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Capitol Letters: Dyed diesel fuel relief
Posted Thursday, October 22, 2026 4:25 pm Last week, both President Trump and Governor Reynolds issued orders permitting the use of dyed diesel fuel on roadways. There are differences in the orders and how they apply here in Iowa versus around the country. Above is a chart put together by the Departments of Transportation, Public Safety, and Revenue to help Iowans understand the assistance being provided at both levels. Contact Rep.
Capitol Letters: Special Session — MEGA program updates
Last Monday, President Trump announced that the company Mesabi Metallics plans to build a new steel mill, the largest in U.S. history, right here in Iowa. On Tuesday, Governor Reynolds called a special session of the legislature to expand an existing program, the Major Economic Growth Attraction (MEGA) program, facilitate by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, to facilitate the project and incentives. MEGA started off as: two projects which receive a 5% investment tax credit (current MEGA).
Capitol Letters: State revenue continues solid start to fiscal year 2027
State revenue remained on the positive side of the ledger through two months of Fiscal Year 2027. According to the Legislative Services Agency, net receipts have increased by $102 million or 7.2% through August. Sales and use tax collections continue to drive the revenue figures. For the first two months of FY 2027, this category is running 12.2% higher than the same time period last fiscal year. This amounts to an increase of $114 million.
Capitol Letters: The real dangers of kratom
Last week Gov. Kim Reynolds held a press conference warning Iowans of the dangers of kratom and encouraging state action to combat this dangerous substance. Kratom is unknown to many, and while it may come from a plant, that does not make it safe. What is kratom? Kratom is a tree, native to Southeast Asia. The leaves of the tree are sought due to two significant psychoactive ingredients (mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine) which can act as a stimulant and as a sedative in different doses.
Capitol Letters: Attorney General’s office successfully defends disaster bill
Following the floods in Northwest Iowa in 2024, the House Local Government Committee, of which I served as Chair, reported out of committee a bill that would become SF 619, which provided additional programs and resources for disaster recovery and assistance. Additionally, the comprehensive legislation included new consumer protection reforms.
Capitol Letters: Managing mobile ID
Iowa was at the forefront of creating a mobile driver’s license, and now that option is transitioning. The state was one of the first to offer citizens the ability to place their driver’s license on a mobile platform so that a person could have an official ID on their phone. This was done through DOT’s IA Mobile ID app. This app provided a valid form of identification which could be used at airports or on the road. Last week, the DOT announced that they are transitioning this service.
Capitol Letters: Iowa Legislature prioritizes rural health care
As rural populations age and decrease, providing health care requires unique solutions to attract health care workforce and ensure a stable business model. We are not only focusing on helping Iowa’s rural communities thrive but also to ensure access to quality health care in all corners of the state.
Capitol Letters: Protecting Iowa children from online predators
A generation ago, parents worried about what their children might see at the movie theater or on a magazine rack. Today, a child with a smartphone and an internet connection can access obscene material in seconds. Technology has changed dramatically, and Iowa's laws must keep up. Research shows children are exposed to online pornography long before they reach adulthood, often unintentionally through social media, pop-up advertisements, or internet searches.
Capitol Letters: With the Wallace Building gone, what happens next?
The view to the northwest of the Iowa State Capitol is much different this summer, as the Wallace State Office Building no longer stands at the corner of East Ninth Street and Grand Avenue. While contractors are finishing their work to clear the site, some are now asking what comes next. The Wallace Building opened in 1978, housing the Department of Agriculture and other state agencies. While Iowans marveled at the reflective glass used for the façade on Grand Avenue, the building had issues.
Capitol Letters: Gov. Reynolds completes work on FY 2027 budget
Gov. Kim Reynolds completed the work on the Fiscal Year 2027 state budget by signing the 10 appropriations bills into law, after a few alterations. As she is allowed to do, the Governor struck several provisions from the budget bills by utilizing her item veto authority. Unlike some past governors, Gov. Reynolds is very selective when it comes to item vetoes. This year is no different, as she only vetoed seven provisions.
Capitol Letters: FY 2027 Infrastructure budget makes major investments into Iowa communities
Investing in Iowa’s infrastructure through the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund is always a sign that a legislative session is coming to an end. That was the case as the 2026 session concluded on May 2, with the state committing $267.5 million towards new and ongoing building projects across the state. Three major commitments are the highlights of Senate File 2484. Leading this is the investment of $10 million into the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Strategic Infrastructure Program.
