With 3 weeks to go until the planned end of the 2025 legislative session, we have gotten a number of things completed and have quite a bit left to finish (including the obligatory budget).
The topic of CO2 pipelines and specifically the issuance of a conditional permit by the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC) granting the use of eminent domain to a private, for-profit company – has been unaddressed for the entire 3 years I have been in the Senate. I believe this is a serious violation of the Constitution and a grave injustice for those in or near the proposed pipeline routing. In addition to the constitutional considerations, there are significant safety concerns, which due to the nature of the resultant plume from a CO2 pipeline rupture could threaten people miles away – and represents a risk that surprisingly exceeds that of other types of pipelines.
Last week HF 639 advanced through a senate subcommittee and Commerce committee, but with an amendment that radically changed the nature of the bill, which was not publicly accessible for review and was promised to be further amended by the committee chair. Given my concerns about facing an amended bill without public input or necessary senatorial debate and review, I elected to file a reversing amendment which returns the language of HF 639 to what was received from the House.
There is a growing number of senators that are committed to preserving the Constitutional property rights of Iowa citizens and are supportive of this effort to advance the language from the Iowa House in HF 639 and HF 943 through the senate this year. I am thankful that South Dakota citizens so emphatically resisted this dangerous and wasteful project, and that an overwhelming majority of the Iowa House is representing the voice of Iowa citizens – and I believe we can prevail in the senate this year.
The biggest line in the state budget is education, with the majority of that being K-12 education – and this week both the Senate and the House passed SF 167, which added $240 million – to a total of over $4.2 billion for the 2026 school year. This 2% State Supplemental Aid (SSA) increase was supplemented with a flat per student increase, substantial transportation increases, and a continuation of the teacher pay increase – and makes Iowa very competitive for teacher pay (probably top 5 when you consider our costs of living).
Property tax continues to be a hot topic, and I have certainly fielded calls from constituents who have received significantly increased appraisals and taxpayer transparency statements which highlight “worst case” tax increases in coming years (which likely will not be the rate you do end up paying – I expect the counties I represent will continue being fiscally conservative).
A second bill has been introduced in the senate, SSB 1227, which follows an earlier proposal, and continues on a theme of simplifying the system, striving to ensure those on fixed incomes are not taxed out of their home, and ensure envisioned revenue caps will accommodate new valuations (like new construction and projects) and high inflation while preventing runaway increases in tax rates for Iowa property owners. I will continue to study, discuss with local leaders, and provide input to this bill as it continues to move towards possible passage and implementation.
A bill on election integrity moved through both chambers and is headed to the governor’s desk with another to follow – I am very passionate that our elections must be accurate, paper ballots are always used, and that only citizens are eligible to vote in our state. I spent time this week both receiving a presentation by a company that provides counting machines as well as an architectural/security review of a soon to be implemented voter registration system that significantly improves on existing systems currently in use in our state.
Speaking of the governor, I want to express my appreciation for her leadership and consistent focus on the family, the unborn, and the future of this great state in response to her decision to not seek reelection in 2026.
I continue to advocate for several pro-life, pro-family, medical freedom bills that remain eligible to become law this year:
- SF 433 – age-verification for access to obscene materials (pornography websites) in the state
- SF 175 – provision to ensure the topic of fetal development, an ultrasound and an accurate graphical animation are incorporated into grades 4-12
- SF 180 – right to refuse any medical service that is emergency use authorized or a counter measure defined under the PREP Act (ie, experimental vaccines)
As we witness (actually, just hear about in the relentless media cycle) the orderly and aggressive moves by the Trump administration, the establishment, the globalists and the left are shrieking in panic – trying to pin each iteration of discovered failure and fraud on the right. It is clear that “we the people”, especially here in Iowa, understand the truth, and recognize that our faith and our core values are the key to a better future.
The property tax issue really highlights the impact our runaway federal government has had in fueling inflation which is adding real stress on all entities, including persons, families, and government. Our system increasingly lacks integrity, which has led to far too many people losing faith in the system – which results in people taking rather than giving, always looking for a way to get ahead quick at the expense of the future.
I believe more than ever that our faith, our families, and our communities are crucial to our future, and we must each refocus on only those things that truly matter in the long term. I am not sure how to convince young people of the merits of life in rural Iowa, but I am absolutely convinced that simple life is in fact better and our future depends on returning to our roots in Iowa.
Looking forward to the end of session, but fully committed to representing the people of Iowa all year long - thank you for selecting me to represent you in Des Moines. |
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