(Radio Iowa) – Democrats say the Republican tax plan making its way through the state legislature today (Thursday) gives the biggest benefits to the richest Iowans. Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls, of Coralville. “So for every dollar in tax relief that your average Iowan is getting, the ultra-rich are getting $112 in tax relief,” Wahls says, “so when Democrats say this plan rewards wealth, not work — that’s what we’re talking about.” Earlier this month, Wahls and other Democrats in the legislature proposed expanding the child and dependent tax credit and the earned income tax credit, to benefit low and middle income Iowans.

“If Republicans want to provide real, targeted tax relief for middle class families, they should accept the Democratic fair tax plan, but they don’t,” Wahls says. “They’re more focused on the ultra-rich who fund their campaigns.” Wahls says the G-O-P tax plan does nothing to address the state’s most pressing issue — its workforce crisis. “They are going to make it exceptionally difficult for our state to provide the essential services that everyday Iowans depend on,” Wahls says. “I would say that this plan is not fair, it’s out of touch and it’s completely disconnected from the lives of everyday Iowans.”

Senate debate began shortly after two o’clock this (Thursday) afternoon. Representative Dave Jacoby, a Democrat from Coralville, says it’s shocking the G-O-P picked this day for a massive tax debate. “I think everyone’s focus is what’s going on over in Ukraine right now,” Jacoby says. Jacoby says the lingering pandemic and Russia’s invasion make it difficult to expect the economy will grow as steadily as Republicans project.