The following is a legislative update from State Senator Amanda Ragan, representing Iowa Senate District 27 which includes portions of Cerro Gordo, Mitchell and Worth counties, as well as Rock Grove and Rockford townships in Floyd County:
School is out for summer, but many families are putting their vacation plans on hold because of the high price of gas and other necessities.
These hard-working Iowa families are finding it harder to get by, while corporations, CEOs and shareholders enjoy record-high profits. The top five oil companies, for instance, brought in more than $35 billion in profits in the first three months of this year.
Corporate greed and the politicians who enable it are pushing our economy to the brink, along with the consumers and workers who make businesses successful.
It’s time to level the playing field. As a state senator, I’ve fought for working families and their pocketbooks by supporting initiatives to:
- Cut tax cuts for working families—rather than massive handouts to big corporations.
- Raise wages and ensure Iowans can hold onto more of their hard-earned money.
- Expand Iowa’s renewable energy economy so that we can help America become energy independent—not dependent on foreign oil and the handful of corporations that control it.
- Create more opportunities to get food from farm to table, so our producers get the compensation and service they deserve, and Iowans get good food at a fair price on their grocery store shelves.
- Expand access to affordable child care in every corner of the state so that moms and dads can get to work and provide for their families with peace of mind.
Everyday Iowans have faced a lot of setbacks in recent years. This year alone we’ve seen:
- Cuts to earned unemployment benefits for Iowans struggling to find a good job.
- A child care crisis made worse by lowering standards at child care facilities, and increasing the financial burden for the poorest families.
- Attacks on our local public schools, teachers and librarians that make it harder to provide the high-quality education every student needs to be successful in work and life.
- A housing shortage exacerbated by a new law that makes it easier for out-of-state corporate landlords to raise rent, increase fees and evict folks from their mobile homes.
Stay engaged with your legislators. Their decisions have an impact on your livelihood.
