Iowa State Sens. Janice Weiner and Molly Donahue have released the following statement regarding the governor’s approval of HF 2739.
“It’s official: the majority party is raising taxes and raising the cost of Iowans’ healthcare,” Sen. Molly Donahue (D-Marion) said.
“This tax hike will be passed on to farmers, small business owners, and Iowa families whose healthcare costs are already on the rise,” Sen. Donahue said, “all in an effort to drum up new revenue to fill the massive budget deficit hole that Republican lawmakers created.”
“Iowans don’t want this, and the insurance companies have explicitly stated they would pass the higher costs on to consumers, but Senate Republicans were in such a hurry to pass this tax hike they broke joint legislative rules to get it to the governor’s desk as quickly as possible,” Sen. Janice Weiner (D-Iowa City) said.
“At a time when so many Iowans are struggling with rising healthcare costs, why are legislative Republicans so determined to make things worse?” Sen. Weiner asked. “Iowans shouldn’t have to pay the price for the majority party’s budget mismanagement.”