State Representative Chad Behn visits about the recently completed legislative session. He reviews legislation he supported and was pleased to see it passed and he also talked about legislation that didn’t pass. Overall he felt good about what the House and Senate were able to achieve.
Transcript
On our program today, we're going to take some time and visit with the state representative Chad Bain the legislative session is done He's had a whole week to rest up Chad thanks for joining us today Yep, I appreciate you having me on it's funny you play that game towards the end of session And I know you know this but we were bouncing back and forth in between farming and I get down at 67 o'clock at night down there on a day and head right for the trackers It was kind of fun Kind of shit They actually think it helped me a lot you sometimes you get too close to things and and I think it actually helped me a lot to kind of Reframing some of the stuff that was going on there at the end is It's a good good spring good session and I'm excited Well, I tell you what let's talk a little bit about it Of course when we started we kind of had some ideas things that were going to be done obviously the big one at the end finally got wrapped up and It took a while to come to some agreement between the house in the Senate and the governor on on property tax reform So I know you had some reservations about you know Do we put too many limits on because you came out of being a supervisor and saw the kind of impact that could have Yeah, it would go with journey on property taxes has been really interesting because I would say that the final rendition of the property tax bill was probably 70 to 75 percent of the house's version and and then now the rest of the Senate And so there was a compromise there at the end as you say and it was interesting because that local control supervisor I did not like the hard cap And I want local elections to matter and so as we came down the finish line There were three or four provisions that it's not that I've written about it for that bill But I really was nervous about and so as we compromised with the Senate There were two or three of those things that I actually liked better of the Senate version and so But it was kind of fortuitous that it worked out the way it did because if some of those came over I didn't really Want to compromise as much as some of the other people that wanted a hard cap So it worked out well in the end. I think it's I think it's a nice blend to be honest And it's a tax reform that we haven't had in a long time 718 I don't remember when it was passed, but it was it was minor. This was a major deal I think it'll reframe the way people approach property taxes understand property taxes. So As that came together at the end I was super happy and it was one of those deals last session Towards the end of a few of the things that I wanted to get done Unraveled I went home a little disappointed and so as we set out we had four or five categories career criminals Yeah property tax You know these different things that we set out for we had a vision for the session We categorically we got a lot done in each one and so I felt a lot better again I was gonna say on the property tax I know that a lot of the people right now are saying well We need to see what it's gonna do in the long run and stuff like that and that's the big thing It doesn't start right away The everybody's gonna have time to build into it and kind of see what kind of impact it's gonna have Yeah, that's 2% hard cap if you look at it with inflationary measures and different things He we are I am sympathetic to the tax authorities and how that's gonna come to what? As you look at that you say in your own household budget We know inflation has happened and we know we've all had to cut back and so that's what I expect Taxing authorities to do too. I don't expect them just to say hey This one up this one up this one up and it doesn't matter. We're just gonna pass that on to the taxpayer So as we've done in our own household We've we've found places to either be more efficient cut do whatever you got to do to make it work So that 2% hard cap That was coming down the pike was gonna be relatively restrictive For some taxing authorities, it wasn't gonna hit them all some of them had kept under that and have done a good job But there are also a number of them that averaged six eight ten percent and and those were kind of the bad apples. We were chasing And so it was a hard blend to try and hit it was a fine line To hit in between those two things where you've got some people being responsible and some people that I I feel were not And so to try and get those things together it was a tough and I think this bill hit a lot It it's far from perfect, but I think it hit a lot And I think it's gonna reframe the discussion and it's gonna base it off of the asking rather than the levy levy rate you and I visited on that before but You've got the assess value terms of multiplier than the final asking And that's what focus entirely to shine the light right on the asking and I think that's gonna reframe the way people Understand and look at property taxes Well, that just one of many things obviously that was a big goal for many going into the session. So we got that One of the so with the others to let you you talked a little bit about some of the priorities that the caucus had going in again the Criminal offenses