Iowa lawmakers retur to Des Moines to start the 2026 legislative session.

What can we expect in The Cities?

[lively music] [music ends] Welcome to the start of the 202 legislative session on Monday.

High on the list of prioritie in Iowa is property tax reform and another bite at the apple when it comes to eminent domain legislation.

But there's always a flurry of other bills that get introduced by Iowa lawmakers, where Republicans still enjoy a supermajority in the House and a near supermajority in the state Senate.

This is also Governor Kim Reynolds last year, her last budget, her last agenda, and she announced her retirement at the end of this term.

Add to that a mix that it's an election yea and you expect some interesting maneuvering in Des Moines.

In a moment, we'll be joined by Assistant Senate Minority Leader Cindy Winkler of Davenport.

But first we start with Representative Gary Mohr, Republican from Bettendorf and chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

Well, thanks for joining us.

The biggest issues are going to be what?

Property taxes, eminent domain, and of course, the budget.

Governor Reynold could have some surprises in her state of the state.

If you go back to the AEA, changes that she had, called for.

What do you expect from the governor?

Do you expect any surprises for 2026?

Well, I'm a firm believer, Jim, in the historic, model of American government.

The governor, the executive branch makes proposals.

The legislative branch makes proposals, and the judicial branch arbitrates, in case of suit, lawsuits.

So I expect the Senate bill on all of these issues you mentioned, and the House bill are going to be a little bit different.

The governor's bill is going to be different yet.

So I think this legislative session is going to be working through those differences to try to come up with a bill on property taxes or eminent domain that all three groups House, Senate and the governor can agree to.

Well, I want to talk about eminent domain in a moment, but let's start with the property taxes.

And, and one of the ideas is, and as you know, I mean, there were bills that came out of the House and the Senate and called for more than $400 million in cuts to property taxes.

Is that kind of what passed last year?

Is that kind of what you're expecting to come from the legislature this year?

I think the benefit of last year on the property tax issue, and I observed this.

I watched it last year.

There was a whole lot of discussions that went on, which was good.

I think as a result of those discussions, most legislators came to the realization, hey, this is a complicated issue.

Property taxes.

And I think we found out that if one group wants to do this with property taxes, it has an effect over here.

And so then we don't we don't want to do that.

So let's look at doing this with property taxes.

And it has an effect over here.

And so the complicated nature of property taxes I think is going to cause us to scale way back what we eventually pass.

I think it's going to be ver difficult to cut property taxes, because if you're going to cut property taxes, you'r going to have to cut services.

What services are people going to be willing to cut?

So I would guess and that's all it is at this point from my observation, we're going to end up with a scaled down bill that's going to give Iowans some predictability, in the, in the slowing down of growth of property taxes.

And that might be the extent of the bill.

But I think that's good, because what we need now is predictability in people's property taxes.

I get a lot of calls, primarily from senior citizens in my district, to say, Gary, my problem is my wife and I are retired.

We've got great pensions, but our pensions don't go up a rapidly as our property taxes.

We'r going to have to sell our house.

Well, that's not right.

People shouldn't have to sell their houses because our property taxes are going up.

And one of the proposals from Governor Reynolds, she said that she is considering a property tax freez for seniors as another strategy to ease the economic burdens.

Is that something that you would support?

Well, again, it sounds good.

Uh huh.

And I would say yes with the following caveat.

The problem is when you freeze taxes for one group, then all the other groups have to have increased taxes to offset that.

I would support limiting property tax growth for seniors under certain income levels.

We don't need to be, Uh, eliminating property tax growth for people like me and many other senior citizens in my district, but people on low income areas.

I would support something like that.

And I think that would be something that's manageable.

One of the real areas of property tax, of course, is tha I mean, the state can do that, but it really impacts local government.

That is their main form of income.

And two things.

One is, you're already seeing communities scrambling.

And they're saying, hey, look, we're being responsible with tax dollars.

Why is the stat impeding our efforts to do this?

