• About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Sunday, January 29, 2023
The Iowa Torch
  • Home
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion
The Iowa Torch
The Iowa Torch
No Result
View All Result
Home State Government

Iowa Senate Republicans Set FY 22 Budget Target at Just Shy of $8 Billion

Iowa Senate Republicans' target for total state spending in 2022 is $7.999 Billion, which is a $195 million increase from Fiscal Year 2021.

Shane Vander HartbyShane Vander Hart
March 24, 2021
in State Government
Reading Time: 4 mins read

DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, announced Iowa Senate Republicans’ budget targets for Fiscal Year 2022 on Wednesday. Their target for total spending in 2022 is $7.999 Billion, which is a $195 million increase from Fiscal Year 2021.

RELATED POSTS

Bird joins lawsuit against Biden Administration’s Parole Action

Reynolds signs bill creating education savings accounts

School choice bill advances through legislative committees

Gov. Kim Reynolds’ general fund appropriations request in January for Fiscal Year 2022 is just over $8.1 Billion. 

The amount, Whitver says, represents 94 percent of the state’s existing revenue. He said their budget targets account for eliminating the 2018 budget triggers allowing for the lowering and simplification of Iowa’s income tax rates starting on January 1, 2023, phasing out Iowa’s inheritance tax and property tax relief.

The Iowa Senate unanimously passed a bill, SF 576, last week that eliminated the triggers and would phase out the inheritance tax. An Iowa Senate subcommittee advanced SSB 1253 on Thursday morning to create a mental health and disability services regional supplement fund and eliminate counties’ authority to certify a property tax levy to pay for those services. 

“As I say frequently, as long as I am leader and Republicans are in the majority in the Senate, we will work toward tax relief for working families,” Whitver said during a press call.

“This budget keeps the promises made by our members, to Iowans to reduce taxes on Iowa families, small businesses and farmers by accounting for the removal of the triggers phasing out of the inheritance tax and over $100 million of property tax relief. Iowans can remain confident the promises made by Senate Republicans will be kept in this budget,” he added.

ADVERTISEMENT

Whitver said the property tax bill was one of the most significant bills Senate Republicans could offer. He said getting the property tax levy off of property taxpayers will provide much relief and believes mental health funding from the state is more sustainable. He noted the bill includes automatic growth to meet the needs of mental health patients in the future.

The Iowa Senate Republican budget target includes funding increases over $80 million for education, including a $55.3 million increase in K-12 education. They also targeted a health care funding increase of $98.1 million, including $15 million for provider increases for nursing homes and home and community-based service providers and $60 million for mental health services. Senate Republicans also targeted a $13 million increase for public safety, including a $5 million increase for the Iowa Department of Public Safety and a $4 million increase for the Iowa Department of Corrections.

The budget target does not reflect a broadband expansion. Whitver said Senate Republicans wanted to keep ongoing spending separate from one-time expenses. He said their budget target does not mean there will not be money available for broadband. 

“We just wanted to keep broadband as a separate conversation that we’ll continue to work with the house and work with the governor to make a significant investment in broadband. And so this budget target should in no way reflect that we’re not going to make a significant investment into broadband. It’s just easier for us to layout an apples-to-apples budget and keep the conversation – ongoing revenue versus a one-time investment in broadband,” he said. 

Reynolds called for a $450 million investment from the state with an annual investment of $150 million over three years. 

Whitver said that the increase in their budget target for the Iowa Department of Correction was pre-planned and had nothing to do with the inmate assault on Tuesday at the Anamosa State Penitentiary that left a nurse and corrections officer dead. 

“Our thoughts and prayers certainly go out to them and their families, and the amount of $4 million for correctional officers was an amount that we had planned to increase anyway. We are certainly going to work with Director Skinner to make sure that the funding needs are met for our correctional officers. And so that was an amount that was that was already included. But we are certainly going to work with Director Skinner to see if there are additional needs that need to be met,” he said.

“For four years Republicans have been managing the state budget in the same way Iowans manage the family budget,” State Senator Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Ft. Dodge, the Senate Appropriations Committee Chair, said in a released statement. “This budget provides reliable, sustainable increases in K-12 education, funds significant increases to public safety, including a $4 million increase for correctional officers, and a $60 million increase in mental health funding.”

Last week, the Revenue Estimating Conference met and projected the state’s net revenue to be $8.358 billion, a 3.8 percent increase from what they projected in December. 

Listen to the press conference below:

Tags: 2021 Iowa Legislative Session89th General Assemblyincome taxIowa SenateIowa Senate Appropriations CommitteeJack WhitverKim Reynoldsproperty taxtax reformTim Kraayenbrink
ShareTweetShare
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Ernst Says Congressional Democrats Are Attempting a ‘Power Grab’

Next Post

Reynolds Non-Committal on Bill Allowing Permitless Carrying of Firearms

Shane Vander Hart

Shane Vander Hart

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of The Iowa Torch.

Related Posts

Reynolds signs bill creating education savings accounts
State Government

Reynolds signs bill creating education savings accounts

January 24, 2023
Study: $1,702 Collected in Property Taxes Per Capita in Iowa
Opinion

Hendrickson & Williams: To achieve meaningful property tax relief, right size government 

January 24, 2023
Reynolds Signs Charter School Expansion Bill Into Law
Opinion

Reynolds: An open letter to Iowans about school choice

January 23, 2023
The Iowa House Education Reform Committee debating HSB 1 on January 18, 2023.
State Government

School choice bill advances through legislative committees

January 19, 2023
Iowa National Guard’s top general announces retirement
State Government

Iowa National Guard’s top general announces retirement

January 19, 2023
Holt: Education, Free Speech & Justice for All
Opinion

Holt: It’s time to empower parents through school choice

January 12, 2023
Next Post
Reynolds Non-Committal on Bill Allowing Permitless Carrying of Firearms

Reynolds Non-Committal on Bill Allowing Permitless Carrying of Firearms

Two Inmates Charged With Anamosa State Penitentiary Staff Deaths During Attempted Escape

Two Inmates Charged With Anamosa State Penitentiary Staff Deaths During Attempted Escape

Sign-Up For Our Daily Updates

Get The Iowa Torch right in your inbox!

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

Recommended Articles

Legislation Defining Antisemitism Advances in the Iowa House

Legislation Defining Antisemitism Advances in the Iowa House

January 28, 2022
Iowa’s Bridges Ranked 48th Nationally In New Report

Iowa’s Bridges Ranked 48th Nationally In New Report

November 19, 2021
Indianola Residents Will Have Another Chance to Voice Their Objection to Sales Tax

Indianola Residents Will Have Another Chance to Voice Their Objection to Sales Tax

June 16, 2021

Popular Stories

  • Reynolds signs bill creating education savings accounts

    Reynolds signs bill creating education savings accounts

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Miller-Meeks: Improving American healthcare

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Local Rap Artist’s Non-Profit Receives Grant to Help At-Risk Youth Graduate

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Iowa House Republicans outline priorities with first 13 bills

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Iowa Senate Passes Governor’s School Choice Bill

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

The Iowa Torch

The Iowa Torch​ is a for-profit, news organization that focuses on political news as it relates to Iowans

Categories

  • Education
  • Federal Government
  • Iowa History
  • Local Government
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • State Government
  • Uncategorized
  • Uncategorized

Newsletter

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

© 2022 The Iowa Torch, a publication of 4:15 Communications, LLC.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion

© 2022 The Iowa Torch, a publication of 4:15 Communications, LLC.