Governor-elect Rob Sand says the priorities he presents the Iowa legislature when he takes office in January will be what he’s talked about during the campaign.
Sand is the first Democrat to be elected governor in 20 years. He defeated his Republican opponent Zach Lahn (like “LANE”) by 11 points.
Sand plans to ask legislators to raise the sales tax to fill the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, a fund approved by Iowa voters in 2010. Lahn (like “LANE”) also called for raising the sales tax to fill that fund, which would support water quality projects.
During this year’s campaign, Sand proposed scaling back the taxpayer-funded Education Savings Accounts that are covering private school tuition and ending the state sales tax break for data centers. Sand also called for legalizing marijuana and regulating it just like alcohol, including a tax that would generate an estimated 54 million dollars in the first year. Sand says by choosing him as governor and keeping Republicans in the majority in the Iowa House and Senate, Iowa voters are forcing them to negotiate and strike compromises.
Sand has formed a team to handle the transition period before he becomes governor. Sand says he’s not ruling out keeping some of the state agency directors who’ve been working for Republican Governor Kim Reynolds.
There are two exceptions, however. One is the Governor Reynolds’ budget director, who clashed over Sand’s work as state auditor and the other is the head of the Iowa Department of Education. Sand faults her for agreeing to double state administrative payments to the private company that manages state-funded Education Savings Accounts that cover private school expenses.
