Iowa House District 12 Representative, Brian Best, has been preparing for the start of the General Assembly on Monday, Jan. 11. He was surprised at what happened in Washington, D.C. Wednesday, as legislators there worked to certify the Electoral College vote. This, he says, was a breakdown of our civil society and was very hard to watch.
Best says he was surprised Capitol security was not more prepared to handle a situation like this. After the fact, it is likely going to make everyone take a closer look at their own security, he says, even at the state level. But, it not just up to the government to take action. Best points to the American citizens as well.
Contention over the 2020 election and claims of fraud were factors in Wednesday’s incident, but Best says he has faith in Iowa’s system.
For the upcoming legislative session, Best will be serving as Chair of the Transportation Committee and will sit on the Ag and Labor Committees. He believes because of where he lives, he will be able to bring the voice of the rural residents to these discussions. And when it comes to areas of focus in 2021, he says he thinks they will be looking heavily at policy.
Best has met with members of the Department of Transportation (DOT) to learn more about ways legislators can prioritize making it easier for CDL licensing. Another predicted area of debate is Gov. Kim Reynold’s one-cent sales tax.
Best says there is no doubt revenues will be down a bit due to COVID restrictions, mainly from road use taxes and gambling. Those funds are typically used for infrastructure items throughout the state, and though down, they are still anticipating being able to do the items at the top of their list. When it comes to assisting Iowa businesses impacted by COVID, Best says he would like to see the legislature allocate some of the rainy day fund. Last year, area constituents were not able to interact one-on-one with our representatives. Best has been working with the Carroll Chamber of Commerce and Carroll Area Development Corporation (CADC) to schedule four or five virtual legislative forums this year. Carroll Broadcasting will bring you more details on dates, times and how to access these as details become available. The full interview with Representative Best can be found below.
https://www.1380kcim.com/episode/kcim-interview-state-representative-brian-best/
