At a Pella roundtable, small business owners shared stories about the impact of high property taxes.
On September 13, NFIB and partner ITR, or Iowans For Tax Relief, hosted a legislative roundtable in Pella with small business owners in the area.
State Director Matt Everson update the group on wins and losses during the 2023 legislative session, recapping small business victories and issues left on the table that may come back during the 2024 session.
Iowa State Director Matt Everson, Senate President Amy Sinclair, Rep. Barb Kniff-McCulla, Sen. Ken Rozenboom and Rep. Helena Hayes anwser questions from small business owners as part of a roundtable in Pella.
Rep. Barb Kniff-McCulla, owner and CEO of KLK Construction in Pella and NFIB member, Senate President Amy Sinclair, Rep. Helena Hayes and Sen. Ken Rozenboom listened to frustrations from small business owners and answered questions about tax reform and worker shortages.
The hot top of discussion and the most pressing issue from NFIB members gathered in Pella is the burden of Iowa’s increasing property taxes. State Director Matt Everson recapped this year’s property tax reform, which was one of NFIB’s top legislative priorities. This year lawmakers passed historic reform, which includes a minimum $100 million in tax relief, consolidates 15 levies into one general levy, and reduces tax rates when assessments rise. However, noting the frustration in the room, Everson said that while some progress was made in 2023, there is still more work to be done to make property taxes more affordable for all Iowans. It will continue to be a priority and NFIB will continue to educate lawmakers about the road blocks facing small business owners. Many small business owners are shelling out thousands of dollars to pay their property taxes when they could put that money towards expanding their business, giving their employees a raise, and creating more jobs.
2023 Iowa Legislative Victories:
Property Tax Reform – HF 718
- Historical Property Tax Reform – Minimum of $100 Million in relief and just step one in many to combat unsustainable property tax rates.
- Simplifies and Consolidates 15 levies into one general levy.
- Automatically Reduces tax rates when assessments rise.
- Caps growth of property taxes per year (City and County spending).
Tort Reform – HF 161 (Medical) / SF 228 (Commercial Vehicle)
- Med Mal
- Caps noneconomic damages to $1 million on individual doctors and clinics.
- Caps noneconomic damages to $2 million on hospitals.
- Will increase in 2028 for inflation by 2.1%,
- Commercial Trucking Liability
- limits noneconomic damages to $5 Million per plaintiff.
- Broadens list of exceptions to the limit of noneconomic damages beginning in 2028.
- Narrows the conditions under which there is no civil liability against an employer.
Government Reorganization – SF 514
- Centralizes similar programs into single agency to achieve best outcomes for Iowans and saving nearly $18 Million dollars per year.
- Consolidation of common technologies to improve operations, saving Iowans over $214 million over the next 4 years.
- Reduces agency heads (Cabinet positions) that report to the Governor from 37 to 16.
- Eliminates 513 current vacant positions within government.
Youth Employment Opportunities – SF 542
- Updates decades old laws as it results to youth employment opportunities (operating a microwave is one example).
- Expands the hours that minors may work with parental consent.
- Adds parental guardrails that will allow more youth opportunities to work in various industries (work to learn).
- Does not send kids back into the coal mines as the media and some on one side of the aisle suggests.