Capitol Letters: Iowa’s class of 2025 graduation rate reaches 88.8%, exceeding pre-pandemic rates
Iowa’s high school graduation rate increased half of a percentage point, reaching 88.8% for the graduating class of 2025, according to figures released today by the Iowa Department of Education. This marks the highest graduation rate in the past five years and the first time since 2020 that Iowa’s graduation rate has exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
Capitol Letters: DOT warns Iowans about phishing scam
The Iowa Department of Transportation is again warning consumers of recent text phishing scams that is occurring across the country this spring. Citizens are receiving fraudulent text messages that appear to be from the Iowa DOT that say they have an unpaid toll or registration fee. The text asks recipients to click on a link to provide personal information as well as credit card numbers. Many times, the link will lead to a website that looks like the Iowa DOT’s website.
Capitol Letters: Focusing on properties, oversight of federal grants
While it doesn’t have a budget bill to produce this year, the Federal Funds and Other Funds Budget Subcommittee is keeping busy by looking into areas that have not been examined for some time. The subcommittee has been assigned two appropriations bills looking to improve the openness and transparency of state government. House Study Bill 765 addresses what properties the state of Iowa owns.
Capitol Letters: House Committee passes historic property tax reform
House Study Bill 596 passed out of the House Ways and Means committee this week. The historic property tax reform bill contains multiple divisions and covers a breadth of topics that holds the property taxpayer’s interests at heart — not the government’s. First, the bill limits local government reserve accounts to 35% of current budget.
Capitol Letters: Cracking down on crime
We’ve seen it countless times across the country, career criminals who have never had to face consequences for their actions harming and even killing innocent people. Iowans have had enough and introduced three major pieces of legislation this year. On Wednesday, the bills were passed off the house floor and sent to the Senate for their consideration.
Addressing growing concern on the roads: Commercial drivers who cannot speak English
CAPITOL LETTERS -- One of the major issues in the transportation arena over the past year has been the proliferation of deadly accidents across the country involving people who somehow have gotten Commercial Driver’s Licenses in spite of not being English proficient. The House Transportation Committee is working with Iowa’s trucking community to take hard steps to prevent that from happening here.
Capitol Letters: Three property tax bills — how are they different? - Storm Lake Times Pilot
As the legislature pushes through to the first funnel deadline on Feb. 20, we are starting to have more in-depth conversations on the budget and tax reform. The House, Senate and Governor’s office have all introduced their proposals — and did so in the first few days of the legislative session. This has allowed the public time to contemplate the ramifications of the proposals while the legislature turns its focus on policy bills in anticipation of the policy funnel deadlines.
Capitol Letters: Iowa AG sues 18 PBMs and insulin manufacturers for inflating insulin prices
Attorney General Brenna Bird announced on Jan. 29 she has filed a lawsuit against 18 Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and insulin manufacturers asserting they manipulated and inflated insulin prices to profit at the expense of Iowans using life-sustaining insulin. “Artificially increasing prices to profit off of people who could die without your product is terrible,” said Bird. “Diabetics in Iowa deserve a free and fair marketplace, not a rigged market increasing the price of their insulin.
Capitol Letters: Governor Reynolds releases FY 2027 budget proposal
While her speech focused on reforming Iowa’s property tax system and the use of new federal health funding, Tuesday night’s condition of the state address culminated with the release of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget. As is the case most years, the bulk of the increases goes to two items — schools and Medicaid. The Governor’s FY 2027 General Fund budget proposes the state should spend $9.6713 billion starting July 1, 2026.
Capitol Letters: Iowa steps up the fight against human trafficking
Over the last few years, Iowa has taken major steps to strengthen its laws against human trafficking — the crime of exploiting people through force, fraud, or coercion for sex or labor. We have worked to increase penalties for traffickers, expanded protections for victims, and introduced new measures to help survivors rebuild their lives.
Capitol Letters: Where does $1.28 billion go?
To good cause: mental health. Iowans and the legislature have made mental health a priority by passing significant legislation over the last many years. These bills include efforts to expand access to mental health services for all ages, create a sustainable, long-term funding system, provide training to help schools address student mental health needs, and increase the mental health workforce throughout the state.
Capitol Letters: The 2026 Legislative Page Program is now taking applications
What is the Page Program? Each year the Iowa Senate, Iowa House of Representatives and Legislative Services Agency employ high school juniors and seniors to serve as Pages for the legislative session. This is a full-time job in Des Moines, Monday through Thursday. To be eligible, applicants shall be at least 16 years of age by Jan. 2, 2026. Pages will begin work on Jan. 12, 2026, through the end of the legislative session.
Capitol Letters: Impressive gains in early literacy and science in 2025 assessment results
The Iowa Department of Education today released new spring 2025 assessment results from the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) for students in grades 3-11. The state-level results show encouraging improvements in student achievement across most grade levels in English language arts and science, while high school math proficiency rates continue to lag behind those of earlier grade levels.
