I’m a third-generation seedsman from Alexander, where my family has also farmed since 1892 — spanning five generations. My grandfather Willard Latham started our business in 1947 — and I now run our operation with my wife and brother.

Needless to say, it matters to me that Iowa agriculture has a strong future in our state, and we need leaders who are willing to go to bat for our family farms and family-owned businesses every single day.

Josh Turek is not the advocate that Iowa farmers need in the U.S. Senate.

He vocally opposes U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s Save Our Bacon Act, which would overturn California’s costly Proposition 12 on Iowa family farmers. This egregious government overreach by California threatens to put small operations and family farms out of business.

And he has said himself that he wants to repeal Working Families Tax Cuts. As a small business owner, that would mean that – just to pass our operation to the next generation – we would have to pay a higher death tax. And it would mean we would have to send more of our hard-earned money back to Uncle Sam.

The fact that Turek wants to take tax relief away from Iowa farmers and family-owned-and-operated businesses is downright wrong.

Josh Turek would be bad for farmers, bad for agriculture, and bad for small, family businesses. That’s why I’m proud to support Ashley Hinson, who will deliver results for Iowa and put farmers and rural communities first.

John Latham

This letter to the editor was originally printed in the Gazette: https://www.thegazette.com/opinion/josh-turek-is-wrong-for-iowa-agriculture/article_8647d5b9-5905-4c54-9c16-9f708e4681a4.html#google_vignette

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