Republicans insist the state’s finances are in good health and everything is proceeding as they planned when they lowered Iowans’ state income taxes. Democrats are sounding alarms over the state spending more money than it is taking in.
Also in this week’s Government Notes, the Cedar Rapids school board will meet Monday to consider proposed budget reductions.
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 United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country in an extraordinary military operation early Saturday that plucked a sitting leader from office.
Johnson County’s Trip Connect pilot program, meant to provide transportation when other forms of public transit are not available, has seen a steady increase in ridership over its first full calendar year of service.
A southeast Iowa hospital where a long-term care resident died after being put to bed while struggling to breathe is now facing a potential $10,000 fine.
Linn County Supervisor Kirsten Running-Marquardt will serve as chair of the board of supervisors this year, with Sami Scheetz as vice chair.
Enhanced tax credits that have helped reduce the cost of health insurance for the vast majority of Affordable Care Act enrollees expired this week, cementing higher health costs for millions of Americans at the start of the new year.
Johnson County Supervisor Jon Green will serve as chair of the Board of Supervisors for the second consecutive year, after serving as chair for 2025.
The state recently allocated $1.5 million to volunteer firefighters, emergency medical service providers and reserve peace officers through a program that requires a local match. First responders can receive an up-to-$500 benefit each, but the amount depends on how many departments apply.
Johnson County is in the midst of a one-year moratorium on approval of rezoning applications, site plans and building permits for data centers in unincorporated parts of the county.
The start of a new year also means the start of new laws in Iowa, including fines for handling a cellphone while driving, a statewide ban on ranked choice voting and an overhaul of state business tax incentives.
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