February 24, 2023

• SF 181 was signed into law on Monday. Expect to receive updated taxable property tax valuation information from your county auditor. See the Iowa Department of Management communication for additional information.
• March 3 is the first legislative funnel. Learn more about this and other important deadlines on the Legislative Timetable.
• The passing of the legislative funnel means fewer policy proposals will be considered, but more tax bills will be considered.

• SSB 1124 passed through the Ways & Means Committee with an amendment. It was refiled with a new bill number and is now SF 356.
• Provides a new process to derive a city levy rate which is connected to assessment growth.
• Due to the complicated nature of this legislation, we have created this webpage to detail this legislation. This week the bill received a significant amendment and we are updating the website to reflect this. You are encouraged to read this webpage to better understand the legislation before contacting your legislator.
• We are analyzing the impacts of SF 356. While the League is registered against SSB 1124, each piece of legislation needs to be considered carefully.
• We encourage all League members to discuss with their Senator the impacts this bill could have on city services and future plans. This legislation can now be brought to the Senate Floor.

• Increases the state sales and use tax rate from 6% to 7%, eliminates the local option sales and service tax and increases the sales taxes distributed to local governments.
• Strikes provision in the Code of Iowa requiring one-half of the money generated by the water service tax be deposited into the water quality financial assistance fund and requires all money generated from the water service tax be deposited into the general fund of the state.
• Makes an appropriation to the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund.
• Reduces commercial and industrial property tax rollback to 85% and then 80% in two years. Provides rollback reductions to pipeline and telephone properties in Chapters 428, 433, 437 and 434.
• Converts the Homestead Tax Credit and Veterans Property Tax Credit into exemptions. Increases eligibility for the Elderly and Military Tax Credit.
• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
• The League is registered in opposition.
• Due to the complicated nature of this legislation, we have created this webpage to detail this legislation. 

• Allows a local government to temporarily suspend the hiring regulations of public safety officers found in Code of Iowa Chapter 400, Civil Service.
• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration in the Senate Local Government Committee.

• Provides amendments to Chapter 400 which generally provide protections for officers and added administration for the employing agency under disciplinary proceedings.

• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration in the House State Government Committee.

• Provides local emergency management agencies a levy independent of the county. It is expected that an amendment to this bill will cap the levy.
• Passed out of Local Government Committees in both the House and Senate and will be eligible for consideration on the respective floors.
• The League is registered in support.

• Allows the Executive Council the discretion to forgive disaster response loans given to cities in an amount of up to $1 million.
• Passed out Local Government Committee and will be eligible for consideration by the full Senate.
• The League is registered in support.

• Allows cities to collect money from ATE tickets sufficient to cover the cost of administering the program. Requires additional revenue to be deposited into the Road Use Tax Fund.
• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration in the House Public Safety Committee.

• Creates a chapter of the code which regulates the use and implementation of ATE by local governments. Requires local governments to apply to use ATE and gives the Iowa Department of Transportation authority to approve ATE. Sets requirements such as justification reports and required signage to operate ATE.
• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration in the House Public Safety Committee.

• Repeals Iowa’s Energy Code Conservation requirements for new construction.
• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration in the State Government Committee.

• Requires vacant elected city officer positions to be filled by an election if the remaining term has longer than six months.
• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration in the Senate State Government Committee.

• Authorizes cities to offer a LoSAP to volunteer public safety personnel as a retention bonus. Appropriates $1 million from state lottery revenue to provide matching funds.
• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration in the Senate Local Government Committee.

• Clarifies that meetings of three elected officials which are hosted by political or civic organizations do not constitute an open meeting under Code of Iowa Chapter 21.
• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration in the House State Government Committee.

• Allows cities less than 70,000 in population to regulate short-term rentals.
• Passed out of subcommittee in both House and Senate and will be eligible for consideration in the respective Local Government Committees.
• If your city would like to provide local regulations around the use of short-term rentals, please contact your legislator and urge them to pass this legislation through Committee before the legislative funnel.
• The League is registered in support.

• Increases the threshold of how much a municipal utility can cost before triggering Iowa Utility Board oversight of the purchase.
• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration in the Senate Commerce Committee.

• Grants the Iowa Office of the Chief Information Officer the authority to approve local government ransomware payments. Restricts which revenues a local government can use to make ransomware payments.
• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration in the House Economic Growth and Technology Committee.

• Preempts a local government from banning specific breeds of dogs or from banning dogs based on physical characteristics. Makes changes to Code of Iowa Chapter 351, ownership of dogs.
• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration in the House State Government Committee.
• The League is registered opposed.

• Proposes changes to Code of Iowa Chapter 411, which seeks to expand retirement and disability benefits for MFPRSI officers. The League continues to ask that any changes to Chapter 411 bring it closer to parity with Chapter 85, which governs workers’ compensation for the rest of Iowans.
• This legislation affects 49 cities. If your city is impacted, you are strongly encouraged to contact your Senator and House member to share those impacts in addition to contacting the League’s legislative staff.
• Passed out of State Government Committee in the Senate and will be eligible for consideration by the full Senate.

• Department of Public Safety omnibus. Provides that the retail sale of fireworks shall be regulated by the National Fire Protection Association Standards circa 2006.
• Passed out of the House.

 A list of all legislation filed this session can be found here. 

