Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds recently signed a bill into law that extends the Statewide Penny for School Infrastructure sales tax for the next 32 years.

House File 546 continues the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) program through 2051. The one-cent sales tax is projected to generate over $26 billion during that time frame, which will be distributed to public schools throughout Iowa. State Representative Chris Hagenow, (R) District 19, says a SAVE extension was brought to the Legislature each year as a priority of the Department of Education, and he pointed out that the House passed the initial legislation last year. The Senate didn’t pick it up at the time but brought it back this year, and to the relief of many, the bill made it through the session and landed on Reynold’s desk.

Hagenow adds, HF546 does more than just extend the sales tax. “So that will continue to provide infrastructure dollars that schools need going forward. Inside of that, there’s going to be money for school security initiatives, and I think that there’s a lot of Iowans that are interested in seeing our schools become safer. In the end, I think it’s a terrific package (and) our schools are pleased to finally get this done.”

The bill also includes some property tax relief, with some of the SAVE funds earmarked to help offset local property tax burdens. Reynolds said signing the legislation into law was a no-brainer on her part, as it continues the state’s investment in K-12 education, which was a priority of hers heading into this year.