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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy predicted today that Congress will pass the North American Free Trade Agreement replacement by the end of the year, despite Democrats’ focus on impeaching President Donald Trump. Iowa Republican US Senator Charles Grassley says he hopes the deal with go through by the end of the year.
Several Siouxland lawmakers gathered this morning at Western Iowa Tech Community College for the Tri-State Legislative Forum. Two of the big issues discussed were childcare and workforce retention. Iowa is often seen to be a childcare “desert.” Siouxland state Republican representative Jacob Bossman said people have to turn down jobs in the area because they can’t find childcare.
“I’ve heard anecdotes of a physician’s assistant in Cherokee who was told that there was a 100 plus waiting list that year. I’ve heard anecdotes about people in Fort Dodge who can’t accept a job at the hospital in Fort Dodge and have to take a job in Omaha or Sioux Falls or somewhere else because they can find childcare there.”
Bossman said childcare could be more affordable if the House could expand the childcare tax credit, which stands an income level of 45 thousand dollars a year.
“And when this was enacted, 45 thousand was middle class, that is not the case anymore.”
Siouxland Democratic representative Chris Hall was also the forum and said the state could fix the dearth and unaffordability of childcare options if the public and private sector worked together. He says the state could have tackled the problem already if it hadn’t given away so much revenue in tax cuts for the wealthiest Iowans.
