Upcoming Events

Open Modal

Ag group decries governor’s plan to tie water quality programs to tax hike

Governor Branstad’s plan to change how sales tax money is used, shifting it from education to include water quality projects, is drawing criticism from the president of the Iowa Farmers Union. Jana Linderman says her organization supports new funding for water quality, but it shouldn’t be tied to money that would otherwise benefit schools. Linderman says a better proposal would fund water quality projects from multiple sources.

She’s referring to the Des Moines Water Works suing three northwest Iowa counties — Calhoun, Buena Vista and Sac — blaming them for high nitrate levels in the Raccoon River, a primary water source for the capitol city. Linderman says the state shouldn’t have to choose between funding schools and having clean water.


Under his plan, Branstad says schools would get another ten-million dollars a year, in addition to paying for water quality projects, by extending the one-cent sales tax to the year 2049. It’s now set to expire in 2029.

~Reported by Radio Iowa

Recommended Posts

Loading...