On March 1, Declan Coady, a Drake University student and U.S. Army Reservist serving overseas was killed in action. Declan was a graduate of Valley High School in West Des Moines and a member of the ROTC at Drake. He was tragically killed, along with three of his fellow soldiers, in a drone strike on a command center in Kuwait. Please keep the Coady family in your thoughts as they grieve this terrible loss, and for all U.S. troops deployed in the Middle East right now.
A bill introduced this week, SSB 3182, has two key provisions that will impact the state budget. The first increases the state tax on health insurance companies — which will be passed along to Iowans through higher insurance costs. The second increases the amount of money the state can transfer from the Taxpayer Relief Fund to cover future budget deficits. When put together, these elements are an acknowledgement from the majority party that we have not seen the revenue growth they promised, and that they plan to run budget deficits for the foreseeable future. It’s a clear sign that they do not know how to get us out of the budget mess they created.
The state of Iowa’s Rural Health Transformation Plan, called Healthy Hometowns, has made three new funding opportunities available through the Department of Health and Human Services. You can find more details about the funding opportunities, including timelines and funding amounts, here.
Just a reminder that recent changes at the federal level say mail might not receive a postmark on the same day your local post office receives it. Plan ahead when filing your 2025 tax return. Click to view the USPS rule that took effect on Dec. 24, 2025.
The Fish and Wildlife Fund, commonly known as the “Chickadee Check-off,” is a mechanism the Iowa Legislature created in the 1980s for Iowans to donate to wildlife conservation on the Iowa state income tax form. Funding helps to improve wildlife habitat, restore native wildlife, provide opportunities for citizens to learn about Iowa’s natural resources, and much more. Donating is easy: simply write the amount to donate next to Fish/Wildlife, which is line 21 on Form 1040, and the sum is either automatically deducted from the refund or added to the amount owed.
Iowa dairy producers, feedlot operators, and industry professionals are invited to attend the 2026 Dairy Beef Short Course on Tuesday, March 17, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The program runs from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the Denny Sanford Premier Center and features a full day of research-based information on feeding and managing beef-on-dairy cattle. Participants must register online by March 10.
I had the opportunity to visit with community college representatives during Community College Day on the Hill on Tuesday, March 3. Each of Iowa’s 15 community colleges hosted a table showcasing successful programs, student achievements, and business partnerships that strengthen local communities. This year’s theme, “60 Years of Impact,” celebrated the 60th anniversary of Iowa’s community college network – a milestone that highlights decades of legislative work expanding access to affordable, high-quality higher education for Iowans. Students, educators, and business partners were on hand to share stories about how community colleges continue to drive opportunity and workforce success across the state.
The Iowa Board of Regents met February 25–26. The Board held a first reading of the 2026–27 tuition and fee proposals, which include a 3% increase in resident undergraduate tuition at all three universities. Final decisions on tuition costs are planned for the April meeting in Ames. The Regents also reported record-high student outcomes, with 60% of students graduating within four years and 74%
The Board of Regents received an economic impact update report showing Iowa’s public universities contributed $18 billion to the state economy in FY 2023–2024 – up from $14.9 billion in 2021–2022. The study also notes that the total of university activity supports more than 214,000 jobs, which is one out of 10 jobs in Iowa, and returns more than two dollars for every taxpayer dollar spent.