Republican Governor Terry Branstad and former Democratic Governor Tom Vilsack — the U.S. Ag Secretary — joined forces today to tout a plan that would extend the one-cent sales tax that’s currently spent on school infrastructure projects and use most of the inflationary growth to finance water quality projects.

 

“This is the biggest and boldest initiative that I’ve probably put together in all my years as governor,” Branstad said late this morning.

 

The one-cent sales tax for schools is set to expire in 2029. Branstad’s plan would extend it to 2049. Schools would get the first big chunk of those sales tax collections, but the growth expected in the future would go to help farmers implement conservative measures that reduce farm chemical runoff. Vilsack called it a “substantial investment” that will improve water quality.

 

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