Reichman's Remarks

This was the twelfth week of the legislative session and focused primarily on the second major legislative deadline of the year. This deadline is how we narrow down which bills have the support to move forward through both chambers or to possibly be revisited next year. Since House bills needed to be out of committee in order to be considered for the rest of session, most of our work this week was in subcommittees and committees.

Stories poured in from across the state this week as property assessments started to arrive in mailboxes of Iowa homeowners. The Sioux City Journal, Quad City Times, Radio Iowa, and the Cedar Rapids Gazette all published stories about the shock and dismay from homeowners about the increased assessment of their property. One exasperated homeowner remarked, "How does anyone live a normal life when all you do in the morning is wake up and go work to barely live and pay taxes upon taxes upon taxes?"

According to news articles, statewide assessment increases are an average of 20-30 percent this year. Some Iowans saw their property rise in value by as much as $50,000 or $100,000. Property taxes are a difficult tax for many reasons but principally they are difficult because they are not tied Iowans’ income or purchases.

Property taxes are tied to the value of a property someone may have purchased decades ago. Their income may have changed because they retired or had another life change. A huge increase in valuations could lead to a huge increase in property taxes. Many Iowans fear that outcome because they have experienced it time and time again.

It does not have to be this way.

In the coming weeks the Iowa Senate will continue its work on controlling property tax increases. Senate File 356 is one bill to address rising property taxes. It gets the property tax system back to basics by reinstating hard caps, consolidating dozens of levies, and closing loopholes regularly abused by local governments. The Iowa Senate is not asking local governments to do anything differently than state government has done for the last six years: control spending and return savings to the taxpayer in the form of permanent, sustainable tax relief.

If readers do think their valuation exceeds the market value for their homes, they have an option. Taxpayers can challenge their valuations through property tax appeal boards at the county or city level.

Iowans support legislative priorities

When we visit with constituents in our communities, we hear about a variety of issues. They range from property tax relief from a broken system and concerns about K-12 education, to concerns about health care and having access to affordable, quality services. These important issues we heard about over the summer and took to the Capitol to work on this session.

While we still have a few weeks to go before the scheduled end of the 2023 legislative session, this session has already accomplished a lot. We passed school choice for all Iowa students, ensuring parents, no matter how much money they make, can send their child to a school that best fits their needs and prepares them for success. We passed Senate File 181, protecting Iowa taxpayers from a potential $120 million tax increase. We have also passed the first major government reorganization bill increasing efficiency in government and saving taxpayer money.

Several bills are in the legislative process to keep moving our state in the right direction. One of these bills is Senate File 542, which balances safety, educational, and developmental concerns, while removing arbitrary and antiquated barriers for young Iowans wishing to work, whether they are looking to make some money for themselves or looking for experience to further their careers. This proposal has support from fifty percent of Iowans.

Another major issue we are working on this year is providing property tax relief for Iowans. This is one of the biggest issues we will deal with this year, and an issue fifty-eight percent of Iowans support according to the Register’s Iowa Poll. The Senate released Senate File 356 this year, to work on that issue for Iowans.

Another article from the Register shows Iowans also support House File 161, placing a limit on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases. It was a critical bill to make Iowa a more attractive place for doctors and health care providers to come practice and provide services Iowans desperately need and limit the awards for out-of-state trial lawyers.

I was honored to attend a special bill signing on Tuesday for the Rural Emergency Hospital, my legislation that I had drafted. Governor Reynolds said this is important for SE Iowa and all rural healthcare facing significant financial difficulties. A special thanks to everyone involved and our representative, Martin Graber. SF 75, along with other bills like HF 161, are important bills to offer incentives to medical professionals to practice in under-served and rural areas and ensure emergency care is available in SE Iowa.