Government : Eighth Week of the 2025 Legislative Session

Senator Westrich and I met individuals this week from Iowa State University's Egg Industry Center. 

Tuesday was Iowa State Day on the Hill! I met with many faculty members from various departments at ISU and students who showcased their educational success.  

Members of the ROTC and Airforce with Senator Blake and I

One of the many subcommittees in the Senate this week.

Senator Zumbach and I before committee

With our first Senate deadline on Friday, everyone in the Senate was actively trying to complete our work on time this week. There was a variety of issues discussed, so some committees would have to take a break and come back later in the day to finish work on them. With such a busy week, we advanced legislation on many important issues.

This week, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed SSB 1158 on nutrition education. This bill modifies the K-12 curriculum to include instruction on the nutritional benefits of animal-based protein, and the role of real meat, dairy, vegetables and fruit in a balanced diet. Integrating healthy foods into the curriculum of Iowa's schools not only promotes a healthy lifestyle with quality food alternatives but is also another long-term investment in the academic success of Iowa students.

The Senate Local Government Committee continued its work on SSB 1188, Governor Reynolds' disaster recovery and housing assistance proposal. This bill would provide funding for disaster aid programs and would up to $2 million in assistance for short-term housing. It would also address damages to city properties and commercial buildings. Iowa has faced several major natural disasters, and the impacts still linger with those affected. In the last few years, Iowa has had to endure severe flooding, destructive tornados, and a derecho, leaving Iowa farms and towns ravaged. This plan will help ensure Iowa is well prepared in times of disaster and prioritize safeguarding our citizens from the devastation of unexpected weather.

We also talked about legislation in the Senate Commerce Committee to help support businesses as Iowa continues to grow. Senate Study Bill 1203 would establish a court dedicated to handling topics such business, corporations, and investments. The Iowa Business Court Judicial District would have statewide jurisdiction in all Iowa counties and would have the same authority as a district court. Iowa is working to implement policies to encourage growth in local business. Also, those policies are designed to attract new businesses and investment from new or existing companies looking to establish themselves in a pro-growth state. The bill can make Iowa more hospitable for employers by having a stable and available system for settling disputes involving corporate law.

There has been a lot of conversation around Governor Reynold's cell phone bill, so I wanted to give you all updates on it. On Tuesday, the Senate Education Committee unanimously approved SF 237 to help study the effects technology is having on kids in their daily lives. The bill directs the Department of Education, working with the Department of Health and Human Services, to put together a working group to review research regarding the impact of school-provided technology on students' cognitive function. This review would include recommendations on best practices for the use of school-provided technology in educational contexts and a focus on how to mitigate its negative impacts on social and behavioral development, attention span, mental concentration, and learning ability. While technology has been a useful tool in many instances, we want to continue to look for ways to improve the use of it in our education system.

Many other bills moved successfully through the legislature this week, while others were not. If you have questions about a specific topic or piece of legislation, please feel free to reach out. It is an honor to serve you and be your voice at the Capitol.

Historic property tax relief proposal for Iowa homeowners

In 2023, the legislature passed major property tax reform, House File 718, in response to concerns from constituents all across the state amid rising assessments. We worked to control the growth of property taxes, increase transparency about local government spending, and urged local governments to budget responsibly and focus on priorities.

House File 718 was an important step in reforming our property tax system, bringing to light a number of other issues to be evaluated and addressed. It set the stage for changes to prioritize Iowa property taxpayers, continue limiting the growth of local spending, and provide more certainty and transparency.

This week, Senate Republicans released the next step in reforming property taxes in Iowa and making the system simpler and fairer. It builds on the successes we saw from the 2023 reforms to bring real relief to Iowa property taxpayers, reform the property tax system, and make property taxes more predictable for businesses and local governments. This proposal is the biggest overhaul in property taxes in decades. At this time, it is estimated to provide a $426 million cut in property taxes for Iowans, implement a revenue restriction to ensure relief, and deliver additional relief for Iowa's veterans and senior citizens.

The bill phases out the antiquated rollback system for residential, commercial, and industrial property over five years. This system was put in years ago but has now only made property taxes unpredictable and complicated. By eliminating the rollback, along with lowering levy rates, limiting revenue increases and moving from tax credits to exemptions, the bill provides more stability for local governments and businesses and makes property taxes simpler and fairer for everyone.

Thank you District 42!