IOWA INSIDER

If you are already making plans for the federal tax rebate, you might want to consider that the state of Iowa could have its hand out to take a chunk.

The federal rebates would still be subject to Iowa’s income tax unless state lawmakers and Gov. Chet Culver decide to exempt them. That’s what lawmakers did the last time federal tax rebates were issued in 2001.

Renee Mulvey, spokeswoman for the Iowa Department of Revenue, said the tax rate would vary depending on several factors, with a top rate of 8.98 percent.

Iowa House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City, said Republicans are drafting legislation to ensure Iowans won’t end up paying a state tax on their rebates.

“We don’t want to see it come from the federal government only to then flow into the Iowa treasury instead of being in the pockets of hard-working families,” Rants said.

Democrat Hillary Clinton had harsh words after the Iowa caucuses, complaining that voters who had to work during the time caucuses are held are disenfranchised.

Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, is seeking to change that. He’s behind legislation that would allow workers to take up to three hours unpaid leave to attend the presidential caucuses. An exception would be provided for emergency service personnel.

“We want to make sure that the caucuses are accessible to everybody. I think that’s a legitimate criticism that’s been made,” Quirmbach said.

Making the presidential caucuses more accessible helps make Iowa’s case that its caucuses should remain first in the nation, he believes.

“After all the terrific turnout and all the hard work everybody put in, I think we sure have demonstrated to the country that we have earned our first spot in the nation, but we need to do the best we can to make it even better,” Quirmbach said.

Five GOP state lawmakers disputing the idea that humans are the cause of global warming distributed books supporting their argument to colleagues in an effort to stop the Legislature from passing new measures intended to combat climate change.

The legislators are seeking to halt state regulations meant to fight global warming from being enacted and question other initiatives the Legislature approved last year.

They handed out copies of the book, “Unstoppable Global Warming — Every 1,500 Years,” along with a letter urging lawmakers not to approve new regulations.

“If enacted, these measures could be extremely detrimental to the economy of our state and it would be especially ironic if the data used to justify them proves to be faulty,” the letter said.

Copies of the book, written by S. Fred Singer and Dennis T. Avery, were provided to Iowa lawmakers by The Heartland Institute in Chicago. The organization’s Web site says its mission is to “discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems.” The organization also promotes school vouchers and other conservative issues.

Those distributing the book include Rep. Ralph Watts, R-Adel; Rep. Chuck Soderberg, R-Le Mars; Rep. Dwayne Alons, R-Hull; Rep. Jamie Van Fossen, R-Davenport and Sen. Jerry Behn, R-Boone.