And the second thing is, as a Republican, I mean, don't you want local government to make these decisions rather than the state handing it down from above?

Yes we do.

The only reason we're involved in it, Jim, is and we're very aware that property tax mone is not our money in the state.

It goes to local schools, counties, cities.

It's their, it's their money.

But the only reason we're involved with it is because of the number of calls we've gotten from our constituents that have basically said, you guys at the state cut our income taxes.

You did away with income taxes for retirees.

We need your help.

We need some kind of limits on property tax growth.

That's the only reason we're involved in this issue.

Otherwise, no, it's not our money.

We wouldn't be involved in it.

But our constituents are clamoring for us to get involved and do some limitations here.

But they may be clamoring to you.

But isn't it better that they're clamoring to City Hall or the county board and let them deal with it?

Sure, I would encourage them to talk to their city council Im sure they are as well.

A lot of people are vocal with a lot of different lawmakers, but I guess what I'm trying to get back at is, is this, this control over local control that, that the state and Des Moines and lawmakers are pulling the strings for, for local lawmakers?

Yeah.

No, you're absolutely right.

And I hope they talk to their cities, counties and local school districts.

But we need to be responsive as well to our constituents who are asking us to do something here.

I think it'll end up being, as I mentioned earlier, a much scaled back bill from what some of the thoughts were last session.

Because it is extremely complicated and I don't know that we'll finalize the discussion or the enactment this year.

We might do some things this year.

Watc and see how that affects income and do something in years later.

Iowa Estimating Conference lowered October's projection to $602 million, $85 million less than projected.

It predicts a decrease of 427 million in the coming year.

And their overall statement was the state's balance shee is still in very good condition.

You have pointed out that the fact that the state has to dip into the reserves and all that was the plan all along.

It's not a long term solution, but it's a short term fix.

Go back ten years, Jim.

And we may have talked about this in the past, when we decided we wanted to cut income taxes from 9% to a flat 3.8% and do away with income taxes for retirees.

We knew that revenue was going to go down.

Every Iowan who understands this knows that's what's going to happen.

So we planned for that.

We said, okay, if we're going to lower income taxes, we can't just do it overnight because we've got to have built up sufficient reserves.

So while that income goes down, we've got enough reserves to cover that, which is the situation we're in right now.

So we build up reserves to $7 billion.

We've got a $9.4 billion budget.

So you can see that's a significant amount of money we've got in the bank.

So we expect to dip into thos reserves for the next few years.

While revenue went down because of the tax cuts.

But we're already seeing in the future, those revenues starting to come back up.

The projection was 8.5 billion for revenue, and now we see the revenues estimated to come up come in at 8.5 billion.

So because o the industriousness of Iowans, we knew revenue would start to come back up.

The other thing that needs to be mentione here is conservative budgeting.

While we've got money in the bank to cover the deficits, which we knew, theyre not deficits, but the overspending, for a short period of time, we also can control that by our spending each year when the legislature meets.

So we're going to be budgeting very conservatively while we're using those resources to cover those shortfalls for the next couple of years.

And we expect over a period of time, revenues will again exceed, expenditures.

Let's talk about education in Iowa right now, because Democrats are going to say that you're not funding education well enough.

Then you add school choice and you're seeing, school districts like Davenport facing huge issues as far as, a fall off of, student attendance.

And that, of course, means money for other students.

Do you have a real concern about the trajectory right now of Iowa's education system?

No.

I hear my friend on the other side of the aisle talk about we don't adequately fund education.

We don't keep up with the rate of inflation.

And I ask ‘em every time, and I never get an answer to this, is what, what is an adequate amount?

I also ask, I've asked large groups of people if you expect us to keep up with the rate of inflation, how many of you in your jobs over the last ten, 20 years, every year have had your salaries go up to keep up with inflation?

But educating children is an expensive proposition.

It certainly is.

And if you aren't keeping up with inflation it means you're falling behind.

And also, you have students that have mor special needs than ever before.

And you have, various educational programs that are mandated by the stat or even the federal government.

