March 19, 2021
~by State Senator Jesse Green
Greetings friends and neighbors! The snow is basically gone and spring is here. I hope everyone is enjoying the change in seasons.
I had an interesting experience this past weekend. I attend the Hamilton County Fairgrounds fundraiser, which marks exactly one year since the state was shut down and also when our Senate campaign officially started. Last year when I attended, there was a sense of nervousness in the crowd. Many knew that life would be looking different, but no one knew exactly what life would look like. Fast forward one year at the same event, and this time people were anticipating a fresh new start and the reality that life would probably be looking more normal now. It was great to catch up with my Hamilton County friends. The board had a very successful night and we all had so much fun.
During debate this week, I was sitting back while we were debating thinking about my political experience so far. One thing I have gathered this past year from voters is that there is a widespread mistrust in government. I have continually thought about the question, “What can those in government do to regain trust?” Just like in any relationship when trust is broken, there must be a change in behavior, and there must be better communication. So far this session I hope that everyone sees that we are doing everything we can to protect your rights and that this is being communicated to you. I hope that the efforts the legislature has made in Iowa helps people have a greater sense of trust in their state government. We have passed legislation that helps protect life, your right to bear arms, your pocketbooks, your vote, and now this week the big item in particular was the effort to protect your right to free speech.
This week, the Senate debated what has been known as the ‘Big Tech Censorship’ bill, Senate File 580.
This bill requires social networking websites like Twitter or Facebook to respect the free speech rights of Iowans, protected by both the United States and Iowa Constitutions, and not censor their constitutionally protected speech. If they don’t respect these fundamental rights of Iowans, they will lose their tax incentives, paid for by the very people they are censoring.
Technology and social media dominate much of our lives these days, and big tech companies determine what information is available to Iowans online. Not only do they determine what kind of content users see, but they also determine the priority of the information users see. The censorship of certain viewpoints has been a growing concern in America, but it has dramatically increased in frequency and scope over the last year. Senate Republicans can no longer wait for Congress to fix the problem they have created through section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and must act now to protect the fundamental free speech rights of Iowans.
Billions of people head to Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms to voice their thoughts, opinions, and ideas. When those get censored by these big tech companies, we start losing one of our most important and vital freedoms given to us by the United States Constitution – the freedom of speech. Social media is the public square of the 21st century, and social media users have the right to voice their thoughts and opinions, even if the CEOs of Silicon Valley disagree with those thoughts and opinions.
Additionally, Senate File 580 prevents taxpayer money from going to companies that remove an Iowan’s ability to download other social networking sites, purchase protected publications and material on a massive online marketplace, or allow Iowans to opt-out of post-promoting or shadow-banning algorithms. This bill does not prohibit these companies from operating in Iowa, it simply says, if they choose to censor Iowans, they will not receive the generous subsidies and tax credits currently offered to them.
Because this issue is so important, 30 Senate Republicans sponsored SF 580. During the debate, it became clear that Republicans are the only members in the Senate standing up to protecting these inalienable rights of Iowans. After passing in the Senate, SF 580 now goes to the House for their consideration.
As always, please feel free to contact me with comments or questions about the issues important to you or the legislation we are talking about here at the Capitol.
Keeping the promise to cut taxes – Senate Republicans have consistently set the goal of removing barriers to work, helping Iowans keep more of what they earn, and improving career opportunities for the last five years. SF 576 continues that effort by phasing out the inheritance tax and eliminating revenue triggers holding back the implementation of the next round of tax cuts passed in 2018.
Iowa has some of the highest top tax rates in the country. Those tax rates are even worse because they are effective at a much lower income level than most states. SF 576 eliminates language in the largest tax cut in Iowa history, passed in 2018, to reduce and simplify Iowa income taxes contingent on a certain level of revenue received by the state and replaces it with a set date of January 1, 2023. It is time to implement tax relief for working Iowans and small businesses. Most small business pay the individual tax rate and are responsible for the creation of most new jobs in Iowa. Lower rates and the certainty of the effective date of those rates provides job creators an incentive to grow and create more opportunities for Iowans.
SF 576 also phases out the inheritance tax over a three-year period. The inheritance tax was eliminated years ago in Iowa on estates being passed from lineally, for example parent to child. However, the tax remained for other inheritance such as uncle to niece. Iowa is only one of six states to still have an inheritance tax. After a lifetime of paying tax on nearly every single transaction and activity in life, it’s finally time to say enough of government taxing Iowans beyond the grave.
Some discussion in the Senate centered around a portion of the recently passed American Recovery Plan prohibiting states from cutting taxes between 2021 and 2024. This language appears to be unconstitutional on its face and should be offensive to any state lawmaker. The unrestrained hubris of our federal overlords apparently knows no limit. Senate Republicans will continue to advocate for lower taxes in Iowa and I believe it’s extraordinarily inappropriate for Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Joe Biden to dictate state fiscal policy to Iowans. This bill is a priority for me as we work to get Iowa’s tax rate lower and I was happy to see it pass unanimously on Wednesday.
