*The backer of a South Dakota ballot question that could remove the state sales tax on items sold for human consumption says the group opposed to the idea is using fear to persuade voters.
With a recent sharp increase in the cost of food since 2019, backers of that ballot question are aiming to alleviate some of that pressure.
Rick Weiland, the primary sponsor of Initiated Measure 28, said Wednesday the campaign by some against the measure, alleging that it will lead to a state income tax, is a scare tactic.
Opponents have criticized the wording of the measure as broader than just groceries. They said it could cause a budget crunch by preventing the state from collecting sales tax on “consumable” items such as tobacco, toothpaste and toilet paper.
Nathan Sanderson is with South Dakota Retailers and the group opposed to IM 28. Sanderson said if the sales taxes collected by the state drop if the measure passes, that likely means higher property taxes or an income tax creation would make up the difference.
In 2022, Governor Kristi Noem campaigned on removing the state sales tax on food. State lawmakers rejected the idea, instead temporarily cutting the overall state sales tax by 0.3 percent.
October 21 is the deadline to register to vote in South Dakota. Early voting is already underway. Election Day is Nov. 5.
*Additionally, the mayor of Correctionville, Iowa, which was damaged by June flooding, is disappointed that Governor Kim Reynolds didn’t reach out after the disaster.
Ken Bauer is mayor of Correctionville, where the Little Sioux River impacted half of the community’s 300 homes.
The governor did deploy Iowa Army National Guard crews, equipment and other resources to help evacuate residents. She also has visited other communities impacted by the flooding.
However, Bauer said Thursday the governor didn’t come to, or personally contact, Correctionville.
“If she reached out and said, ‘Okay, we hear you. We see you.’ That's all she had to do was write us an email, tell us, you know, ‘We're watching out for you.’ That's all she had to do,” he said.
Bauer said he emailed the governor two weeks ago expressing his ongoing concerns, but hasn’t heard back.
A spokesperson for Reynolds said in a statement the governor responded immediately to the flooding to ensure state and federal assistance was available to all communities. She and her cabinet surveyed damage and visited with community leaders, and disaster survivors on several occasions throughout the summer in many Northwest Iowa places.
*In related news, there is less than one week left for Siouxland people impacted by historic June funding to apply for disaster assistance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The deadline for that filing is October 22.
Hundreds of homes in Northwest Iowa were destroyed when such rivers as the Big Sioux in Sioux City, Little Sioux and Rock tributaries spilled over their riverbanks.
FEMA is encouraging impacted people in the counties of Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, Monona, O'Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Sioux and Woodbury counties to apply.
People can receive FEMA grants to help cover temporary housing, home repairs and other disaster related needs. The U.S. Small Business Administration provides loans to help cover home repairs and other disaster-related needs along with business impacts.
*In other news, the iconic Iowa State Fair butter cow is heading to Washington D.C. next year.
The sculpture will be displayed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as part of a yearlong exhibit celebrating the art of state fairs around the country.
Artist Sarah Pratt has sculpted a large cow from butter since 2006. Pratt will create the cow in D.C., along with her two daughters, who are also learning the craft.
“I am just still pinching myself that I have the opportunity to be sculpting for the Smithsonian and representing Iowa and butter sculpting, and then I get to do it alongside my family,” Pratt said.
The exhibit will open next August, after the 2025 Iowa State Fair ends.
