Representatives of Iowa businesses and individuals who might be affected are pushing back against a G-O-P lawmaker’s plan to limit state tax credits. This past year, the State of Iowa awarded 427-MILLION dollars in tax credits. The top tax credits benefit businesses with significant research programs and investors who restore historic properties. One of the other top tax credits is the “Earned Income Tax Credit” for low-income Iowans.  “It does a good job. It’s one of the best policies that you have in the state of Iowa to help those families.”

That’s Mike Owen of the Iowa Policy Project. Lana Shope is executive director of the Iowa Community Action Association. She says the Earned Income Tax Credit is a “real incentive” for low-income Iowans.  “Oftentimes they’re taking that entry-level job, at an entry-level wage, because they don’t have a history of work experience for a variety of reasons,” she says.

Businesses like Monsanto say they might consider relocating their research facilities to other states if Iowa policymakers no longer allow the Research Activities Tax Credit to be “refundable.” Some businesses get a check from the State of Iowa because the size of their research operation gets a tax credit so big, it’s larger than their overall tax bill to the state of Iowa. Nicole Crain of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry says the numbers show the Research Activities Tax Credit is working.

“The companies not only pay their employees good wages, they also give back to those communities and it really is a good benefit for the tax base of the state of Iowa… property taxes, all kinds of investment,” Crain says.

The state awards dozens of other tax credits ranging from a credit to cover adoption expenses to the 100-dollar annual tax credit for Iowa fire fighters and advocates are urging lawmakers to continue those as well. Crain says her business group is urging lawmakers to take a more comprehensive approach. “Talk about what is comprehensive tax reform and what does that look like, not just a conversation about eliminating tax credits,” Crain says.

Some Republican legislators ARE trying to craft proposals that would cut income tax rates for individuals and corporations, but no plan has been unveiled. Governor Branstad said in January the state isn’t in a financial position to cut taxes this year.

(Radio Iowa)

Rescue crews from Casey have been called to the scene of a rollover accident off Interstate 80 in Adair County. The incident happened between the 84 and 85 mile marker eastbound (about 2 miles west of the Greenfield exit), at around 10:50-a.m. The vehicle was said to have rolled into the south ditch. No word of any injuries.

The CAM School District’s Board of Education, Monday, acted on setting April 11^th at 6:30-p.m., as the date and time for Public Hearings on the 2017-18 School Calendar and Budget. The latter is expected to show a tax asking of $10.82 per $1,000 taxable valuation, which is just a penny more than last year’s published rate. The proposed calendar calls for a start date of August 23^rd, the earliest allowed by the State.

In other business, the CAM School Board approved contracts and bonds for the Massena Elementary school addition project. Jensen Builders of Ft. Dodge was the low bidder. And, at a cost of $25,000, the board agreed to add a small, year around-type greenhouse to the Massena building.

The Glenwood Police Department reports 38-year old Joseph Jack, of Glenwood, was arrested this (Tuesday) morning, for Possession of Marijuana and Trespassing. His bond was set at $1,300 cash or surety.

The Griswold School Board, Monday, night, discussed and acted on several matters. Superintendent Dave Henrichs told KJAN News the administration shared with the Board options with regard to a possible change in the athletic conference, taking into account enrollment, distance and what activities each conference sponsors. He said the Board then asked him to include the matter as an agenda item for action next month, with the recommendation of making a switch to the Corner Conference. If approved, it would become effective for the 2018-19 school year.

The District is currently involved in Western Conference activities. The Board also discussed possibly starting a Behavioral Disorder Program. Henrichs said they have several students that attend other facilities that can better meet their needs. In order to keep the students closer to home, the District, if it starts such a program, would obviously need to find a teacher. Henrichs said he received permission from the Board to advertise for the position to see if a teacher is available. The ad will be posted this week.

In other business, the Griswold School Board upped the fees for Driver’s Education from $275 to $300 this summer. The Western Iowa Conference average is $291.50. And, they approved the 2017-18 school calendar and budget, which amounts to a published tax asking of $11.32 per thousand dollars of taxable property valuation, which is eight-cents less than published last year. However he says, at the time last year’s budget was published, the amount of State Supplement Aid the District would receive was unknown, so it wasn’t 100% accurate. The rate was actually $10.92, which means this year is an increase of roughly 32-cents.

And, there weren’t too many changes to the school calendar for next year. Henrichs said they are looking at a week-long Spring Break next year, with the idea of still allowing students and staff to end the year before Memorial Day. He says it’s an “educationally sound” calendar.

Republicans in the Iowa Senate have passed a bill they say will reduce medical malpractice insurance premiums for doctors. Senator Charles Schneider, a Republican from West Des Moines, says malpractice insurance premiums in Iowa are a deterrent to getting doctors to practice here. “When a doctor can go to Nebraska and pay less than half for malpractice insurance than what an Iowa doctor has to practice, are you going to practice in Council Bluffs or Omaha?” Schneider asked during debate. “…When you can pay less in malpractice insurance in South Dakota, are you going to go live in South Dakota can or you going to live in Sioux City?”

Democrats like Senator Nate Boulton of Des Moines say the 250-thousand dollar limit on “non-economic” damages will devastate people who’ve been “seriously injured” by a medical error. “This is about real people’s lives and when we talk about capping damages, we’re talking about the most extreme cases,” Boulton says, “the ones whose lives are ruined, the ones who are losing the ability to function.”

Senator Bill Dotzler, a Democrat from Waterloo, says the bill is a “bail out” for bad doctors who seriously injure patients. “I know who pays for it,” Dotzler says. “They end up on some form of welfare and the people of the state of Iowa and this country pay for it.”

Schneider says Iowa ranks in the bottom ten states when it comes to the number of doctors in certain specialties like psychiatrist, radiology and general surgery — and the state ranks 51st in the number of doctors who’ll deliver babies. “This bill is an effort to improve our malpractice climate by doing some things that a lot of other states around the country have already done and, in some cases, have been doing for decades,” Schneider says.

Schneider says malpractice insurance rates have gone down in states that have placed “caps” or limits on “intangible” damages for things like “mental anguish” and “inconvenience.”

(Radio Iowa)