Friday, March 21, 2025

Update provided by Tom Cope of Cope Murphy + Co. - contracted lobbyist of the chapter.

This week at the Iowa Legislature was highlighted by Tuesday’s legislative breakfast for the Iowa Chapter of the APA. Thank you for all who joined us and visited with legislators—it was a great chance to discuss the importance of planning with state leaders! Attached to this week’s update is this handout that we shared with legislators on issues we are tracking at the Capitol.

For policy bills (i.e. not appropriation or tax-related bills), we are at an important juncture in the session in that bills will have to be approved by Thursday, April 3rd (two weeks away) by one legislative chamber and a committee in the other chamber in order to remain alive for the 2025 session.

So from and Iowa Chapter standpoint, for those bills that we like, it is good to see forward movement (i.e. being listed on the debate calendar of one chamber or approved in that chamber, having subcommittees held on the bill in the second chamber, etc.). For those bills that we have concerns, the less action, the better.

Related to that, a couple of issues to highlight:

• Local Government DEI policies and programs—Senate File 507 (formerly Senate Study Bill 1150) and House File 856—these bills would prohibit local governments in Iowa from adopting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies or spending money to implement DEI programs. This week the House passed their version of this bill and sent it to the Senate. There was no Senate action on this issue. The Iowa Chapter is registered against both of these bills.

• Various Anti-local control bills—there are a handful of bills that take steps to reduce local control on issues of importance to planners including SF 498 (restricting regulation of landscaping), SF 494 (restricting regulation of residential property gardens), SF 310 (restricting fire suppressing sprinkler requirements), and SF 303/HF 702 (restricting local control over use of fireworks). None of these bills were debated this week, so no action is good news in this case.

• Additionally, House File 533, which would have Iowa join the Midwest Passenger Rail Compact, has passed the House and was approved by a subcommittee this week in the Iowa Senate. The Iowa Chapter of the APA supports this bill.

• There was no action this week on the property tax bills (HSB 313/SSB 1208) as the legislature is providing time to all impacted parties to analyze the bills and provide feedback. We would expect a subcommittee to get scheduled in the next week or so on these bills. Because they are tax bills, they are not subject to the April 3rd deadline.

If you have any questions about any items being discussed at the Capitol, please feel free to contact Tom Cope at tom@lobbyiowa.com or 515-975-4590, or Jon Murphy at jon@lobbyiowa.com or 515-422-6494.

If you have any questions about any items being discussed at the Capitol, please feel free to contact Tom Cope at tom@lobbyiowa.com or 515-975-4590, or Jon Murphy at jon@lobbyiowa.com or 515-422-6494.