Capitol Notebook: House Democrats pitch legislative aid to Iowa farmers

DES MOINES — With a goal of making agricultural policies and markets more fair and competitive, Iowa House Democrats on Monday touted a series of bills addressing farmland ownership, equipment repairs, food labeling and more.

House Democrats called the series of bills their “Regaining Iowa Farmers’ Independence Plan.”

“This would allow farmers to have back a little bit of their independence,” Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City, said Monday during a press conference at the Iowa Capitol. “So much has to be done nationally, but we’re doing all we can at the state level to try to push for this.”

The House Democrats’ plan contains five measures that they say will be introduced in a series of bills:

“This plan reflects ongoing conversations with farmers, rural communities, and agricultural stakeholders across the state and response directly to the pressures threatening the future of independent farming in Iowa,” Rep. Josh Turek, D-Council Bluffs, said in a statement.

Reimbursing elected officials for security measures

State lawmakers and other state elected officials could be reimbursed up to $5,000 for security expenses under legislation advancing at the Iowa Capitol.

All three lawmakers on a subcommittee Monday supported advancing the proposal, House Study Bill 644, to the full House State Government Committee.

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A judicial branch official requested judges and other judicial officers be included in the legislation. Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, expressed openness to that request; he was more hesitant to embrace adding candidates for political office.

During the hearing, Collins read aloud a threat sent to one of his fellow lawmakers as evidence of the need for the legislation.

“This is unfortunately the reality for many members of my caucus,” Collins said. “It’s unfortunate we have to be considering this.”

Bill would increase telephone surcharge for emergency communication services

Telephone service surcharges would see an increase to help fund the state’s 911 network under legislation advanced by Iowa Senate lawmakers Monday.

Senate File 2022 would increase the current $1 charge on Iowans’ phone bills every month to $1.15 as state emergency response systems officials are asking for a long-awaited funding increase.

Chris Collins, president of the Iowa chapter of the National Emergency Number Association, said the current $1 surcharge used to fund emergency response systems has not kept up with inflation. He said the surcharge was last increased in 2013.

At the end of the 2025 legislative session, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds approved the full state standings budget after emergency response systems officials asked her to veto a provision over concerns it would lead to budget uncertainty for local 911 boards.

The provision in the budget bill allowed the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to request reimbursement from local 911 service boards for “reasonable costs” related to call traffic to public safety answering points, or PSAPs.

State Sens. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, Dawn Driscoll, R-Williamsburg, and Art Staed, D-Cedar Rapids, all signed on to advance the legislation.

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