Warme

Property tax reform was our top priority coming into the legislative session, and this week the Senate advanced SF 2472, a proposal aimed at bringing real relief while also making the system easier to understand and more predictable. At its core, the bill provides a 50% discount on the taxable value of every Iowa home. For Iowans 60 and older, the discount increases to 60% and continues to grow each decade after that. For many living on fixed incomes, that kind of predictable and substantial benefit really matters.

Our plan also addresses one of the biggest frustrations I hear, which is how quickly property taxes can rise when home values increase. This proposal automatically lowers levy rates when assessments go up too fast. There are also stronger guardrails on property tax revenue growth for local governments, while allowing a local option sales tax adjustment if approved locally, so decisions can still be made closer to home and communities have flexibility to provide the services people expect.

While lowering taxes is important, we must invest in the building blocks of economic growth. The Senate’s property tax plan includes a resolute, protected funding stream for roads and bridges, keeping significant public dollars focused on the infrastructure Iowans depend on every day. The bill now goes to the House, and discussions will continue across chambers and the governor’s office. While the details aren’t settled, I’m encouraged that we are all committed to delivering real property tax relief to Iowans.

Another area of significant discussion has been Governor Reynolds’s Iowa MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) policy, first proposed at her Condition of the State address. She noted that it’s important “to encourage healthy behaviors so we can reduce the high rate of chronic illness.” Nationally, more than 40% of children have at least one chronic health condition, with obesity being a key driver. In Iowa, 1 out of every 6 children are considered obese and Iowa’s adult obesity ranks in the top third of all states. This has a major impact on our public health, health care systems, and workforce.

The Iowa MAHA bill, which I introduced in the Senate and floor managed to successful passage this week, aims to refocus the state’s efforts to improve nutrition, physical activity, and healthy foods for all Iowans, but with an emphasis on our children. Good habits start young and to improve our trends we need to educate and hold our systems accountable to achieve these goals. The bill includes nutrition education for medical students and professionals, healthier foods in government assistance programs, and the removal of artificial food dyes for school lunch programs. Studies have shown these chemicals (think Red 40), which have zero health benefits, contribute to behavioral issues.

Something I made sure I talked about on the floor is the MAHA division on screen time for kids, which can negatively impact learning outcomes, physical activity, and brain health. For students in kindergarten through fifth grade, digital instruction on 1:1 devices would be limited to 60 minutes a day, with some commonsense exceptions. We also require a study on technology use in grades six through twelve in Iowa. This is a topic I hear about often from parents and teachers. Technology is a helpful tool, but it should support learning, not replace the fundamentals.

As work continues at the Capitol, our focus remains on ensuring Iowa families are set up for success now and into the future.

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Kara Warme, a Republican from Ames, represents District 26 in the Iowa Senate.