ICGA Members Take Their Priorities to the State Capitol

Mar 29, 2019
Nearly 100 Iowa Corn Growers Association® (ICGA) members filled the State Capitol rotunda yesterday for the “Iowa Corn Day on the Hill” lobbying event. This delegation included ICGA Board, county leaders, grassroots members and student FFA members from across the state. Their lobbying efforts focused on continued support for Iowa’s Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program, support of Iowa State University through both continued funding for the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab as well as support for the new request for biosciences, and last protecting agriculture in comprehensive tax reform. In addition, corn farmers took time to thank the state lawmakers who helped pass funding of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy with SF 512 and increasing state coupling of the federal section 179 expensing provision.
 
“Our ‘Iowa Corn Day on the Hill’ event facilitates one-on-one interactions with state legislators where members can discuss and promote ICGA policy priorities and issues important to Iowa agriculture,” stated Iowa Corn Growers Association President Curt Mether, a farmer from Logan. “The dedication and engagement of our members allow ICGA to have a strong, unified voice at the State Capitol.”
 
ICGA's “Day of the Hill” efforts focused on the organization’s top state legislative priorities for this session, including:
  • Conservation/Water Quality – Maintain legislative funding stream for Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy 
  • Ethanol: Continue funding for renewable infrastructure cost-share program (RFIP)
  • Livestock: Support existing regulatory framework for the livestock industry 
  • Research: Ag Extension and Diagnostic Lab funding
  • Taxes: Protect critical tax credits (Section 179 and biofuels)
“Our focus is to help Iowa’s struggling farm economy, and at the top of our list is Section 179,” explained Mether. “We also want thank our legislators for passing Section 179 to the federal provision allowing farmers and small businesses to expense and depreciate capital expenses on their tax returns, but they need to hold firm to allow it to fulfill full coupling in year three.”
If you missed this Day on the Hill event, we encourage you to contact your legislators by other means, including by participating in calls to action or attending local townhalls. To see ICGA’s full list of state and federal priorities for 2019, visit iowacorn.org/policy.
 
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