Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds held a town hall in Adel Thursday afternoon, discussing the proposed “Invest in Iowa” Act.

She was joined by Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg and a room full of attendees, with the focus on the one-cent sales tax increase that would help fund a variety of programs and initiatives. As passed in a constitutional amendment 10 years ago, any sales tax increase would include 3/8ths of every penny earmarked for conservation and outdoor recreation. The rest would go towards funding Iowa’s mental health system and an assortment of tax relief proposals. Reynolds pointed out that the tax would result in around $93 million in new money each year, so there would be considerable funds to each initiative.

After her presentation, the Governor took questions from the audience, which included concerns over the allocation of money, an evaluation system, and addressing flooding. Dallas County Conservation Director Mike Wallace and Perry City Administrator Sven Peterson were among those in attendance, and each got to weigh in on the topic. Reynolds said she was happy with the turnout and engagement with the public, and says there will be a lot more town halls like this one across the state in the coming weeks. “We’re just encouraging Iowans that if they support it, be sure and let your legislators know. Because if you don’t contact them, they don’t think that you’re interested and they need to know where you stand on it. So we’re encouraging Iowans to get out there, if they support it, and contact their legislators and let them know that.”

Reynolds added, the “Invest in Iowa” Act is immune to the funnel, so the Legislature has plenty of time to address it during the current session.