Week four has been completed and we are now starting to approach the funnel week deadline. Here are the week four highlights.
The Governor has been working with state legislators and industry leaders for over a year on a plan to increase access to higher-ethanol blends at the pump. In the first debate of the 2022 Legislative Session, the Iowa House passed this bill to support Iowa biofuels with bipartisan support. E-15 fuel is cheaper, cleaner, and made right here in Iowa. We want Iowans to have access to this fuel option at the pump. This bill is a win for Iowa agriculture and Iowa consumers.
We are facing a workforce shortage in our state and nowhere is that truer than in our schools. We hear from school districts across the state that teachers are stretched thin, subs are hard to find, and bus drivers and other support staff can be even more difficult to find. There’s no one solution to this issue, we need to tackle it from multiple angles. Iowa House Republicans have a few ideas. In addition to increasing SSA funding, which will likely be a big topic of next week, House Republicans have introduced legislation to make it easier for Iowans to become teachers and substitute teachers, while maintaining the level of quality Iowa students deserve.
State tax revenue rose significantly in January, as sales tax collections continue to outpace projections and lead the revenue growth. For the month, state revenue rose 53.8 percent when compared to January 2021. For the year, General Fund receipts are up seven percent. That is four percent higher than what the Revenue Estimating Conference had projected at its December meeting. Sales tax revenue for the month was up $71.1 million, or 27.3 percent. For the year, sales and use tax collections are up 14.3 percent, which is well ahead of the 5.2 percent projected by the REC. The state will have one more revenue report before the next meeting of the Revenue Estimating Conference, which will be on March 10. State revenue is growing.
It is an honor to be in Des Moines representing District 95 and the people of Iowa.
I encourage my constituents to contact me using my legislative email ([email protected]) with any comments, questions, or concerns. I look forward to another great week of representing the people of District 95