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The Gruenhagen Gazette: Legislature to weigh rollbacks, business courts
by Kerry Gruenhagen, Iowa Senate District 4 · Op-Ed · March 12, 2025
The eighth week of the legislative session was a busy one as we worked to get legislation through before the first deadline of the session.
Every day was filled with subcommittees, committees, discussion on various topics, and meetings with constituents.
In the Senate Commerce Committee, we passed Senate Study Bill 1203, which would establish a court dedicated to handling topics such as business, corporations, and investments.
The Iowa Business Court Judicial District would have statewide jurisdiction in all Iowa counties and have the same authority as a district court.
This bill can make Iowa more hospitable for employers by having a stable and available system for settling disputes involving corporate law.
This is another step to supporting businesses as Iowa continues to grow.
On Tuesday, the Senate Education Committee unanimously approved SF 237 to help study the effects technology is having on youth in their daily lives.
This bill directs both the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to put together a working group to review research regarding the impact of school-provided technology on students’ cognitive function.
This review would include recommendations on best practices for the use of school-provided technology in educational contexts and a focus on how to mitigate its negative impacts on social and behavioral development, attention span, mental concentration, and learning ability.
While technology has played a huge role in creating a more efficient learning environment, we will continue to look for ways to improve the quality of the education system and ensure students are successful in the classroom.
In 2023, in response to concerns from constituents all across the state about rising assessments, the legislature passed major property tax reform.
This week, Senate Republicans have announced the next step in reforming property taxes in Iowa, and making the system simpler and fairer.
It builds on the successes we saw from the 2023 reforms to bring real relief to Iowa property taxpayers, reform the property tax system, and make property taxes more predictable for businesses and local governments.
This proposal is the biggest overhaul in property taxes in decades. At this time, it is estimated to provide a $426 million cut in property taxes for Iowans, implement a revenue restriction to ensure relief, and deliver additional relief for Iowa’s veterans and senior citizens.
This bill will phase out the antiquated rollback system for residential, commercial, and industrial properties over five years.
The system was put in years ago but has made property taxes unpredictable and complicated. By eliminating the rollback, along with lowering levy rates, limiting revenue increases and moving from tax credits to exemptions, this bill will provide more stability for local governments and businesses, and make property taxes simpler and fairer for all.
This bill is a major step forward in providing real relief for Iowans and making sure our state is a great place to call home.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out!
To contact Senator Gruenhagen during the week, call the Senate Switchboard at 515-281-3371. E-mail him at kerry.gruenhagen@legis.iowa.gov. Gruenhagen serves on the following committees: Government Oversight Committee; Commerce; Education; Technology; Transportation; and Ways and Means.
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