Hunter
05/19/24
An online news organization says many members of the Iowa legislature that supported a bill banning local governments from providing direct financial help to their residents are getting their own direct financial help…from the federal government.
Iowa Starting Line reports about a fourth of the 150-person Iowa Legislature benefits from some form of farm subsidies. They pointed out two Republicans who themselves don’t get a large amount, but members of their family benefit greatly.
House Speaker Pat Grassley has received a little over $65,000, but his father, Robin, has received a little more than $1.4 million. Sen. Jeff Edler received less than $1200 in his name, but his family farming operation has received $2.5 million since 1995.
During debate on the bill, Democratic Senator Tony Bisignano noted that back when farm subsidies started in the 1930s, there were nearly 215,000 farms across the state with an average size of just under 160 acres. The latest figures, from 2022 show just under 87,000 farms, but the average size as grown by more than 200 percent, to 345 acres.
Members of the Iowa Legislature worked to ban programs like UpLift, a poverty-reduction research pilot program to see how receiving an additional $500 with no restrictions will affect 110 recipients’ lives.
A full list of the legislators who benefit from farm subsidies is available with the article at www.iowastartingline.com .