Iowa Business Council seeks to overhaul taxes in 2022

Creating a more competitive statewide tax policy is the Iowa Business Council's (IBC) top priority this year, spokesperson Christopher Diebel told Axios.

State of play: Iowa's state government is sitting on a $1.24 billion budget surplus.

• Tax reform is a top agenda item this year for some Republican leaders who want to eliminate state income tax.
• Democrats argue a better option is to allocate some of the money to help resolve problems like inadequate child care.

What they're saying: Reducing taxes on businesses and individuals would help attract employers and people to the state, IBC's director Joe Murphy said in an online statement.

Editor's note: This story is part of Axios Des Moines' New Year's series, in which community leaders are asked to share their "1 big thing" for 2022.