Orange City, Iowa — The Iowa Legislature will gavel into session on Monday. Senators and Representatives have been busy collaborating and hearing from their constituents as to the issues that matter to them.
This is the final installment of our series asking the priorities of northwest Iowa’s legislators this legislative session. We talked with Iowa District Four State Representative Skyler Wheeler. He tells us what’s important to him this legislative session.
Wheeler says this is in response to an older couple from Grimes who had a church that they’d rent out for weddings. A homosexual couple approached them and wanted to have their wedding there. The couple turned them down because they said it was against their religious beliefs. They were sued, and settled out of court for $5000 says Wheeler.
So, Wheeler says it’s his opinion that we need to “ramp up the protections in state code.”
Wheeler says the tax code is also a priority of his.
Wheeler says the state has some extra money right now, and the temptation to spend that will be a fight in and of itself.
According to Wheeler, another priority of his is tax equity between banks and credit unions. He also wants to talk about gun rights and the bill calling for a vote on a constitutional amendment to protect the right to keep and bear arms. He says he thinks they should also look at the possibility of “permitless-carry” as well. Workforce housing and workforce training also rate high on his list.
