Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, member of the Senate Agriculture Committee this week introduced a measure to provide tax relief to essential, front line workers. Under the legislation federal income taxes would be suspended for essential workers up to an annual income cap for workers who earn up to $50,000 annually. Included as essential workers would be those hauling livestock. Iowa Cattlemen’s Association President Dick Godfrey says this relief if passed will help the ag economy.

He says other pandemic relief help needs to come in providing more smaller meat processors to help deal with the backlog of unprocessed animals.

Godfrey says Iowa has a program to help get state inspected meat across state lines and there’s also federal legislation to allow that that’s being considered.

Godfrey says Iowa’s cattle producers are also watching to see what Congress does with the next stimulus package that would assist those producers injured by the pandemic.