the you know, I know you you talked about that in the beginning to that Those are some of the issues that it was just surprising that how sentencing They would be sentenced but all of a sudden they're back out and and things like that So making that a little putting a little more a few more teeth in that I guess Yeah, no, I was super happy some people it's funny because the virgins come out and then We've got these things and the virgins come out and they complain about the virgins and I know that's just part of the process But when you look at this we came out with a three strikes Bill that was just that same repeat and it allowed judges I think To to approach it a little bit different way when it comes to these career criminals And that was a big thing that we set out to do you and I talked about that earlier and and and I really really wanted that So to get that three strikes bill it's I don't believe it's been signed by the governor So I don't want to I want to get too excited But House and Senate it's sent off to her and it does exactly what it basically says Is it are those people that just can't get that you can't get out of just that repeat offense and allows Judges to have the authority to put them away For longer and it lays out the sentencing What one strike means and what half strike means and all that stuff I went for for everyone with that but it it it's protect it I mean it does so many things when it comes to that and just gives teeth into the justice system for those people that just Absolutely ignore what's going on. I know that there were a lot of other things the governor had wanted one of those was again had to do with What's available through snap programs or the different programs like that wick and What can we use things for healthy again? Make Iowa healthy is I think the theme that she was using so we did get that through both the House and the Senate Yeah, the building Healthier Iowa that that categorically that was one of the categories With the clean water we hit that yeah, it was a big deal pediatric cancer rate on mitigation Rural health transformation plan There was a ton of those and that's now some of that snap stuff that becomes down federally some of those programs In our opinion that we're being abused it there It's supposed to work that you're supposed to go in and get nutrition and it's supposed to feed you and if people were using it for Pop and and other things and I don't disregard and I don't I know that if I was checking through a line And I'm using snap and all of a sudden I came to something that was deemed unhealthy for me Or didn't have enough nutritional value That would be embarrassing and wrong and you have to think through those things as you come up with these bills You don't want that but at the same time you want to provide Testaments nutritional value for the people and the children in those homes that use those programs And there is quite a bit of abuse going on and so to focus that at least narrow the gaze Again, that was a compromise on what was on the list what was not but it was truly One of those deals that it you looked at it It took it took out but in my opinion the really bad stuff and left some in As far as not being healthy, but it did it was a great plan. So yeah, those things those things are huge and again this session When we set out to do it and we had these categories these categories We hit a ton of them. Yeah, and like I said when I left I was a lot more happy with leaving this session than last So let's talk about that the things that those are some of the highlights that you had where there's some things that you specifically were really looking at and we're really glad to get through again, obviously the property tax reform and some of those things Again, a lot of it is starts out as discussion and the question is what are we going to get to at the end and So well some at the end that you really felt good about Yes, the workforce development when you look at that category, which was was was one of the ones we wanted to hit Shifting the way that we invest in economic development And and getting people prepared for the workforce right now. We've got the 260 e Program it's been around for I'm going to throw out 30 years I don't know how long it goes back, but it's been out for a while needs to be updated It's run through the junior colleges and and the junior colleges The governor's vision of what to do with that program was different than what? What the junior colleges want and so the governor and the junior colleges were at odds and we had a Play in into the middle, but that principle of feeding money a particular way picking winners and losers We talked about that before and tax credits and that set of glasses was put on in this 260 e program because Money was not going to be intended use for economic development job training and workforce preparedness It was it was not being abused. I don't want to say that. I think the junior colleges were doing it doing it Well, and it was a means of bringing companies in but Preferably speaking that whole tax credit philosophy was picking winners and losers. They were doing some of that and and To me it was not doing what it was designed to do it It expanded that program and so we came out with 260 e reform And had and were at odds between the governor and the junior colleges and I think the bill that we ended up passing I don't know is that I have a ton of hope for