District 11 State Representative Brian Best of Glidden begins what will be his 10th and final year in the Iowa House on Monday when the state legislature convenes for the 2024 session. Best announced this fall he would not seek re-election after completing his current term. He was first elected in 2015 for District 12 and continued to serve in District 11 following the redistricting that went into effect in 2022. According to Best, there was not one specific reason for why he decided to call 2024 his final year.
With one more session ahead of him, Best says there are two issues that he has pursued for the last decade that he’d like to see legislative action. The first being increased transparency and state oversight for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Best says they made limited progress last year, but he hopes they can make additional progress this year. The other issue is a hands-free law restricting cell phone use while driving. The bill made it through the Iowa Senate last year but stalled in the House.
One of the topics that is projected to be a key issue at the statehouse in 2024 is Iowa’s income tax system. During the 2022 session, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill that progressively reduced the state’s income tax brackets until the transition to a flat 3.9 percent in 2026. Reynolds has indicated she hopes to eliminate Iowa’s income tax by January 2027. Best is not outright opposed to the idea, but he says the state needs to tread carefully if that is the route the legislature chooses.
An issue that was a chief focus for Best’s constituents in Crawford and Shelby Counties last year did not gain much traction among Carroll County voters, and that was carbon dioxide pipelines. The legislature did not reach a consensus on how eminent domain should be regulated for such projects. Best says they are in a bit of a holding pattern as the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) will not issue its ruling until other states on the pipelines’ routes make their rulings.
Best made his comments during a live interview on KCIM this morning (Wednesday). The full interview is included below.
______