Subcommittees can be scheduled or canceled at any time, so the list below will only be accurate for a short time. An up-to-date list of subcommittees can be found here.

• 2023 Iowa Legislative Session Timetable
• Find Your Legislator
• Find Committee and Subcommittee Meetings
• Find Legislation

• Iowa Property Tax Information

February 25 - Glenwood Legislative Coffee
Where: Glenwood City Hall (5 North Vine Street, Glenwood, IA 51534)
Time: 7:45  -  8:45 a.m.
Confirmed Participants: Rep. David Sieck and Sen. Mark Costello

 

February 25 - Rock Rapids Eggs & Issues Legislative Forum
Where: Forster Community Center (404 1st Avenue, Rock Rapids, IA 51246)
Time: 8  -  9  a.m.
Confirmed Participants:  Rep. Skyler Wheeler and Sen. Jeff Taylor

 

February 25 - Fort Dodge Eggs & Issues Legislative Forum
Where: Iowa Central Community College - Triton Cafe (One Triton Circle, Fort Dodge, IA 50501)
Time: 8:30 -  9:30 a.m.
Confirmed Participants: Rep. Ann Meyer and Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink

 

February 25 - Oskaloosa Eggs & Issues Legislative Forum
Where: Smokey Row Coffee (109 South Market Street, Oskaloosa, IA 52577)
Time: 8:30 -  9:30 a.m.
Confirmed Participants: Sen. Ken Rozenboom; Rep. Helena Hayes; and Rep. Barb Kniff-McCulla

 

February 25 - Fredericksburg Town Hall
Where: Upham Memorial Library (138 West Main Street, Fredericksburg, IA 50630)
Time: 9 -  10 a.m.
Confirmed Participants: Sen. Sandy Salmon

 

February 25 - Spencer Eggs & Issues Legislative Forum
Where: Spencer City Hall - Council Chambers (101 West 5th Street, Spencer, IA 51301)
Time: 9 -  10:30 a.m.
Confirmed Participants: Rep. Megan Jones

 

February 25 - Camanche Legislative Forum
Where: City of Camanche City Hall (818 7th Avenue, Camanche, IA 52730) or virtual via Facebook Live 
Time: 9 -  10 a.m.
Confirmed Participants: Sen. Chris Cournoyer; Rep. Norlin Mommsen; and Rep. Tom Determann

 

February 25 - Iowa City Legislative Forum
Where: Iowa City Senior Center - Assembly Room (28 South Linn Street, Iowa City, IA 52240); Live streamed on City Channel 4 and its YouTube channel along with the LWVJC Facebook page and website
Time: 9:30 -  11 a.m.
Confirmed Participants: Sen. Chris Cournoyer; Rep. Norlin Mommsen; and Rep. Tom Determann

 

February 25 - Clarinda Legislative Forum
Where: Lied Public Library - Public Meeting Room (100 East Garfield Street, Clarinda, IA 51632)
Time: 10 -  11 a.m.
Confirmed Participants: Sen. Tom Shipley and Rep. Devon Wood

 

February 25 - Carroll Legislative Forum
Where: St. Anthony Regional Hospital (311 South Clark Street, Carroll, IA 51401)
Time: 10 -  11 a.m.
Confirmed Participants: Sen. Jason Schultz and Rep. Brian Best

 

February 25 - Urbandale Talk with Officials Forum
Where: Urbandale Chamber of Commerce Office (2830 100th Street, Suite 110, Urbandale, IA  50322) and virtual via Zoom
Time: 10:30 a.m. -  12 p.m.
Confirmed Participants: Sen. Brad Zaun

 

February 25 - Okoboji Town Hall 
Where: Tweeter's Bar & Grill (1027 US-Highway  71, Okoboji, IA 51355)
Time: 11 a.m. -  12 p.m.
Confirmed Participants: Rep. John Wills

 

February 25 - Allison Town Hall 
Where: Allison Public Library (412 3rd Street, Allison, IA 50602)
Time: 11 a.m. -  12 p.m.
Confirmed Participants: Sen. Sandy Salmon

 

February 25 - DeWitt Legislative Coffee
Where: DeWitt Community Center (512 10th Street, DeWitt, IA 52730) or virtual via Facebook Live
Time: 11 a.m. -  12 p.m.
Confirmed Participants:  Sen. Chris Cournoyer; Rep. Norlin Mommsen; and Rep. Tom Determann

 

February 27 - Des Moines Caffeinated Politics
Where: Gateway Market Cafe (2002 Woodland Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312)
Time: 8 -  9 a.m.
Confirmed Participants: Rep. Austin Baeth

 

February 27 - Des Moines Political Buzz
Where: Lua Brewing (1525 High Street, Des Moines, IA 50309)
Time: 8 -  9 p.m.
Confirmed Participants: Rep. Austin Baeth

 

March 3 - Waterloo Legislative Forum
Where: Hawkeye Community College - Van G. Miller Adult Learning Center (120 Jefferson Street, Waterloo, IA 50701) and virtual via Facebook live
Time: 4:30 -  6:30 p.m.

March 3 - Ankeny Legislative Office Hours
Where: Main Street Cafe (2510 SW White Birch Drive, Ankeny, IA 50023)
Time: 9 -  10:30 a.m.
Confirmed Participants: Rep. Heather Matson

 

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Iowa League of Cities
500 SW 7th St Ste 101
Des Moines, IA 50309-4506