. Iowa’s income tax remains a disincentive to work and invest in Iowa. If we allow Iowans to keep more of their own money, we will be rewarding hard work and investment in business. Those two things will cause the economic growth that makes Iowa vibrant and provides opportunities for our children to raise families here. Twenty years from now, I want my children to be proud Iowans, striving to make Iowa a great place for their children and grandchildren.
With so much energy going into trimming our budget and improving the economy, I don’t want to forget the importance of preserving the liberties that make our society so remarkable, able to grow and profit. Our First Amendment rights, the freedom of speech and freedom of religion, are being challenged on many fronts. I have become aware of instances on our college campuses where organizations were prohibited from using campus facilities because their mission statements did not fit school policy. There are several ways to address this that we are pursuing. I am promoting a Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) for Iowa that mirrors what the federal government has. It allows the judiciary to hear all the facts on both sides of a dispute, so it is not discriminatory. The Federal RFRA allowed Hobby Lobby to avoid having to pay for medical insurance that provided services that violated their religious beliefs. I’d like to have the same protections pertain to state and local laws. The freedom of belief is fundamental to the American way of life.  Benjamin Franklin stated this idea well a long time ago. He said, “Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom—and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech.”
I appreciate the opportunity to serve you in the Iowa Senate. I enjoy my time in the district getting to know you and hearing about your concerns. My job now is to take those ideas and implement them in ways that will benefit all Iowans. I look forward to hearing from you. You may contact me at dennis.guth@legis.iowa.gov or call me at (641) 430-0424.