it because I don't know if the governor governor will sign it But I do think it was a good compromise in between the junior colleges Because we wanted to keep workforce development through the junior colleges and the governor wanted it Through through her office for lack of a better description And and so we had a kind of compromise on that and I didn't disagree with with the results if you look at the results And where that money was going. I don't think it was doing a great job I think it was doing a good job not a great job and so the governor had legitimate Problems with the 260 program So we were able at the end that to meet with the governor meet with the junior colleges and and and again trying to come up with a Compromise in between those two things And got we got a path out of house And I just I haven't followed up the rest of the way there's been so many of these things so I'm It's back to that what you hope for what you can kind of get something at the end that was a surprise was was Was going through that. Yeah, I know you were one that was kind of Supporting the efforts on well like over at the Dwayne Arnold energy center getting that restarted and then It put other potential opportunities for a nuclear Well nuclear power generation bottom line. I know you were kind of looking seriously at what was happening there Yeah, but that was nice through ways of means there were There was the ability for building Nuclear plants and sales tax for those construction materials and We were able to get that pass through and it was one of those deals that favors Nuclear power and and kind of steers and so that was a little bit juxtaposed to my position of picking and picking winners And so I like I remember thinking as we were coming along in that remember thinking oh boy I really like that, but I really want to promote nuclear power And the problem is or where I came to my final conclusion on that was the fact that they've been pumping so much money into wind I felt like we had that was our only way to battle that position Was to come up with our own ability to to kind of give them a little bit of a creep in the infrastructure it it was Slowly to the building It's unsetted and so we tried to curtail it, but we wanted to give them just a little bit of The ability to the fight off some of the renewables in the in the tax money that gets funded that direction Okay, that I know that was one of me were there others that you felt pretty good about
There was a couple and some of these are more emotional I don't mean to touch on that but Pediatric cancer and when it came to some of these things that were more emotional that we Funnel taxpayers money to I get I get lost on time I'm going to be right up front about that because I have to really look at the role of the government and Whether this is a good place to invest it for the taxpayers because we represent the taxpayers It's not our money and so some of these things when they become emotional human trafficking There was a couple of heat trafficking bills where I'm like, oh man I I Felt my fundamental belief in government and not really wanting to get involved in that small government principles versus human trafficking and What our involvement in human trafficking should be they were really specific one off some some of them one of them It's human trafficking. You had to take a video class If you you're going to get a CDL And I don't think there's a ton of cost to that to have this video class, but I thought man I'm 100% against human trafficking, but Really taking a video when you when you get a CDL or taking a class when you get a CDL It's just a little short 30 minute video You got to watch to help identify human trafficking and so those things are really really hard for me But in the end we did ask a ton of stuff for human trafficking there were multiple shifts and They call them task force, but it's just employees that are going to overlook Human trafficking in the state some of them were were positions that were open were funded But not specified and so it was not new money, but we so we shifted some money into human trafficking You've got that pediatric cancer research end of life stuff And so there were some of those that I was really happy with But that they were just hard for me to trick or trying to get my head around because I was trying to make sure that it passes the test Small government test before you dive into it. Okay, where there's some that you did some disappointed that didn't come forward Most of it was compromising. That was one of the things that I left this session with I sometimes think just by and large when we go down there and pass 300 bills I think we passed too many. I just flat out believe that I I talk about that in caucus I meet with leadership as much as much as I can and like I sometimes we Less is more in some of these cases. So when I walked away this year There was hardly any That didn't really fall into place and that was part of what I think the session was historic I really really do you there was there was a ton of stuff that that passed the the compromise stuff of Taxation the protection of taxation the two-thirds constitutional vote Where you got to have a two-thirds majority to raise taxes And in and we state our budget. We ended up staying at one point or three percent. So if you ask me What what I'd like to seem better I'm sure if you dive in and I I think I'd probably find some things