Por Cody Smith, ex miembro del personal
Llevando la Iowa rural a Des Moines
Four months and seven days. That’s how long the 2021 Iowa legislative session lasted. Lawmakers completed their business and adjourned Wednesday night just before midnight. While this session was unlike any other and many challenges faced by rural Iowans remain unaddressed, we are proud of the work we have done together to achieve more investments in the rural communities where we work, live, and call home. From all of us at the Center for Rural Affairs—thank you for your commitment to rural Iowa.
This session you all delivered a combined 165 emails to state lawmakers in support of solar energy, small meat processors, and water quality. In addition, you helped bring forth more than 20 messages of support from small meat lockers, farmers, and landowners in favor of Archivo de la casa (HF) 857. Meanwhile, more than a dozen solar customers and advocates met with their legislators or called them directly to advocate for HF 221 to fix the Iowa Solar Tax Credit.
At the same time, with your help, we hosted a virtual Rural Resiliency Forum with three dozen attendees and organized a press conference that featured seven state lawmakers, two small meat processors, and two farmers in support of our priorities. In all, the Center has connected you all with 38 lawmakers over the last two years to advocate for changes that improve our quality of life in rural Iowa.
While this work continues and we remain committed to achieving progress next year, we’re proud to celebrate some significant wins..
This year the Center registered on 44 bills —we supported 23, opposed three, and monitored 18 others. Of the bills we supported, we’re proud to say that all but three passed in one form or another. Of the bills we opposed, not one gained final approval. Among the wins you helped secure were an investment of $100 million in rural broadband expansion, $750,000 in support for small meat processors, granting more tools to county officials to address flooding concerns, and expanding options for livestock producers to reduce their environmental footprint. Perhaps most exciting of all is that with your help we were able to draft, introduce, and pass an original Center amendment to target new state resources to small meat processors that employ less than 50 employees.
Again, we thank you for your commitment to rural Iowa.
Desarrollo económico rural
Rural economies play a crucial role in Iowa’s economic growth and expansion. Thanks to your support and partnership, we have worked with lawmakers to help secure historic investments in the future of rural Iowa.
Archivo de la casa (HF) 857-Para:Una ley que establece un Fondo y un Programa de Innovación y Revitalización de la Carnicería que será administrado por la Autoridad de Desarrollo Económico de Iowa y crea un grupo de trabajo para explorar la viabilidad de establecer un programa de carnicería artesanal en un colegio comunitario.
This bill, introduced by Rep. Chad Ingels, would give assistance to new and existing small meat lockers in the form of grants, low-interest loans, and forgivable loans to help them grow. The bill is designed to complement the Meat Processing Expansion and Development Program that ended in 2020. We helped achieve an amendment that targeted eligibility to meat lockers that employ less than 50 employees.
ACTUALIZACIÓN: This bill first passed the Iowa House on April 13 with a vote of 91-0 and again on May 19 with a vote of 88-0. The bill cleared the Senate 48-0 on May 19. Of the 2 subcommittee votes, three committee votes, and three floor votes, there was not a single vote against this bill, indicating its strong bipartisan support. The final budget for this program is $750,000 in total funding. We will continue our efforts to secure more funding from all available sources, including federal COVID relief dollars.
Energías renovables
Unfortunately, the changes we sought to the Iowa Solar Tax Credit in House File 221 never made it out of the House Ways & Means Committee. For the more than 1,900 customers who are on the tax credit waitlist, the clock has run out and they will not get the credit they were promised. However, the last minute passage of HF 522 has given Iowa’s livestock producers another option to comply with air and water regulations and reduce their environmental footprint.
HF 221: para: Ley relativa al crédito fiscal para sistemas de energía solar aplicable al impuesto sobre la renta de personas físicas y jurídicas, al impuesto de franquicia y al impuesto sobre dinero y créditos, e incluye disposiciones sobre la fecha de entrada en vigor y la retroactividad. Presentado por el representante Jarad Klein, este proyecto de ley ayudaría a los agricultores, las pequeñas empresas y los propietarios de viviendas de las zonas rurales de Iowa a generar un retorno de la inversión a largo plazo al adquirir energía solar. El proyecto de ley:
- Duplicar el límite impuesto por el estado al Crédito Fiscal Solar de Iowa de $5 millones a $10 millones a partir de 2021 para promover el crecimiento a largo plazo de la industria solar de nuestro estado.
- Asignar $7 millones adicionales en 2021 para pagar los atrasos de años de agricultores, pequeñas empresas y propietarios de viviendas que ya han comprado sistemas de energía solar y han estado esperando recibir su crédito.
- Reforzar el liderazgo de Iowa en energía limpia desvinculando el Crédito Fiscal Solar de Iowa del Crédito Fiscal a la Inversión (ITC) federal y estableciendo el crédito estatal en el 15 % del costo total del proyecto. Actualmente, el crédito está diseñado para representar el 50 % del ITC federal, lo que deja el futuro de la energía limpia de Iowa a merced de un gobierno federal impredecible.
- Establezca el 30 de diciembre de 2030 como fecha de vencimiento para el Crédito Fiscal Solar de Iowa.
Aprenda más:
Cedar Rapids Gazette: Iowa’s Rural Future is Brighter with Solar
La legislación podría iluminar el futuro de la energía limpia en Iowa
Consulte este recurso de nuestros socios del Consejo Ambiental de Iowa
Lea nuestros comentarios oficiales aquí
HF 522-Para: An act providing that a qualified confinement feeding operation may utilize an anaerobic digester system to treat manure, and making penalties applicable.
This bill empowers Iowa’s livestock producers to utilize anaerobic digesters to treat manure and comply with air and water regulations. “Anaerobic digester system” means a manure storage structure that is covered, if the primary function of the manure storage structure is to process manure by employing environmental conditions including bacteria to break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen, and is used for producing, collecting, and utilizing a biogas.
ACTUALIZACIÓN: This bill passed the Iowa House on Feb. 23 with a vote of 75-18 and passed the Iowa Senate on May 17 with a vote of 38-7.
Calidad del agua
Iowa’s water quality continues to be a key challenge for the Legislature. Unfortunately, not much has moved in regard to this issue during the 2021 legislative session. With the exception of the bill below and the funding provided through the agriculture and natural resources appropriations bill, lawmakers chose not to address this issue during the legislative session. We remain committed to working to advance evidence-based, bipartisan solutions to water resources management in the interim.
HF 523-Para: Este proyecto de ley modifica el código estatal para definir las actividades de mitigación de inundaciones del condado como un "propósito esencial del condado", lo que permitiría a las juntas de supervisores del condado contraer deuda y aprobar bonos, como se permite para otros propósitos esenciales del condado.
ACTUALIZACIÓN: After passing the House with a vote of 93-0, HF 523 passed the Iowa Senate unanimously on April 28. Gov. Reynolds signed this bill into law on May 10.
