Governor Branstad tells Decorah audience: "Call your State Senator"

Decorah farmer Carleton Kjos (back to camera) asks a question of Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds and Governor Terry Branstad

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds visited Decorah Tuesday to pump up support for passage of a commercial property tax relief bill now being debated by the state legislature.

The governor told an audience at the Hotel Winneshiek that "this could be the last week of the (legislative) session."  Because of that, he urged audience members to contact their state senators to urge them to approve the measure passed by the Iowa House, saying it would "make Iowa more competitive with neighboring states."

Branstad said "if we take no action, we're going to see a massive increase in property taxes."  That's because agricultural and residential property values are adjusted every year--and could face four percent increases over the next few years.  Such increases would be "unaffordable and unsustainable," according to Branstad.

The governor told news reporters if the state legislature doesn't approve the property tax legislation this week, the public would blame the Democratic leadership of the Iowa Senate.