I mean, it seems that Iowa, at least the perception is falling further and further behind.

Let me say it this way.

As I mentioned earlier we have a $9.4 billion budget.

We spent roughly 4 billion o that on K through 12 education.

We spent another billion of that, on higher education.

The Regents, Iowa, Iowa State University of Northern Iowa, we spend another 300 million in community colleges or 15 community colleges.

So you take all of the amount that we spend on education together.

We spend roughly 55% of our budget on education in the state of Iowa.

I think that's what I Iowans want us to do.

We have other competing interests that we have to face off with that, Medicaid in the state of Iowa is the fastest growing expense in state government.

We're spending $2.2 billion a year this year in Medicaid.

And Medicaid is that health insurance program for low income people or for people in nursing homes that don't have any assets?

We're spending 2.2 billion that is growing by in the next number of years, in the next few years, that number is gonna g from 2.2 billion to 3 billion.

Again, that's the fastest growing segment of state government.

Those dollars I like to tell people if you're concerned about not funding education, the reason we can't increase funding for education more than we are because we're increasing it every year.

It's going to be because of Medicaid, the growth of Medicaid.

I want to get to eminent domain because we have just a few moments left.

And once again, Representative Bobby Kaufmann says he expects the eminent domain legislation to be introduced early in the session.

As you know, the governor was not happy with Republicans in the last session for approving it then.

It seems to be a shoo-i because you already approved it last year.

Yeah.

How do you get past a governor who's in her last year, as governor?

Well, the governor might not been happy with us, but we were not happy with the governor vetoing our bill, either.

Um, I think, again everyone is tired of this issue.

It just sucked the air out of the legislature last year.

We know we want to do something, and it's about that eminent domain.

And I should point out, the eminent domain issue is big in Iowa because of the carbon capture pipelines that were planned to go through Iowa.

Right.

That's exactly right, Jim.

But I think it's more of a to me, it' more of an eminent domain issue.

I cannot support private sector, entities having the eminent domai right to go through my property or your property or anybody else's property when it's for public, or for personal gain.

I'm all in favor of eminent domain to build schools, to build highways that are beneficial to all of us.

But I can't support, eminent domain usage by private companies that want to build CO2 pipelines or anything else.

So it boils down to me to the eminent domain issue.

I think we'll have something relatively early in this session, because I think most legislators support stopping use of eminent domain by private companies.

And then I just go a few moments left of the 2026 legislature is going to be meeting.

Is it going to be a productive session?

Usually the second of the two years, the election year, it's not that, productive.

There's not that much that gets done.

I'm an optimist.

I think it will be very productive.

Last year, we passed the hands-free.

Let me just mention that one.

I just read in the paper this morning, traffic fatalities in Iowa are down lower than they were 100 years ago.

And primarily because of the hands-free, things that we do in the legislature matter.

And saving people's lives, helping people.

I expect a very productive session this year.

Our thanks to Bettendorf, a Republican state representative, Gary Mohr.

And in a moment, we're joined by Davenport Democratic state Senator Cindy Winckler.

But first, welcome to the cold chill of January, though it's pretty nice this week.

Actually, it's warm enough to comfortably get out and enjoy some of the great events going on in the cities.

So here's a look at what's going on thanks to visit Quad Cities.

Check out the things t do this week in the Quad Cities.

Start your week off by enjoying a hilarious show from comedian Taylor Mason at the River Center.

Then head on ove to the German-American Heritage Center to visit, free of charge.

Next, experience a walkable ice festival.

Watch live carving demonstrations while enjoying delicious food and drinks.

Next, enjoy a family fun day in the Autistic and Loved Sensory Gym.

Celebrate joy, neurodiversity and togetherness.

Finally, experience LeClaire Eagle Festival.

There will be live Raptors, storytellers, vendor displays, activities and ice carvings.

For more events like these check out our events calendar at visit Quad cities.com.

Democrats have made some inroad in Iowa politics this past year.

