(Greenfield) Iowa House District #23 Representative Ray Sorensen says an economic growth bill that started in his committee last year has evolved into Senate File 574.
The Greenfield Republican says this bill contains two essential policy pieces. First, it establishes a significant economic growth attraction (MEGA) program under IEDA. This program uses tax credits and a sales tax refund to incentivize significant projects to come to Iowa to do business. Countries declared our adversaries, like China, cannot participate in this program.
Second, this bill appropriates $300,000 to the Iowa Economic Development Authority for certification costs of certified sites in rural Iowa. This money must be spent on counties with a population of less than 50,000. This money can be used on two certified sites per congressional district each year, up to $30,000 each. We want to make economic development a priority everywhere in this state, not just near the big cities.
Meanwhile, Iowa state lawmakers are facing the second funnel deadline of the legislative session. Bills at the Iowa State Capitol need passage from the Senate or the House and approval from a committee in the other chamber by Friday. One proposal facing the deadline would let 16 and 17-year-olds working in childcare watch kids under five unsupervised in certain situations. Another measure would allow people found guilty of distributing fentanyl that led to the death of another person to face a first-degree murder charge.
