Will North Iowa Food Banks benefit from new state law?
As for North Iowa food banks and pantries, the extent to which the new legislation will directly improve things isn't so clear. "Were already a nonprofit. So we already dont get taxed but for other pantries I totally see it being a huge benefit," Worth County Community Pantry Director Angela Wright said. "(It's) a benefit for pantries that need to purchase things outside of the state." Bonnie Nyhus, who serves as the board president for the Neighborhood Food Bank in Forest City, similarly pointed to the purchase of non-food items as the realm where the exemption could be beneficial to organizations such as hers. "It will be a help, yes, because we do buy things like cleaning supplies," she said. Though Nyhus then pointed out that about half of the items her organization receives come through donations, so sales tax wouldn't be a concern in the first place.