Background: 70 percent of Iowa’s general fund budget is directed to the health, safety, education, economic security, and development of Iowa children and youth. Over the last twenty years, however, Iowa has experienced several budget crises and across-the-board budget cuts affecting children, and some of these have yet to be restored. State budget growth overall has lagged far behind the growth in the state’s economy, and lawmakers have enacted and often phased in tax cuts that have made it difficult to maintain, let alone enhance, existing programs and services to meet the needs of meet the health, education, safety and security needs of children.
What is your plan to tackle tax policy issues to ensure a stable and adequate state general fund to pay for Iowa priorities, like children’s health, safety, education, economic security, and development?