Capitol Letters: A lot of talk about IPERS future
The Iowa Public Retirement System is the largest public retirement system in Iowa. There's been a lot of talk about IPERS and the recommendations by the DOGE committee. I have publicly said I do not support the committee’s IPERS recommendations. And it sounds like the proposals have zero support from leadership, so they will not be moving forward. So, there is not much to talk about in the DOGE committee’s IPERS proposals.
Capitol Letters: Talking about and taking action on cancer rates in Iowa
In late July, Spencer Hospital hosted a meeting called Cancer in Iowa: 99 Counties Project. The question was asked, “What is the state doing?” Great question! Let’s dig into that more. In this year’s education budget, there was a $1 million study included to research Iowa’s cancer rates.
Capitol Letters: Web of PBM enforcement to occur with district court injunction
This session, the House and Senate advanced, and the governor signed, reform of Iowa’s pharmacy benefit managers with bipartisan support. More than 150 pharmacies have closed in Iowa in the last decade, including more than 30 last year. Rural Iowa has been hit the hardest, making it harder for these Iowans to get the medications they need.
Capitol Letters: Well, this is interesting....
A unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court gave the legislature a major victory in late June as it ruled against Governor Tony Evers’ partial veto of policy directives for a state literacy program. What makes the case unique is that the funding for the program was not appropriated to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, but instead was put in the Legislature’s “emergency account.” In 2023, Evers signed legislation creating an early literacy coaching program.
Capitol Letters: Reynolds signs pharmacy benefit manager reform, lawsuit filed
This session the House and Senate advanced reform of Iowa’s pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) with bipartisan support. More than 200 pharmacies have closed in Iowa in the last decade, including more than 30 last year. Rural Iowa has been hit the hardest, making it harder for these Iowans to get the medications they need.
Capitol Letters: Key accomplishments out of the Local Government Committee
With the 2025 legislative session concluded, the Local Government Committee reported 25 bills out of the committee for full consideration of the House of Representatives. Of those bills, 10 have been signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds. These bills cover a range of topics including disaster relief, providing protection for property owner rights and civil service reform. Gov.
Capitol Letters: The final budget
The Fiscal Year 2026 budget will spend $9.424 billion in the next year, an increase of 5.33% over the current year. With the ending of the enhanced federal matching rate for Medicaid in 2023, it was a matter of time before Iowa had to commit increased state tax dollars to the largest program in state government. For FY 2026, the state will spend $1.903 billion from the General Fund for the state’s share of the Medicaid program. This is an increase of $252.7 million over the current year’s budget.
Capitol Letters: A close to the 2025 Legislative Session
On Friday, May 15, at 6:31 a.m., we adjourned the 2025 legislative session. We made a lot of great strides this session. We did some amazing things. Are there some broken-hearts over failed bills? Absolutely. But, we are only one year in to this General Assembly, so bills will still have another year to make progress.
Capitol Letters: Property taxes — what comes after local board of review? - Storm Lake Times Pilot
Earlier this spring, homeowners received their 2025 property tax assessments. If you disagreed with your assessment, you had until the end of April to file a protest with your local board of review. After you receive that decision, you then have two choices: appeal to PAAB (Property Assessment Appeals Board) or appeal to district court. If you decide to appeal to the PAAB, here is some helpful information.
Capitol Letters: Iowa ranks fifth in the nation, leading Midwest in preschool access for four-year-olds
In a newly released national report, Iowa maintains its top five ranking in preschool access for four-year-old children. The state’s national ranking in preschool access for three-year-old children also gained new ground, rising from 22nd to 21st place. Each year, the National Institute for Early Education Research’s (NIEER) State of Preschool Yearbook provides a critical snapshot of preschool education in the United States.
Capitol Letters: House passes Catastrophic Savings Accounts
Last week, the Iowa House unanimously passed House File 988, which allows Iowans to open tax-free interest-bearing savings accounts to pay for qualified catastrophic expenses. The bill defines catastrophic events as windstorms, cyclones, earthquakes, ice storms, tornadoes, high winds, flood, hail and major disasters declared by the president or governor that are not normally covered by property casualty insurance.
Capitol Letters: Department of Revenue re-org
It's that time of the year, when I get a lot of questions about the Department of Revenue- and every year the are making strides at improving the processes. Just last week the Iowa Department of Revenue announced it is in the final year of major efforts to enhance and improve the overall efficiency department technology.
Capitol Letters: House passes legislation on work, nutrition assistance
Last week, the House passed bills on work requirements for Medicaid expansion and food eligible for nutrition assistance. HF 948 requires the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to request federal approval to include work requirements as a condition of maintaining eligibility for Medicaid expansion in Iowa. This program will reduce the dependence of low-income Iowans on public assistance and will help them move up the economic ladder. This bill ensures that able-bodied adults are working.
