Secretary Naig Highlights Legislative Session Accomplishments Benefiting the Iowa Agriculture Community
DES MOINES, Iowa (May 25, 2022) – Following the adjournment of the 2022 legislative session, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig issued the following statement congratulating state legislators on a successful session that saw major accomplishments for Iowa farmers and the agricultural community:
“The 2022 legislative session has been incredibly productive for Iowa’s agriculture community. I applaud Governor Reynolds and members of the Iowa House and Senate for prioritizing the needs of family farmers, our agribusinesses, and rural communities,” said Secretary Naig. “The Legislature addressed inflationary prices at the fuel pump by ensuring Iowans will have increased access to lower cost, cleaner burning biofuels over the next several years and cut taxes so hard-working families and small businesses can keep more of their money in their own pocket. They also passed bills that will grow markets for Iowa producers by launching an Iowa grown and raised marketing program and continued to invest in our small-town meat lockers.”
Below are some of the major legislative accomplishments from the 2022 session that benefit Iowa agriculture:
Biofuel Access and Infrastructure
House File 2128 ensures that more Iowans will have access to lower cost, clean burning E15 at the fuel pump. The Legislature also continued to make a significant investment in the state’s biofuel infrastructure to help fuel retailers around the state make the upgrades necessary to offer higher blends of ethanol to their customers.
Promoting Iowa Grown and Raised Products
House File 2581 establishes the Choose Iowa Promotional Program, an agricultural marketing program, to increase the visibility of Iowa grown and raised foods. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will lead the program with plans to launch this fall.
Tax Relief for Farmers and Iowa Agriculture
House File 2317 resulted in generational tax reform that cuts taxes for all Iowans while doing so in a fiscally responsible manner. The tax package lowers the current tax rate for all Iowans to a flat rate of 3.9%, makes retirement income tax free, and includes provisions that will benefit Iowa farmers and the agriculture community.
Continued Efforts to Grow Iowa Meat Lockers
House File 2470 implements many of the recommendations of the Artisanal Butchery Task Force which was led by Secretary Naig in the fall of 2021. The Task Force recommended the creation of a one-year community college certificate program for artisanal butchery and addresses other challenges that Iowa meat processors identified related to financial and workforce training programs. The Legislature also provided $1 million in funding to help existing meat lockers upgrade their equipment and infrastructure.
Supporting the Mission of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
The Legislature continued to provide the resources that are necessary to help the Department achieve its goals to support Iowa’s agriculture community. The Legislature made key investments in the state’s foreign animal disease prevention, preparedness and response efforts to protect Iowa’s livestock industry and continued to make a significant investment in the state’s water quality and soil health initiatives.