The Des Moines Register | Written By Linda Upmeyer | June 1, 2022

"After Gov. Kim Reynolds' Condition of the State address in January, I told Iowans "it takes one look at Washington D.C., or just about any other state in the country, to realize the fields of opportunity Iowa has to offer."

Now that this year's legislative session has ended, the results only further prove my prior claim.

Joe Biden and Democrats have left us, everyday Americans, in the dust. We face rising inflation, a crisis at our Southern border, record spending, and chaos abroad. Our standing as a nation has suffered. We now face a massive baby formula shortage created by Biden's own Food and Drug Administration and the highest gas prices in history. We are not the strong, respected country we were under President Donald Trump.

When the federal government fails to meet the needs of everyday Americans, we must turn to the states to fight back — and fighting back is what Iowa Republicans have done over this past legislative session.

While Iowans' paychecks stretched thin because of inflation, Iowa Republicans, under the leadership of Reynolds, passed the largest tax cut in Iowa history. This bill will allow Iowans to have money back in their pockets — where it belongs. It cuts the state income tax down to a flat and fair 3.9% and eliminates taxes on retirement income. The GOP also eliminated taxes on feminine products and diapers. Iowa's greatest strength is that we invest in our people, not a bloated government bureaucracy.

This was relief that Iowans deserved — and earned. The money Iowans are saving from these tax cuts will be reinvested into our communities and families — making us even stronger and more resilient.

Reynolds and legislative Republicans took action to change our unemployment system to a re-employment system. Right now, there are more job openings in Iowa than there are people to fill them. Democrats in Washington would much rather pay people to stay home. Iowa Republicans took a different approach and incentivized Iowans to return to work by shortening the time people can collect unemployment from six months to four months.

Because of the highest gas prices in history, families are struggling to make ends meet. Let's be clear what caused this: Joe Biden's war on American energy. On his first day in office, Biden closed the Keystone XL pipeline and since has begun a full-out assault on our energy infrastructure. The Democrats' response? You should go buy an electric vehicle if you don't want to pay the high price. This is incredibly out of touch.

To lower energy costs to Iowans, Reynolds and the Legislature passed a bill to allow E15 year around. Corn that grows right in our beautiful fields can be turned into a cleaner version of fuel that costs less Ethanol blends can save you roughly 50 cents a gallon. And when prices are nearing $5 a gallon, that adds up. Biden and Washington Democrats should take note: This is how you unleash the power of American energy.

Lastly, Republicans fought back against the encroaching wokeness in our schools. For a long time women have fought for major achievements such as Title IX, but a new woke agenda has sought to derail it. Led by Reynolds, Iowa Republicans preserved girls sports. My statement about the bill still stands: "(It's) inherently a fairness issue. Young girls should not be discouraged from participating, or succeeding, in athletics because competition is out of their ability to compete. Wokeness does not have a role in our schools or athletics."

While the future of America under Joe Biden seems to grow darker by the day, we have a state Legislature and governor who are willing to fight back on our behalf. Iowans should be proud of the accomplishments made during this legislative session. Without it, we would be on the same downward tailspin we see on the national level."

Read the full story here. 

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