Presides Iowa House of Representatives
State Representative Cecil Dolecheck
Dolecheck’s Details Address: State Capitol, Des Moines, IA 50319 Phone: 515-281-3221 E-Mail:
[email protected]
For the week of April 6th-April 10th, 2009 Court Overrules Legislature, Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage Last Friday, in a unanimous decision, the Iowa Supreme Court held that the Iowa law limiting marriage to only a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution. This ruling has caused an outcry from citizens and voters across the state of Iowa. The outcry of the majority has been “ let us vote”.
Amending the State Constitution There has been a lot of talk the last week regarding amending the Iowa Constitution. Article X of the Iowa Constitution and several different Iowa Code Sections actually address amending the Iowa Constitution. There are two different processes to go about amending the Iowa Constitution. Below is a description of each process. Legislative Approval: Under the first process, an amendment to the constitution is passed by both chambers in two consecutive general assemblies. The amendment must be published prior to the election of the second general assembly. Then, unless it is specifically stated, the amendment shall be voted on at the next general election. This appears to be the most reasonable way to allow the citizens to vote; thus the cry “let us vote”. Constitutional Convention: The Iowa Constitution also calls for Iowans to be asked if they want a Constitutional Convention to be held every ten years beginning 1970 or whenever the General Assembly requests it. A Constitutional Convention is a gathering of elected delegates who propose revisions and amendments to the Iowa Constitution. Under this process the topic would not necessarily be required to be limited to a single amendment or issue. Once the delegates do their work, Iowans will then vote on each of the proposed amendments to the Iowa Constitution, if any. The timeline for this process is as follows: Process A – Governor Calls for the Constitutional Convention • The Governor shall issue a proclamation directing that at the General Election there be proposed the question regarding convening the Constitutional Convention. • During the 2010 General Election, Iowans vote for or against calling a Constitutional Convention.
Process B – Legislature Calls for a Constitutional Convention • The legislature, during the 2009 or 2010 legislative session, passes a law directing that at an upcoming election there be proposed the question regarding convening the Constitutional Convention. • The Governor shall issue a proclamation directing that there be proposed the question regarding convening the Constitutional Convention. • During the 2010 General Election, Iowans vote for or against calling a Constitutional Convention. Elimination of Federal Deductibility The latest amendment aimed at acquiring additional Democratic votes in the Iowa House was presented to the legislature late Tuesday afternoon. We are still working through the new numbers and trying to ascertain the percentages of winners and losers there will be within each new tax bracket. •
Federal deductibility helps Iowans save money. For example, if an individual makes $50,000 and pays $15,000 in federal taxes, their base income for state tax purposes is $35,000.
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For many taxpayers, the amount of tax payments made to the federal government is the only – or largest – deduction available to them. For example, middle income taxpayers who do not own a home or have children cannot utilize income tax deductions and credits available to others; such as mortgage interest, property taxes and the child and dependent tax credits.
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Double taxation (tax on a tax): eliminating federal deductibility will allow the state to tax income never realized by taxpayers.
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The majority of Iowa businesses are small businesses and their income is taxed at the individual rate. If their tax liability increases, they will either eliminate jobs or pass the added expense to the consumer to absorb the cost.
HOUSE AND SENATE CLERK SERVICE PROJECT The Clerks in the House and Senate wanted to do something during this Session that would benefit as many Iowans as possible. In light of the current economic situation, they decided on collecting food for the Food Bank of Iowa. This non-profit organization serves Iowans from infants to the elderly in 44 counties. On April 2, the Food Bank of Iowa came to the Capitol to pick up over 1200 cans of food and paper products along with $1865 in cash donated by Senators, Representatives, Clerks and Staff. The Clerks were pleased with the results of their service project and honored to be able to help numerous Iowans. Thank-you for visitor Janine Lemke of Bedford. Legislative Coffees: No more scheduled for this session. Thank-you to all that attended! What do you think? Email me your thoughts. My e-mail address is :
[email protected] Information about my legislative forum schedule, past newsletters and biography can be found at www.iowahouserepublicans.com/members/cecil-dolecheck The number for the House switchboard is (515) 281-3221, Seat 65
