”We have had this day in our focus for four and a half years,” state Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge, told a gathering of about 100 Webster County Republicans.

Kraayenbrink addressed the group at Fort Frenzy, 3232 First Ave. S., just a couple hours after the state Senate passed the bill and sent it to the House of Representatives.

The measure phases in a 3.9 percent flat income tax rate over four years.

It also eliminates the state income tax on any retirement income.

”There are things in there that I didn’t think we could do,” Kraayenbrink said.

He said the past four and a half years of conservative budgeting by the Republican-controlled legislature and Gov. Kim Reynolds made the tax cut possible.

”The argument is tax cuts or more tax cuts,” said state Sen. Jesse Green, R-Boone. ”That’s a pretty good conversation to have.”

After the Senate passed the bill, it went to the House of Representatives Thursday evening. The House immediately began debate on it. That meant that Republican state representatives Ann Meyer, of Fort Dodge, and Mike Sexton, of Rockwell City, were not at the event. House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, who was invited, also was unable to attend.

As the event was concluding just before 8 p.m., word was received that the House had passed the bill. It now goes to Reynolds.