that I wasn't happy with But there was not the same that first year there were multiple bills that I just had to vote no on and I got really nervous Just bringing that small a small government principle this session did not have the same thing We framed our a little bit of change in leadership Yeah, a change in kind of that power structure that the gospel power structure were were We were more aligned with the governor Versus a lot in last year the governor was more aligned with the Senate and and man We we passed rain back which was to limit executive branch power the EMS we did a lot of EMS stuff even through property tax the Tiff was a huge thing. I think it should be redone And so if you asked me what a disappointment was I would have been more aggressive on Tiff And I think it was in protection. I I believe Tiff has a purpose I believe it's extremely important to invest in local communities and allow them to build infrastructure Which is the purpose of Tiff. I The perpetual Tiff stuff that's going on in the state I was going to ruin that program and so someone says all you you get after Tiff or your heart on Tiff Or you don't like Tiff no I really like it and this is protecting it to make sure that it lives on because I think it's an important tool for rural communities So did I like that we put in a 23 year? Sunset no, I would have liked a 15 year Yeah, I think whatever whatever you can get to you and get to in the first 15 years And they need to be done and so I would revamp Tiff So I'm disappointed that I didn't get what I wanted when it came to Tiff reform But the whole overall picture is you know, it saves that program So there wasn't anything in particular any one thing in particular, but there was a bunch of stuff that That I think were little things that you have to compromise on and I'm guessing on the eminent domain and carbon pipeline Everybody avoided it at the end. So Just well that was that if you we talked about it and they came up and they try to Try to talk up in the house and I believe the Senate is the shutting down the budget process again Waitin it out and going after it and if you don't it but when the governor vetoed it I hate to say that I moved on Because I don't want to dismiss that I disagreed with that and we fought that we fought that As hard as we could and we came out 639 was an aggressive bill that that set the tone for what I believe I will wanted It went over to the Senate. They tried to compromise on it And and and figure of a way around just getting rid of it entirely 639 went ended up kind of breaking up the Senate, which was hard on the Senate kind of broke them up 639 of the governor and she vetoed it and I don't That was the issue was almost dead with that governor I don't see a purpose or rationale this year to fight that fight with this being the last year of Ken being in office. So to me That's for next year. It made it gave me a clear purpose on that issue that hey, we'll wait till next year The pipeline has been moving forward the last couple of years. We're not going to be able to stop that Do it deal that veto and and now we're going to wait for the next governor and we'll have that as Talking points for the governor's race when they come in We'll be grilling them on them and finding out where the positions we're going through a primary right now We can find out where they're at and you can find out who you want to vote for if that's the issue that That defines who you want to vote for sounds all like all in all you think pretty pretty good pretty successful session That's some issues on having to compromise, but again, that's all part of what what happens down there Yeah, and back to that last year this year last year Union certification and some of the other things that I was really passionate about EMS there were some EMS tech stuff this year. They all came through And so the the issue that I was focusing on and had my eye It had to be nine out of ten got done And that's such an overwhelming majority that I forget the one that that I wanted that I didn't get and so for me It was it was a great session I think for the state of Iowa and the as you read through these versions property tax will come out and they'll get It'll get criticized as it should that's fine but Holistically to change the way we look at that thing and not allow taxing authorities to hide behind
Kind of how messy it gets in between the assessed value and the levy rate now we're going to focus on that final asking I think those are historic and I think that's going to change the way people look at it I think it's going to change the way local elections happen what they focus on and so I'm Extremely excited with what we got done. Hey, I truly appreciate you taking time to visit with us this year and give us an Opportunity to get updated on a number of things. I know busy session and everybody going back and forth But we got done now we move on and got a primary coming up So and that after that after that then general election and we'll see what comes up in in 20 27 Amazing. There we go. Yeah Go fast. I appreciate it very much. Thanks for having me on any of these updates I enjoyed doing because you get in the weeds a lot and you have to kind of the ability to let loose and Entirely describe your version of what happened down there. Thanks so much again representative Chad Bain our guest on our program today
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