Republicans opened the 2026 Iowa legislative session with unusual urgency, pushing early on property taxes, carbon pipelines and higher education. But as lawmakers raced to show momentum, Week 1 also revealed internal GOP divisions — especially over how to deliver property tax relief.
This week on the On Iowa Politics Podcast, Gov. Kim Reynolds gives her penultimate Condition of the State address, the Iowa Legislature’s annual work has begun, and so much more.
Staff Sgts. Edgar Torres-Tovar and William Howard were honored during the annual address, given Thursday by Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn
Two teachers, including one in Manchester, are suing the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners and its executive director over complaints of unethical conduct filed against them.
As rising costs for health care, housing and utilities strain household budgets, Iowa House Democrats are pitching a broad legislative agenda they say would lower everyday expenses and improve financial security for working families.
Iowa is currently operating in a budget deficit, created in large part by a series of reductions in state income tax levels. In the current state budget year, the state’s general fund budget spending of $9.4 billion, is higher than the roughly $8.2 billion in state revenue.
Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday unveiled a legislative agenda focused on overhauling Iowa’s property tax system, tightening immigration and election enforcement, expanding health care access and continuing education reforms.
Renewed action on property tax relief, a tougher approach to repeat violent crime, state spending, affordability and bipartisan calls for cooperation and civility were among the pledges and requests made by leaders during the first day of the 2026 session on Monday.
A Johnson County District Court judge has denied the state’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit that alleges a new law requiring three Iowa counties to change how their supervisors are elected is unconstitutional.
Iowa is the first state in the country to receive the green light for a federal waiver approval that will allow it to circumvent some reporting and compliance requirements and have more discretion over the spending of federal education funds.
New Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Klimesh, R-Spillville, is introducing a new proposal in an attempt to break a 5-year legislative deadlock over eminent domain, carbon dioxide pipelines and landowner rights
Also in the notebook, Gov. Kim Reynolds establishes a task force on nuclear energy in Iowa
This year, Iowa lawmakers will return to the drawing board on providing property tax relief to Iowans, which is expected to be a main focal point of the 2026 legislative session after last year’s efforts to address the issue failed to take off.
The funding — $50 billion spread across the country — comes from federal Republicans’ tax policy and federal budget legislation which also slashed hundreds of billions from Medicaid and other federal health programs
The remains of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed earlier this month in an ambush attack in Syria will return to Iowa on Wednesday, with a public procession planned to honor Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard as he is brought home to Marshalltown.
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