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Your Capitol Voice: Fuel tax, funeral protests and a budget
by Bobby Kaufmann, State Representative · Op-Ed · March 05, 2015
As we approach the funnel deadline, my workweek is varied and fast-paced. Sometimes I even have to remind myself what day of the week it is.
I am continuing my aggressive Listening Post schedule, and last week I was in the western edge of my District - Coralville, Iowa City, and Lake Macbride. My gathering on Lake Macbride took place at a beautiful setting. This pristine lake is a real jewel in Iowa, and I am so proud to have it in my District.
I look forward to working with the residents, the University, state and local officials, sportsmen and women, and environmental groups to preserve this natural resource.
I have had several questions lately, and some confusion, about who I represent and what the boundaries of my District are. I represent the 73rd House District. This includes all of Cedar County, the city of Wilton in Muscatine County, and eastern Johnson County from the Linn County line to all of Scott Township in the south. The western portion of my District extends to the Iowa City limit. This Johnson County area includes Solon and Morse, along with Lake Macbride and the beautiful Newport Township.
I am dedicated to preserving these beautiful areas, as well as the varied historical and natural sites in Cedar and Muscatine, including the Wilton Depot, the Cedar Valley Park, the Cedar County Historical Society Larkin farm, Rochester Cemetery (where I have over 70 of my relatives buried) and so much more. Since these places are all locally administered and funded (a combination of private and public), I can best help them by helping my local governments through programs like REAP, Historic Tax Credits, and by making sure we fulfill our promises to local governments to backfill for the property tax rollback. I am blessed to represent this District.
I also take a strong interest in communities like Muscatine, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities, where thousands of my constituents work. The resources in these communities, such as the University of Iowa, the Mississippi River, Muscatine Community College, Kirkwood Community College, many major employers, and much more, are all a part of what makes my District exciting. We have the advantages of a rural setting combined with the advantages of proximity to urban areas.
I have enjoyed the wide array of topics discussed in my Listening Posts, and in your visits to the Capitol. In addition, the emails continue to flow by the hundreds. Topics that have been of special interest lately include school funding, performance funding for the University of Iowa, school start date, fuel tax, senior dining and food resources, balancing the budget, Medicaid funding, and legalization of fireworks and medical marijuana. It is indeed a wide and varying list of topics. I assure you that my opinion and votes extend DIRECTLY from my conversations and feedback from you. The latest topic will be the targeted income tax cut…not only how to pay for it, but how to target the tax cut to middle income Iowans and best utilize it for a favorable economic climate. Our caucus has always maintained that the fuel tax issue and an accompanying tax cut should be discussed in the same session. I look forward to that discussion and to seeing if there is common ground between the two. I also look forward to seeing whether the next Revenue Estimating numbers impact the details.
Finally, I want to provide you with an update on some bills that are gaining momentum this week that many of you have expressed interest in. On Tuesday, I am a part of a subcommittee that aims to curb protests at military funerals, and at funerals in general. I firmly believe the families of the fallen have a First Amendment right to peaceful assembly at a funeral. The language we are using is mirrored, in part, off of Missouri language that was recently ruled constitutional in a federal court. Finally, for those of you who strongly value the Second Amendment, we are working on a firearms omnibus bill to advance your second amendment rights. This has been getting interest across party lines.
Listening Post schedule for March 7: 9 a.m. Muscatine Community College
Capitol visitors: Becky Allgood, Lori Brown, Wilton; Sam Miller, Solon; Ryan Steen, Cedar Rapids.
You may contact Rep. Kaufmann at bobby.kaufmann@legis.iowa.gov, 515-281-3221 or 1527 330th St. Wilton, IA, 52778
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