DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol) – Raise your hand if you think your property taxes are too high.
Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, a Republican from rural New Hartford, told Gray Media Iowa that residents are frustrated by soaring taxes in recent years. Grassley said his party will work to change that in this Congress.
A new parliamentary session begins on Monday. It also begins the eighth year that the Iowa Republican Party has won the state’s “trifecta” of state legislatures: the party’s governorship and a majority in both houses of Congress.
Grassley, who will serve as speaker since 2020, will have the most Republicans in the chamber (67) since he was elected to Congress in 2006.
Two years ago, he introduced a series of changes that capped levy rates, merged some existing levies into a general levy, and placed local governments in one of three tiers based on municipality level. He supported a bipartisan bill that lawmakers said could provide $100 million in relief to property owners. Increased revenue.
Grassley said Republicans are committed to making additional changes to the property tax system this Congress to further limit local tax increases.
But he acknowledged that property taxes are complex and that lawmakers need to be careful not to impose too many restrictions that could impede local governments’ ability to fund essential services. is something that local government leaders are stressing to their members.
Grassley wasn’t sure whether Republicans would work to further lower personal income taxes in the next Congress. A new 3.8% flat tax will go into effect on Jan. 1, putting Iowans in the same tax bracket regardless of their income.
He said Republicans have approved five tax cuts since they took over the majority and have been careful not to cut taxes too quickly.
Tax cuts currently in place are the primary reason the State Revenue Estimates Council projects that Iowa government revenue will decline by about $1 billion by July 1, 2026.
Grassley said it’s possible Republicans will pass additional income tax cuts this year, but it’s unlikely. He said further reductions would require an unexpectedly large improvement in sales forecasts.
About the Author: A Midwesterner, Dave Price is political director for Gray Television’s nine stations in Iowa and has been covering local, state and national politics in Iowa since 2001.
Dave produces and hosts “Inside Iowa Politics,” a weekly in-depth show that focuses on interviews with top leaders about politics, issues, challenges and solutions affecting the state.
He has written two books about the Iowa caucuses (“Caucus Chaos” and “Caucus Chaos Trump”). Email dave.price@gray.tv. X (Twitter): @idaveprice Meta/Facebook: DavePriceNews Follow him on Instagram: idaveprice and LinkedIn: Dave Price.
Dave welcomes your thoughts on what answers we should demand from politicians and what problems our communities face.
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