Statewide Iowa (Radio Iowa) — The statehouse showdown among Republicans over competing tax plans entered a new phase Thursday afternoon.
As a House committee debated a plan with the top-line promise of cutting individual state income tax rates by nearly nine percent, Republicans in the Senate promised to cut those rates by eight percent next year — and eventually cut corporate income taxes, too.
Senator Randy Feenstra, a Hull Republican, was the principle architect of the BILLION dollar tax cut proposal that cleared the Senate in February.
Feenstra says the Senate Ways and Means Committee he leads will vote on this new plan next week. Representative Guy Vander Linden, a Republican from Oskaloosa, leads a similar committee in the Iowa House. Republicans on the panel approved a 300-million dollar tax-cutting plan Thursday afternoon.
Senator Feenstra calls the new Senate GOP plan “bold AND prudent.”
Vander Linden, a retired Marine Corps Brigadiere General, was the commander of the unit that flew Marine One during Ronald Reagan’s presidency. He referred to that background as he spoke with reporters yesterday.
Vander Linden says Republicans in the House are aiming for “responsible” tax cuts.
Representative Dave Jacoby, a Democrat from Coralville, says none of the ideas Republicans have floated are reasonable.
Jacoby used some coarse language to suggest the tug-of-war among Republicans won’t be resolved quickly. Vander Linden, the Republican chairman of the HOUSE Ways and Means Committee, says it’ll be “at least next week” before a final resolution.
Senator Feenstra is offering similar sentiments.
The daily expense money legislators get runs out next Tuesday.
