Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds delivered the annual “Condition of the State” address Tuesday night and outlined her priorities for legislators. The governor proposes a $50,000 starting salary for Iowa’s rookie teachers.
The governor wants state law to require a minimum salary of $62,000 for teachers with at least a dozen years of experience. “These investments will put Iowa in the top five states for starting pay and help recruit more of the best and brightest to join the teaching profession,” she said and lawmakers from both parties applauded.
Reynolds is proposing two tax cuts. Businesses would pay half as much per employee into the state fund used to pay unemployment benefits. “Instead of paying money into the government, these businesses can create more jobs, increase salaries or reinvest into their communities,” Reynolds said.
And Reynolds proposes deeper cuts in the state’s personal income tax, a retroactive cut to January 1st of this year and lower the rate to 3.5% in 2025.