They flipped two state Senate seats, denying Republicans a supermajority in the upper chamber that blocks the governor from making appointments to position without any Democratic support.

But Democrats still are i the minority in both chambers.

We talked with Assistant Senat Minority Leader Cindy Winckler, Democrat from Davenport, about her expectations in this upcoming legislative session.

Well, thank you for joining us.

Absolutely.

Are you expecting any surprises in the 2026 session?

You always anticipate a surprise.

You do.

You just have to be ready for it.

And I'm not sure what it, what it will be, but we have to anticipate that surprises come up.

Because usually during the election year, it' kind of a more mundane session.

You're going, this may not be the case.

I think that, that we're looking at election years as very important legislative sessions, moving into that, because it sets the tone.

And so, you know, as as I look at it, my, my focus is going to be on affordability, affordability for child care, affordability for health care, affordability for housing, groceries.

And, I'm not sur that that will be the same focus of the majority party, but I think that we need to be very vigilant about that.

Affordability.

Also, State Representative Ken Croken says he's going to introduce a bill in regards to the minimum wage again.

Because you take a look at surrounding states, if I have it in front of me, Iowa is now at $7.25 an hour.

Missouri and Nebraska just went to $15 an hour this year.

Minnesota and South Dakota at $11 an hour this year.

We're 44t in the nation for hourly wages.

So do you think that's going to be a major Democratic initiative?

And will it go anywhere since you don't have the majority in either House?

I thin it's a part of the conversation, but it is a part of the conversation under the affordability component and what we can do to bring down costs or certainly increase wages.

But I think that there are some thing we can do to bring down costs, to give communities more access to, the, the Redevelopment Trust as an example, gives the community the opportunity to work with redevelopment of of housing stock and make it more affordable.

That's something that has passed Ways and Means several times, but it never gets to the floor.

I think it's time that we need to do something like that.

I, I think that we have to look at the childcare component.

It is not accessible or affordable.

And, families, when you loo at the hourly wages being 44th in the nation, families need to be able to work.

They want to work.

But if childcar is in the way of them working, then, then we have to, we have a responsibility along those lines.

Well as you well know, the Democrats have to dance to the Republicans music.

We do.

We do.

And the biggest issue that they say right now is property taxes.

And that's going to be addressed in this session.

Does that concern you... Yes.

...when it comes to some of the moves that they're making that could limit, how much money that local governments can raise?

Well, I think it's important that as we have the conversations about property taxes that schools, cities, counties are at the table, and are a part of the conversation.

What we've seen in the past is that a bill comes, a bill gets introduced, it sits for a while.

They're going to take, you know, any input from it.

And then all of a sudde there's a strike after amendment that comes through and passe with absolutely no conversation, of the people who are going to be impacted.

We need to be vigilant abou the security of our communities.

And that is one of the roles of local government.

But the other thing, there are many mechanisms that allow school districts to go to property taxes when adequate funding doesn't exist.

And if we were adequately funding our school systems, property taxes, more than likely that school portion would not be as high as they are.

Well, as you know, a little earlier, a Republican representative, was talking about the fact that, there that schools are funded properly.

And that Iowa has seen increases in each budget.

Democrats have been saying, well, okay.

Yes, but more needs to be spent.

Absolutely.

But at what point is throwing money at the education system still wise?

It's not throwing money.

It's investing in the programs that that bring students, along, so that they are successful.

One of the things that that, is not adequately funded is special education.

And because special education isn't funded, they go to the School Budget Review Committee and get permission to put the difference on property taxes.

So there's about $300 million statewide that in special education costs that are underfunded by the state that then go on to property tax.

So that's one of the examples.

You have seen a major change in the makeup of the Board of Regents.

And also, we have seen, major cuts to DEI at the three state universities.

And you have a committee in the House subcommittee in the House that is taking a look at, different ways of changing the ideology of the three universities in Iowa.

Are you concerned abou the future of the independence of the university of Iowa, Northern Iowa, as well as Iowa State?