Capitol Letters: I don’t know it all — and you don’t want me to - Storm Lake Times Pilot
At the Storm Lake forum last Saturday, House File 572 was brought up multiple times. I had heard very little about this bill prior to the forum. There are thousands of bills floating around the Capitol right now — House files, Senate Files, House Resolutions, Senate Resolutions, Joint Resolutions, bill drafts... and the ideas. So many ideas. It's impossible to keep up with all of them, because ultimately, most will not become law, and the legislative process filters them by design.
Capitol Letters: State government committee’s busy funnel week
Last week was the first legislative funnel deadline for legislation to pass through committee. The State Government Committee continued to work hard passing 45 bills out of the committee. These bills will continue to move through the legislative process, while the committee will continue to work on legislation passed by the Senate. Below is a brief summary of each bill that survived the first funnel.
Capitol Letters: Disaster Recovery Housing Program passes committee
Last week the House Local Government Committee reported out of committee House Study Bill 246, which enhances and improves Iowan's recovery efforts for communities affected by natural disasters. This comprehensive legislation encompasses several important programs and regulatory changes that will benefit homeowners, renters, and the broader community. Here are the main highlights: 1.
Capitol Letters: House agriculture committee passes grain indemnity program update
On Tuesday, Feb. 18, the Iowa House Agriculture Committee passed House Study Bill 131 by a bipartisan vote of 21-1. HSB 131 makes a number of modernizing changes to the state grain indemnity program which is now nearing 40 years old. Since the 1980s, when this program was created, Iowa production of grain has nearly doubled as have grain prices.
Capitol Letters: The sometimes silly season of session
The beginning of the legislative session brings a lot of ideas. A LOT of ideas. Fortunately and unfortunately, every member can introduce any legislation they see fit. You've probably read a few headlines discussing some of these proposals. Out of 150 legislators, hundreds of pieces of legislation are introduced each year. What is good for my district, might give another representative pause. Sometimes, we introduce a bill for a constituent, even if we are hesitant about what it does.
Capitol Letters: Future after flood
Last Tuesday I hosted a delegation representing the Spencer area at the Capitol. I was able to introduce the group on the House floor and share a little bit about the flood with the entire House during a point of personal privilege. Notably, we met with specific committee chairs regarding economic development and plans to move our communities forward. As chair of Local Government Committee, I asked the group to present.
Capitol Letters: New year, new session
What a year we had in 2024. There is so much to say — but no words can express what we have experienced. Our area saw horrific devastation, but also the best in humanity. Volunteers came from all over to help piece use back together. People set aside their own problems to help others. We are on recovery road. I want to thank you all for your efforts. Whether you made food, shoveled muck or rescued people on boats, thank you. Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, marked the first day of the legislative session.
Capitol Letters: How to deal with insurance, contractors and public adjusters after a storm
The following information was provided by the Iowa Insurance Division: Dealing with damage to your home or property following a storm can be stressful. If you have a claim with your insurance company for a loss or damage to your property, you may need to seek the assistance of a contractor to make repairs. A contractor provides labor and materials to build or repair a structure in exchange for a fee.
Capitol Letters: Agriculture update on storms and avian flu
On Friday, May 24, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach reissued a press release relaying that Iowans who are cleaning up from the recent bout of storms can find useful resources offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Deadly storms with multiple tornadoes were reported in April, and again in late May, causing houses and buildings to be destroyed, with debris spread across streets and into farm fields.
Capitol Letters: Fiscal year 2025 budget ready for implementation as governor signs appropriation bills
With Gov. Kim Reynolds signing all this year’s budget bills, the state’s spending plan for the new fiscal year is now set. The Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations bills were signed on May 9. The governor chose not to use her line item veto authority on any of the 10 appropriations bills that comprise the FY 2025 budget. The newly enacted budget will spend $8.9132 billion over the next 12 months, starting July 1.
Capitol Letters: Sine die to 2024’s legislative session
At 4:23 a.m. on Saturday, April 20, we adjourned Sine Die (which just means final adjournment for the session). It was an early morning and a late night. There were a lot of broken hearts over bills that didn’t make it. There was a lot of frustration about bills that did make it. I went into session with realistic expectations, knowing I would fight to make bills better and do the best I could for my constituents. That meant listening, learning and advocating.
Capitol Letters: Child care and adoption tax credit successes
House File 2655 provides that childcare centers and facilities will be given the residential rollback (instead of commercial) for property tax purposes. The bill passed out of the House Ways and Means Committee as well as off the House floor. Current law provides that a childcare center or childcare facility are commercial properties and as such are assigned a 90% rollback.
Capitol Letters: House passes Iowa Rural Development Tax Credit Program
Last week, the House released the House Health and Human Services Budget. This budget appropriates $2.217 billion of state general fund to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Health and Human Services for Fiscal Year 2025. This represents a $92.5 million increase in general fund compared to Fiscal Year 2024.
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