Legislature’s focus turns to budget issues

Several Farm Bureau bills survived the Iowa Legislature's second funnel deadline last week, including land restoration standards for electric transmission lines and re-merging mineral rights with surface ownership.

To remain alive beyond the second funnel, policy bills must have passed one chamber and moved out of committee in the other chamber.

If similar or identical bills advanced out of a committee in the House and the Senate, those bills generally remain eligible for consideration the remainder of the session. This is the case for wind and solar siting bills and bills regarding hydrogen production.

Property tax reform

With the second funnel now past, the Legislature's primary focus for the remainder of the session will be on passing a state budget and property tax reform.

Both the Senate and House have passed property tax reform proposals out of committee and will now work to find consensus on a final bill.

Farm Bureau will continue to encourage passage of a property tax bill that controls future growth of property taxes and provides relief for Iowans, including farmers.

Farm Bureau will also continue to advocate for a state budget that funds priorities for agriculture.

Land Restoration Standards

House File 2227 advanced out of the Senate Commerce Committee last week and is now eligible for consideration on the Senate floor.

The House-passed bill establishes standards for restoring agricultural land during the construction of electric transmission lines. These standards require repairing drainage tiles, removing rocks, reestablishing vegetation, rebuilding conservation structures and managing soil compaction.

The bill allows a landowner to submit land restoration complaints directly to the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC), at which point a qualified inspector will enforce compliance with restoration standards. These restoration standards will apply to projects approved after 2024, which include the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) Tranche 2.1 projects.

Farm Bureau supports.

Re-Merging Mineral Rights

House File 2531 advanced out of the Senate Local Government Committee last week and is now eligible for consideration on the Senate floor.

The House-passed bill addresses mineral interests that are owned by local governments, abandoned or have unpaid property taxes. The bill requires all counties and cities to divest from any mineral interests they own when they don't own the corresponding surface area, conveying those interests to the surface owner without cost.

The bill states mineral interests that are abandoned for 20 years and unclaimed, as well as those mineral interests with unpaid property taxes, will also convey to the surface owner without cost.

Farm Bureau supports.