I am, I am, and I think that, we should not be dictating, the opportunity for students to go to get any kind of higher education, any, any other higher education, and, and to limit thought is not productive.

It, it needs to be respectful.

It needs to be inclusive.

And what we are doing is limiting and continuing to squeeze to fit one ideology which is not healthy.

We see that eminent domain i going to be an issue once again in the Iowa legislature, it's passed in the last session with the governor vetoing it.

That's expected to occupy the legislative tim very early on in this session.

Is that something that's going to be easily approved Once again?

I think it's difficult.

The the carbon sequester, sequestration, always hard to say, is is important, but it is how.

and is the pipeline the best way to do it?

And then, and then we nee to also look at property rights, and the property right of the individual in determining how their property is being utilized.

And so, when when you think about eminent domain is there, is there an overarching common good in the use of eminent domain for the pipeline?

And is that the only solution we have?

Let's talk politics fo a few moments that we have left.

Yeah.

Yeah.

The, Democrats, flipped two of the Senate seats.

Senator Zimmer, of course, winning up in, in in Clinton County.

Is this a harbinger, do you think, is this a forecas of Democratic strength in Iowa, which has become no longer a purple state, but very much a red state?

I think it's an indication that in that people know that what is happening i the legislature isn't working.

We have unemployment rate that is higher, rising higher than the national average.

We have more farmers filing for bankruptcy.

We have, doctors.

We can't find enough doctors at the time when our cancer rates are increasing.

We also have, a situation where we know health care costs are going to go, are going to skyrocket as a result of the action of the federal government.

And when we talk about those issues, it is very easy to draw the line between those who understand that and our ready and willing to support that and those who want to continue along the line of of divisive politics.

There is so much on the line in 2026, you got a governor's race, you got a US Senate race.

Of course you have the four House seats.

You're looking to make gains in the legislature for Democrats.

You brought up affordability, which is gonna be the buzzword among Republicans for the next 11 months.

Is the message there?

Do the Democrats have an effective message, and good enough candidates to carry that message to possible victory?

Absolutely.

And we we are we're finding that more and more individuals see hope.

Those two special elections have created a lot of energy.

And, that the interesting thing is, is that if if Republican are talking about affordability, then when you look at, say, property tax and, the, the flat income tax rate, neither one of those are based on ability to pay, neither one of those.

And so the the program that have been put in place by the Republicans have limited access that the public needs to have, that our citizens need to have to be able to afford, their everyday living.

Do you see the 2026 legislative session as being productive, or is it almost people putting forth issues that are just going to be campaign slogans?

We'll have to see.

I, we, you know, it's a collective process.

And I'm not trying to skirt your question.

I, I don't know, I am going to be focused and we have talked abou from our, our Senate Democratic Caucus, the fact that we need to make sure that Iowans can afford to stay in Iowa.

Our thanks to Iowa State Senator Cindy Winckler and to State Representative Gary Mohr, who we talked with earlier in this program.

This year marks the 250th birthday of the Declaration of Independence, and WQPT is marking the countdown to July 4th with the America 250 Initiative that includes our ongoing messages from community leaders about their Civic Sparks, what ignited their career choice, and how it makes a difference in the cities.

We posted the question what's your Civic Spark?

To John Harrington, an organizer with the Quad Cities Bicycle Club.

Over the last few years, I'v turned into a safety advocate.

And the reason is, is that I've experienced people being hit and killed.

I've helped, put, ghost bike ceremonies together.

Where the the widow is there, and, a white, a bike has been painted white and chained to a to the location where the person was hit and killed.

And, those are touching events, and those are tough times for the remaining person.

So I've just decided I'll do my small part, to be an advocate for safety.

Our thanks to John Harrington with the Quad Cities Bicycle Club.

Next week on The Cities, we take a deeper dive as Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield for the start of the 2026 session.

On the air, on the radio, on the web, on your mobile device, and streaming on your computer, thanks for taking some time to join us as we talk about the issues on The Cities.

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