Wulf’s Weekly Roundup: Week 2

Protecting Property Rights  

Week two of the 91st Iowa General Assembly brought a flurry of bill introductions,  subcommittee meetings, and committee action on an array of different legislation. This years  session is set to be 100 days and will quickly pass by as key deadlines for legislation to survive  come and go.  

HF 2104: Protecting Landowners from Eminent Domain Abuse  

The first bill passed off the floor of the Iowa House this session was House File 2104 to protect  landowners from abuse of eminent domain for CO2 pipelines. Iowa landowners have been  clear, private property is a fundamental right, not a convenience for private corporations.  

House Republicans have passed bills on this issue repeatedly since 2023. This session, our  approach is very narrowly tailored. HF 2104 simply prohibits eminent domain for the purpose of  carbon dioxide pipelines. This is not about opposing the pipelines, but about opposing the use  of eminent domain to construct the pipelines. We aren't telling companies they can’t build,  we’re telling them they must negotiate fairly with Iowans instead of using the heavy hand of  government to take what they want. 

Iowa House Republicans Put Taxpayers First with Property Tax Proposal  This week, Iowa House Republicans released House Study Bill 596, our property tax proposal  to finally put the taxpayers first. This plan is not about protecting the status quo for taxing  entities; it is about creating predictability and protecting the bank accounts of hardworking  Iowans.  

For too long the property tax system has put certainty for government budgets over the  certainty of family budgets, and with this proposal, Republicans are flipping that script. The  components of the bill include:  

• Capping revenue growth at 2% plus new construction, ensuring that cities and counties are  still incentivized to grow. This component includes exceptions for schools and the debt  levy.  

• Delivering immediate relief to every homeowner by creating a new $25,000 exemption.  Every residential property will not be taxed on the first $25,000 of the assessed value of  their home.  

• Revamping the informational mailer sent to every property taxpayer to increase  transparency and give taxpayers a better idea of where their money is going and what it  funds.  

• Clarifying that all bonds payable with property taxes must receive a 60% affirmative vote.  

• Requiring Councils of Government (COGs) to help local governments find efficiencies and  cut waste.  

One of the differences in our proposal from the others is the exemption on the first $25,000 of  the assessed value of every residential property. By creating this exemption for every  residential property, we are delivering immediate tax relief to every single homeowner in Iowa. 

This means every senior citizen on fixed income, every young couple buying their starter home,  and every middle-class family working hard for their children - will all see relief. This plan  prioritizes the taxpayer over the taxing entities. It brings simplicity, it brings transparency, and  most importantly, it brings relief.  

We wrap up this weeks recap with a “Did You Know”. Did you know that you can watch all  daily action on both the House and Senate Floors, as well as committees live? Visit  www.legis.iowa.gov to watch all meetings as well track progress of different legislation.