March 24, 2023

• The second legislative funnel is just one week away. This important hurdle does not apply to Ways & Means, Appropriations, or Government Oversight matters.
• Know how SF 356 impacts your city with this League resource.
• The Governor has signed several pieces of legislation. See which bills have been sent to the Governor or signed on the Legislature’s enrolled bills webpage.

• A significant update to our dataset has occurred as of Friday, March 24. If you have reviewed your city impacts on our website prior, those figures cannot be used. Please check your city impacts on this webpage.

• Provides a new process to derive a city levy rate that is connected to assessment growth.
• LSA has released this legislation’s fiscal note, which highlights some concerns:
  • Most significantly reduces cities’ revenues with a tax base growth rate consistently just above 3.25% per year.
  • Incentivizes cities to increase their tax rate in years with low tax base growth.
  • May lead to delayed investment, more expensive debt, or increased use of Tax Increment Finance.
• We have created this webpage to describe this legislation and provide a formula to determine the impacts on your community. The League is registered in opposition to this legislation because of concerns related to unintended consequences, restrictions on future growth, and potential negative impacts on the viability of economic development tools.
• 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 and every senator will be eligible to vote on it.

• Changes local government revenue in many areas, including LOSST, commercial and industrial property tax rollback, water service tax, homestead tax credits and more.
• Due to a large number of changes in this bill, the League has developed this webpage summarizing the legislation and its impacts.
• The League is registered in opposition due to decreased funding to local governments.

• Preempts a local government from regulating the preservation, compaction, placement, or depth of topsoil at a construction site.
• Does allow cities to regulate storm water runoff to match flow rates prior to construction.
• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration by the House Commerce Committee.

• Authorizes cities to establish an entertainment district and allows a surcharge on food, alcohol, or lodging within that district. Creates a process and regulations around establishing this district.
• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration in the House Appropriations Committee.
• The League is registered in support.

• Allows for the sales tax exemption of parking services if the facility is owned by a city and operated by a non-profit.
• Passed out of subcommittee and will be eligible for consideration in the House Ways & Means Committee.
• The League is registered in support.

• Clarifies that reserve peace officers and volunteer firefighters are not subject to the maximum age limitation for full-time officers.
• Passed out of committee and will be eligible for consideration by the full House.

• Preempts local governments from benchmarking, the practice of requiring properties to reduce energy consumption year over year or reduce energy consumption when compared to similar properties.
• Passed out of the House and will be sent to the Senate for consideration.

• Applies the residential rollback to properties used as a childcare facility. Creates an application process within the county government to accept and approve this rollback.
• Passed out of Ways & Means Committee and will be eligible for consideration by the full House.

• Allows an emergency responder to apply to the County Supervisor to abate a percent of their property taxes due on their homestead, excluding school taxes. Allows cities to decline the abatement of their taxes through the notification process created.
• Passed out of Ways & Means Committee and will be eligible for consideration by the full Senate.

• Preempts local governments from limiting consumer access to energy sources used in engines.
• Passed out of Commerce Committee and will be eligible for consideration by the full 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

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

 

March 25 - Shenandoah Legislative Briefing
Where: Shenandoah Safety Center - Bricker Community Room (400 West Sheridan Avenue, Shenandoah, IA 51601)
Time: 8 -  9 a.m.
Confirmed Participants: Sen. Tom Shipley and Rep. Tom Moore

 

March 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

 

March 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

 

March 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

 

March 25 - Centerville Legislative Forum
Where: Chariton Valley Planning & Development Office (308 North 12th Street, Centerville, IA 52544)
Time: 9-  10 a.m.
Confirmed Participants: Sen. Cherielynn Westrich and Rep. Austin Harris

 

March 25 - Council Bluffs Legislative Roundtable
Where: Wilson Elementary Auditorium (715 North 21st Street, Council Bluffs, IA 51501)
Time: 9 -  10:30 a.m.

 

March 25 - Camanche Legislative Coffee
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

 

March 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. (Doors open at 9:00 a.m.)
Confirmed Participants: Sen. Dawn Driscoll; Sen. Zach Wahls; Sen. Janice Weiner; Rep. David Jacoby; Rep. Heather Hora; Rep. Elinor Levin; Rep. Amy Nielsen; Rep. Brad Sherman; Rep. Adam Zabner

 

March 25 - Clarinda Legislative Briefing
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

 

March 25 - Manning Legislative Forum
Where: Warren Timmerman Shelter House (Park Avenue, Manning, IA 51455
Time: 10 - 11 a.m. 
Confirmed Participants: Sen. Jason Schultz and Rep. Brian Best

 

March 25 - Des Moines Town Hall
Where: Northwest Community Center (5110 Franklin Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50310)
Time: 10:30 -  11:30 a.m. 
Confirmed Participants: Senator Janet Petersen; Rep. Austin Baeth; and Rep. Sean Bagniewski

 

March 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 -  12 p.m. 
Confirmed Participants: Sen. Brad Zaun

 

March 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

 

March 26 - Iowa City Legislative Check-In
Where: Sidekick Coffee & Books (1310 1/2 Melrose Avenue, Iowa City, IA 52246)
Time: 12  -  2 p.m. 
Confirmed Participants: Rep. Elinor Levin

Our mailing address is:
Iowa League of Cities
500 SW 7th St Ste 101
Des Moines, IA 50309-4506