New Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds got off to a good start in her first speech—calling for tax reform.
The former lieutenant governor replaces Gov. Terry Branstad, who became the U.S. ambassador to China. Speaking just after she was sworn in, Reynolds said lowering tax rates could help businesses hire more.
“Our tax rates are some of the highest in the nation, and our code books are filled with a patchwork of exemptions, deductions, and credits. That’s not how it should be,” she said, according to the Quad City Times. “Our tax code should be simple. It should be fair. And it should inspire—not inhibit—growth.
NFIB/Iowa welcomed Reynolds to office.
“We congratulate Governor Kim Reynolds and Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg on their important new roles in Iowa,” said NFIB State Director Matt Everson. “NFIB looks forward to working with the Reynolds/Gregg administration to continue Iowa’s economic growth and to push meaningful income tax reform across the finish line for our small business members.”
Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix praised the focus on taxes.
“As we go into this next session, we want to focus our time and attention on tax reform and a tax code that rewards hard work and investment in our state,” he told the Des Moines Register. “And that’s what you’re hearing from the new governor.”
Reynolds also said workforce training will be one of her priorities.
Reynolds, of Osceola, will serve out the rest of Branstad’s term, through 2018, and is eligible for a full four-year term after that if she chooses to run. The new acting lieutenant governor will be Adam Gregg, the former state public defender and a former adviser to Branstad.
The new governor said she wants to know what Iowans want from their leaders.
“I’m going to travel the state and I’m going to go into communities and I’m going to talk to Iowans and I’m going to listen,” Reynolds told The Associated Press. “What are we missing? What are we doing right?”
