$2 trillion federal transportation bill; Iowa and Illinois legislation updates
Federal
Last Wednesday, President Biden unveiled his $2 trillion transportation proposal, titled the American Jobs Plan. The proposal identifies many areas where funding would be utilized, including fixing highways, rebuilding bridges and upgrading ports, airports and transit systems. Additional goals are delivering clean drinking water, a renewed electric grid and high-speed broadband to all Americans. Funding would also go towards supporting the U.S. supply chain and raising wages and benefits for essential home care workers. The White House is proposing this spending over an 8-year period, paying for it by increasing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%. This however is just a first proposal that will be debated in Congress over the coming months.
Illinois
Governor Pritzker announced Illinois K-12 school districts are receiving $7 billion in federal funding through the American Rescue Plan to support students as they return to the classroom after hybrid learning scenarios resulting from COVID-19. More than $75 million is coming to the three major school district in the Illinois Quad Cities metro area. Funding details for every school district can be found here.
The Illinois House and Senate are currently in their Spring Break weeks, with committee hearings continuing related to redistricting, appropriations and more. For more information on Illinois’ upcoming legislative schedules, please see Senate schedules and House schedules or click the chat box icon to the right to contact our Government Affairs team.
Iowa
Last week, the Iowa Legislature reached its second funnel deadline. For bills to pass the second funnel, they must pass floor debate in one chamber and be through committee in the other. Bills that do not meet this deadline are generally considered dead. Bills that are in the Ways and Means, Appropriations or Government Oversight Committees or deal with the budget are exempt.
Several of the Chamber’s key legislative priorities have made it through the second funnel including legislation on broadband, housing and childcare.
- HF 582 & SF 295 – Governor’s housing bill; doubles the workforce housing tax credit and redevelopment credit, establishes an Iowa housing tax credit program, and creates a disaster recovery housing assistance program.
- SF 390 & HF 848: The governor’s broadband proposal that would expand broadband funding to $450 million over three years on Empower Iowa grants for projects that provide service at a minimum of 100 megabits per second for both downloads and uploads in areas with no service or lower-speed service.
- HF 302 – Intended to address the childcare cliff-effect, this bill establishes an eligibility phase-out program for state childcare assistance.
- SF 557 & HF 592 – Cap non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases.