House passes bill limiting eminent domain

This week we had one of the highlights of the legislative session — the annual visit of our FFA students. They bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the Capitol, and I’m always impressed by the questions and comments we hear from them.

FFA teachers, like 4-H leaders, play an important role in helping our young people gain confidence, grow as leaders, and move into adulthood.

Last week, I mentioned that we had already moved a landowner protection bill through the House Judiciary Committee. This week, we passed it in the House and sent it to the Senate.

House File 2104 simply says that eminent domain may not be used for the purpose of carbon dioxide pipelines. This is a very narrow restriction on eminent domain, but it is an important message that eminent domain may only be used for projects that fit the definition of “public use.”

The Senate has proposed their own bills related to CO2 pipelines. I am hopeful that this year we will be able to get protections for landowner rights across the finish line.

This week, our caucus released its own property tax relief proposal: House Study Bill 596. I believe this legislation addresses the primary goals I've been laying out on this topic. It is straightforward. It puts the taxpayers first. And it delivers relief to every homeowner.

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For too long the property tax system has put certainty for government budgets over the certainty for family budgets. This proposal would put our priorities straight.

The components of the bill include:

• Capping annual 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 its assessed value.

• 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 to help local governments find efficiencies and cut waste.

Our bill would provide immediate tax relief to every single homeowner in Iowa. Every senior citizen on fixed income. Every young couple buying their starter home. Every middle-class family working hard for their future.

The Governor and Senate have also announced their property tax proposals. I am glad these bills have been released so early in the session. It gives us a chance to consider feedback from you.

Many Iowans have voiced concerns about housing affordability. There are several factors that affect housing affordability: housing supply, property taxes, utilities, insurance costs, building codes, zoning and other regulations.

Last year, we passed Senate File 592, which requires cities and counties to allow an accessory dwelling unit — sometimes known as backyard cottages, in-law suites, or granny flats — on the same lot as a single-family home. Now, families can add a small apartment or home on their property, creating nearby housing for aging relatives or new rental units.

I was pleased to support the ADU bill. I think it is a common sense, pro-family, pro-affordability, pro-property rights piece of legislation.

This year, I introduced a bill that I call the SHOVEL Act which stands for “Stop HOusing VEtoes Legislatively.”

Imagine that you wish to build housing on your property, but you first need city council approval. Imagine that the city council approves your project. Under current law, that may not be enough. Even if the city council approves your application, there is a section of Iowa code that empowers a couple of grumpy neighbors to veto your application.

My bill (House File 2062) simply deletes that section of code.

We elect city councilors to make decisions. I’m not aware of any other area of law where we let a random citizen veto the decisions of democratically elected representatives. I can’t believe this section of code ever found its way into our laws. (If random citizens could veto acts of our elected officials, you and I would probably be doing it all the time!)

So, I view the SHOVEL Act as pro-affordability, pro-property rights, and pro-representative government. I chaired a subcommittee hearing on the bill this week.

Over the years, I have often heard that university sports programs are never paid for with taxpayer money. “Don’t worry,” I always hear, “our sports programs are completely self-funded.”

Apparently, not so.

In 2021, blaming self-imposed COVID-19 restrictions for financial losses, the University of Iowa athletic department signed an agreement to borrow $50 million from the university’s general fund cash reserves. As of now, the vast majority of the loan has not been repaid, despite record-breaking sports revenues.

This raises two questions in my mind:

• Should we be increasing taxpayer funding of a university if its cash reserves are so large that it can make $50 million loans?

• Should a taxpayer-funded university be involved in any kind of commercial lending?

My first impression is “no” on both counts. If an entity has the wealth to make $50 million dollar loans, it doesn’t need any more of your money. I don’t think a university is set up to be a lender anyway. But I’m open to learning more.

The UI athletic department has reported record revenues for four consecutive years, with the latest figures for fiscal year 2025 reaching $153.2 million. The department's financial performance has surged well beyond pre-pandemic levels.

Iowa’s CFO has acknowledged the slow progress of repayment and stated a desire to get the loan paid as quickly as possible. But despite record-breaking athletic revenues, no accelerated schedule has been formally mandated. Let’s go, Hawks.

My concern extends to Iowa State as well, where the athletic director said in June that it is not “sustainable” to expect their athletic department to “fend for itself” without taxpayer support. Imagine Hawkeye-fan taxpayers having to fund Cyclone sports. And vice versa.

On Tuesday, the Iowa Department of Transportation announced the launching of a new statewide scheduling system for Iowans needing to get or renew their driver’s licenses.

I really appreciated the fact that in response to the pandemic, the DOT started letting us schedule a specific time to register a vehicle or get a driver’s license. One of the frustrations with the system, however, has been that you had to visit multiple websites to see what times were available in different DOT offices or county courthouses near you.

The new website — https://iowadot.gov/drivers-licenses-ids/schedule-appointment — allows Iowans to view appointment times at all 103 state- and county-run locations. The system now lets you select the service you need, shows you available times, and lets you schedule an appointment.