Legislators visit with constituents in Henry County

MT. PLEASANT — Legislative priorities ranging from property tax reform to rural health care expansion took center stage Thursday night, Jan. 9 at the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce Public Officials Reception, held at The Grange Public House and Brewery.

Local legislators, including Iowa State Rep. Taylor Collins and Rep. Jeff Shipley, used the event to preview key issues for the legislative session which opened Monday, Jan. 13.

The event served as a vital link between constituents and their elected and nonelected officials. Attendees included members of the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce, local business leaders, and community members.

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Notably, a handful of Mt. Pleasant Community School District's iJAG students stopped by to practice their communication skills with officials. One young man named Yair Reyes took charge and asked to speak to Mt. Pleasant Mayor Steve Brimhall. He could be overheard asking Brimhall what his job entails, to which Brimhall happily took the time to chat with the student keeping with the spirit of the reception.

Some other officials in attendance included Henry County Supervisors, Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee, Auditor Robin Detrick, and Sen. Mark Lofgren. Their presence underscored the collaborative spirit of the evening, with discussions ranging from local infrastructure projects to statewide policy reforms.

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Property taxes were a dominant concern voiced by Collins, who highlighted the disproportionate growth in local tax burdens compared to population increases.

“Over the last 20 years, property taxes in Iowa have more than doubled, far outpacing population growth and inflation,” Collins said. “Local governments now consume more than $6 billion in property taxes annually — enough to fund the entire government of South Dakota.”

Collins emphasized the urgency of addressing the issue, citing its impact on homeownership and rural development.

“Our property taxes are so high that some people feel like they’re renting their home from the government,” he added.

Henry County residents have been particularly vocal about rising property taxes. Collins suggested that reform could incentivize homeownership and economic development, especially in rural areas like Mt. Pleasant. He pointed to potential legislative measures, including caps on property tax increases and increased transparency in local government spending.

Sen. Lofgren affirmed he intended to focus on lowering property taxes while in session, as well.

In a related topic, Collins said he plans to discuss potential expansions to the workforce housing tax credit, which he credited with enabling creative redevelopment projects in Southeast Iowa during session. He pointed to the renovation of blighted properties into affordable housing as a success story that could be replicated statewide.

“Expanding this credit would encourage more investment in rural housing,” he said.

Another key focus for Collins this session will include higher education reform. As the newly appointed chair of the Iowa House Higher Education Committee — the first such committee since 1971 — he outlined a vision for improving the efficiency and relevance of Iowa’s public universities.

“Our higher education system faces a crisis of confidence,” he said. “We’ll be reviewing administrative spending, tuition caps, and the viability of certain academic programs to ensure taxpayers and students receive a solid return on investment.”

Collins shared an idea he hopes to pursue that will allow community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees in high-demand fields, a move he believes could significantly impact rural Iowa’s workforce for the better.

“Students who stay local for their education are more likely to remain in rural Iowa,” Collins said.

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President of the Iowa Association of School Boards and member of the Southeastern Community College Board of Trustees Jesse Howard expressed a need to keep students in the region so they can then fill these workforce needs.

“On behalf of IASB, one of the things we’re constantly pushing for and asking is how do we provide more resources and more opportunities to keep people in our regional areas, specifically rural outreaches of our association,” Howard said. “So, the School Board Association represents all K-12 now that we have 100% members which hasn’t been done in over 20 years. Last year we got the last one. So, 325 schools plus the 15 community colleges working together.”

According to Howard, the current 2 Plus 2 Transfer Guaranteed Graduation Plan has been successful in giving students a leg-up on attending university, but it is designed to funnel students to the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

“Every year, we have several students who earn their associate degrees before they even receive their high school diplomas,” Howard noted. “We’re kind of on an island now. Not only Southeast Iowa, but also Western Iowa but we want to keep them here. We’re trying to do everything we can do, but when they’re saying everything has to be fed to the University of Iowa for this region, well.”

While Collins admits this move will likely be met with opposition from four-year schools feeling threatened, he says the intent is to only offer the four-year degrees for select high-demand fields.

Public safety and school security also featured prominently in Collins’ legislative agenda. He highlighted the importance of school resource officers in rural communities.

“It is critical that we have these officers, especially in districts without local police departments,” Collins said.

When asked specifically about concerns the Henry County Board of Supervisors have raised about funding if Henry County Sheriff Deputies filled school resource officer positions, Collins acknowledged that these issues would need interagency agreements but maintained that primarily the schools shoulder the entire cost of these positions.

“Basically, the debate is, in that first year, you have to pay the deputy, and then you get reimbursed,” Collins said. “But after that, it's just a matter of cash flow management. The school district is going to reimburse the county for those expenses. So, it's really just a cash flow problem at the end of the day.”

School safety discussions extended to infrastructure improvements. Collins anticipates a legislative push for single-point-of-entry designs in schools, a measure aimed at improving building security.

Collins also addressed ongoing concerns about rural health care. He underscored the importance of expanding residency slots for medical graduates to combat the physician shortage in Iowa.

“We graduate more doctors than we have residency slots, which means we’re losing talent to other states,” he said. “If we want to retain these graduates, we need to increase residency opportunities.”

Mental health services were another area of focus, with Collins noting the upcoming merger of mental health and substance abuse regions into behavioral health districts.

“This integration is crucial for providing comprehensive care,” he said, praising the bipartisan support the initiative received last year.

Energy policy and infrastructure are also expected to be on the docket. Collins mentioned ongoing discussions with state officials about increasing natural gas capacity, which he views as essential for economic growth in Southeast Iowa.

“Limited access to natural gas is hindering our ability to attract new businesses,” he said. He expressed hope that the governor’s forthcoming energy bill would address this issue.

As far as alternative energy, he does not expect any legislation to come from the state level and stated he hopes those decisions will stay in the control of the local government.

Rep. Jeff Shipley, who attended the reception, indicated his intention to support many of Collins’ initiatives. Shipley also engaged with constituents on niche issues, such as the removal of artificial dyes from school lunches, reflecting his broader interest in health and wellness.

The reception provided an opportunity for local officials to share concerns directly with legislators. Many attendees expressed appreciation for the legislators’ willingness to engage on local issues.

As the legislative session begins, constituents in Henry County will closely watch Collins, Shipley, and Lofgren. With a packed agenda and significant local concerns fresh in the legislators’ minds, residents are hopeful that their representatives’ efforts will lead to tangible improvements in property taxes, education, public safety, and health care.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Kruse@southeastiowaunion.com