Though they currently can’t meet in an official capacity or take action on anything, the Iowa Legislature is still working during their recess to ease the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the state.

In particular, individual legislators are considering the use of the Economic Reserve Account to offer some type of stimulus package to people, or to supplement the losses to the expected state revenues on next year’s budget. State Senator Jake Chapman, (R) District 10, says the reserve fund is flush with money at the moment, so using it seems a likely course of action. “Obviously that money is reserved for times like this. And so we’re going to have to focus on, ‘How do we rebuild Iowa’s economy again after we get through this?’ We’ve done it before over the last few years, and we’ll do it again. So I think there’s a number of things we can and will be doing when it comes to, ‘How do we help Iowans rebound from this temporary setback?’ What I do know is Iowans are resilient, and I think we’ll come back stronger from this than where we were even before.”

Chapman adds, he’s working on policy that would ensure the federal money allocated to Iowans through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is not taxed at the state level. He feels that taxing the checks would have an adverse impact on people, and is not the type of policy he feels the Legislature should set. To learn more about this and other legislative topics, listen to today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.