2007 Legislative Issues
The purpose of the Legislative Task Force is to
respond to Legislative issues (during session) that promote and fund
the Tourism industry in Iowa and in Clinton.
Clinton Convention & Visitors Bureau
Legislative Priorities
2007 Top Tourism Priorities
1. Increase the Iowa Tourism Office's budget to
the Midwest regional average of $8.3 million.
2. Maintain a traditional school year calendar.
Important 2007 Dates
• Friday, February 16, 2007: Final Day
for legislators to request bills
• Friday, March 9, 2007: First
“Funnel” (deadline to be voted out of committee of origin.
Senate Files
SF177-Tourism Appropriations (Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Sens. Dvorsky and
Angelo; Bill Status: Senate Appropriations Committee)-This bill
would appropriate $8.3 million to the Department of Economic
Development for Tourism, bringing the Iowa Tourism Office budget up to
the Midwest regional Average (not including Illinois.)
SF29-Cultural Economic Development (Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Sens Stewart,
Dotzler, Hahn, Houser, and Olive; Bill Status: Senate
Economic Growth Committee)-This bill increases from $2.4M to
$12.4Million the amount of historic preservation and cultural and
entertainment district tax credits that may be approved each year.
The bill expands self-supported municipal improvement district
eligibility. The bill also makes it easier to condemn land solely
for the purpose of connecting recreational trails and sets up a trail
connectivity fund in DED. The bill provides for tuition
assistance for workforce training programs at community colleges and
moves the Main Street program from DED to the Department of Cultural
Affairs. Amendment: In subcommittee, Senators struck the
trail condemnation section (but kept the rest of the trail connectivity
incentive section. They also stated their intentions to amend
the historic tax credit provision to mirror similar freestanding
legislation the would increase the cap to $20 million.
SF158 & HF235-Tourism Funding Change (Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Reps. May,
Dandekar and H. Miller; Bill Status: House Economic Growth
Committee, Senate Economic Growth Committee) -This bill would
alter legislation last year that provided more gaming dollars to
tourism. The legislation set up the tourism office funding to be
distributed every year. This bill would change the distribution
to every quarter.
SF183 & HF 411-Film, Television & Video
Promotion Program (Subcommittee/Floor
Manager: Not yet assigned; Bill Status: House Economic
Growth Committee, Companion Status: Senate Economic Growth
Committee)-This bill creates a film, television, and video project
promotion program and fund an increase in the fiscal impact of the
state's economy of film, television, and video projects produced in the
state.
SF 98 & HF 360-Historic & Cultural Tax
Credits (Subcommittee/Floor Manager:
Sens. Dotzler, Putney, and Stewart; Reps Wenthe, T. Olson,
Schickel; Bill Status: Senate Ways & Means Committee,
Companion Status: House Appropriations Committee)-Successor to
SSB 1082. Eliminates the discounting of the value of a historic
preservation tax credits and allows the entire tax credit to be
refunded, or to be carried over for succeeding tax years, until
depleted. The bill increases the amount of tax credits that may
be approved each fiscal year to $20 million less the cost for
administration. Reserves $2 million for projects with qualified
costs of $500,000 or less, and $6 million of tax credits for projects
in cultural and entertainment districts or in Iowa Great Places.
Allows any of these unused reserve credits to be applied to
reserved tax credits in order of original reservation.
Appropriates $150,000 annually to the DCA for administering this
program. Applies to cultural districts created before July, 2007.
House Files
HF130-Historic and Cultural Tax Credit increase (Subcommittee/Floor Manager: Reps. Thomas,
T. Olson and Van Fossen; Bill Status: House Ways &
Means Committee)-This bill increases the amount of historic
preservation and cultural and entertainment district tax credits that
may be authorized in a fiscal year from $2.4 million to $20 million.
In addition, the bill required that at least $2 million of the
tax credits be dedicated for awarding to projects under $200,000.
The bill would take effect upon enactment and apply retroactively
to January 1, 2006, for fiscal years beginning after that date.
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