The Iowa legislative session has officially concluded for 2023 (12:33pm). It was another good year for Iowa and the small business community. Many thanks to all you who made calls, sent emails, testified, and participated in the process. Also, thanks to our very own, Rep. Cindy Golding and Rep. Barb Kniff McCulla. They put in a lot of long hours, probably saw a lot of eye-opening things about government but most importantly they had small businesses back in the Iowa House Majority Caucus all season long. Below are some of the highlights/wins from 2023.
2023 HIGHLIGHTS/Wins
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.
