As of Feb. 16, a bill introducing a tax holiday for student textbook purchases in Iowa awaits discussion in a subcommittee in the House of Representatives. After discussion of the bill, the Iowa legislature will vote on it later this spring.
“The bill is reasonable and could very well be beneficial to not just the students, but the state as well,” said State Representative Tom Sands (R-District 87), who serves on the subcommittee discussing the bill. “My only concern would be the cost, but if the money is just being reallocated, it could stand to help very much.”
The current bill reads as follows: “This bill provides an annual limited-time sales tax exemption for textbooks used in attending a public or private Iowa postsecondary educational institution, including licensed cosmetology and barber schools.” Textbooks are defined as books and other printed materials, according to the bill (HF 2034).
The idea for such a bill first came into being when University of Northern Iowa alumnus Trevor Boeckmann introduced the idea of tax exemption for students’ textbooks during his campaign for student body president in the spring of 2009.
State Representative Dawn Pettengill (R-District 39) introduced the first form of the bill into the House of Representatives. Then, in fall 2010, Ryan Alfred, the speaker of the senate for the Northern Iowa Student Government, and Jared Parker, a NISG senator, introduced a resolution to the NISG senate to pick up the issue.
The bill for tax exemption for textbooks sat for awhile until conversations between legislators and members of NISG decided on what it has become today – a tax holiday for textbooks in Iowa, not just at UNI.
State Representative Bob Kressig (D-District 19) then introduced the new draft of the bill into the Iowa House of Representatives.
“Having a tax-free holiday for students in Iowa would be most beneficial,” said Spencer Walrath, the current student body president of UNI. “It gives students a little help from the costs and burdens of post secondary education. Making sure we help students toward their education is a priority.”
