Iowa lawmakers have gone home.

But what did they do in Des Moines that's going to impact everybody in the cities?

[lively music] [music ends] It ended in a marathon.

Iowa lawmaker burned the weekend oil to come to an agreement on property tax reform.

One of the last reall thorny issues that Republicans in the majority could not seek consensus on in the past.

It will have a big impact not only on landowners across the state, but also schools and municipal governments, whose revenues are largely based on property taxes.

We spoke with Bettendor Republican State Representative Gary Mohr about the close of the 2026 session.

Representative Mohr, it was really quite a marathon to end this 2026 session and explain why it was almost, what, 30 hours straight?

34 Jim, to be exact.

Yeah, it was quite a marathon.

It's not unusual for us to go over time, and to be there late the last the nights during the last week.

So that's that's nothing normal.

This year, the reason primarily was the property tax bill.

There was a lot of discussion all session and last year about what we wanted to do with property taxes.

And the House had a bill.

The Senate had a bill, but it took until the 11th and a half hour for the House and the Senate to agree on one bill that would pass both houses of the legislature.

That was primarily the the issue that kept us there the longest.

Well, absolutely.

And let's talk about that for a moment, because, I know you've told m in the past that, property taxes is like the number one thing that people talk to you about when they want to talk about government.

But as we know, property taxes isn't a main revenue generator for the state but it is for local governments.

By by making a cap, by putting this 2% cap down, for local governments, I mean, aren't you interfering a little bit on how local governments can operate?

Well, Jim, the reason we dealt with the property tax issue and I had a lot of constituents who said to m over the last couple of years, Gary, you guys have done a good job at the state of lowering our state income taxes.

Holding spending in check.

We need you to do something about property taxes.

Even though you're right, property tax money does not go to the state of Iowa.

It goes to our local schools, local county governments, local city governments.

But our taxpayers wanted us to do something.

Particularly in my district, it was from senior citizens who said to me repeatedly they were afraid they were going to lose their houses, or I'd have to sell their houses, because over a period of years, their property taxes became too expensive and their pensions or retirement funds couldn't keep up.

So those were the reasons why we dealt with this in the legislature.

And we I think we came up with a very reasonable, compromis that will limit the growth of, local government city school district spending, and in some cases, reduce the property taxes for our, citizens.

You mentioned part of it.

Some of the general levies are capped at 2%, not 2% growth in what you pay but their annual appropriation or their annual budge in the county or cities cannot go up by more than 2% from one year to the next.

We did, however leave some flexibility for them and did not ca some of their other, flexible, levies like their debt service, their special revenue levies at the cities and counties.

So there was some flexibility there.

But it also gives the taxpayers, up to a $20,000, homestead tax credit.

Our exemption, to help immediately give them some reduction in their property taxes.

So all in all, I think it was worth the two year wait.

And I think it's a good, property tax bill for the taxpayers of Iowa.

Do you think that it's going to put municipalities and school districts in a bit of a bind where you're already seeing, school districts having to cut schools, closed down schools, and cities that are trying to find best ways to, to provid the services that they provide, but are worried about this cap and they're worried about, how much money they can get.

Well, I'm not worried about, local governments.

County governments, school districts, closing or, but I do think they're goin to have to budget their money, more wisely, just like the citizens do.

We in the House decided a long time ago we're either going to side with the local governments, in taxing or we're going to decide for the taxpayers of Iowa.

And we decided a long time ago we were going to side with the taxpayers.

So, yes I expect every local government, to have to budget more wisely and maybe not spend as much money on this or that.

But we think that ough to benefit the taxpayers of Iowa and that was our number one goal.

Well, let's talk a little bit more about parts of school districts, because in the last few sessions, Iowa lawmakers have really focused on education, not only a K through 12, bu also, higher education as well.

But let's start with K through 12 is that you're seeing more charter schools.

You're seeing these, private school vouchers.

You're seeing money really in some ways leaving school districts.

And then you add this cap.

Are you worried about the sustainability of some of these, especially rural school districts that really are living and counting each penny?

Well, again, we don't see our role of, in the legislature of propping up small rural school districts.

If they're too small to be able to stay in business, they they ought to look at, merging with other school districts.

We do see ourselves as, increasing every year, which we've done, funding for our K through 12 schools and over the last few years, when we've created, allow for the creation of charter school or educational savings accounts.

We've decided that the money that we provide, which is roughly $8,000 per student, ought to follow the student and not the school district.

So whatever the parents think, where that child needs to go to school that $8,000 in the state of Iowa will follow them.

Whether it's a charter school, a private school, parochial school, or public school.

Now, you originally were not a fan of the school voucher program I mean, are you a convert now?

No.

I opposed it originally two years ago, and you're correct.

I did not think we, the taxpayers, in my district, that the majority of the taxpayers wanted their money to go to private schools.

But in this business, Jim, and you know this and your listeners know this, that decision was made two years ago.

And as House Appropriations chairman, my job is not to keep fighting battles that were lost two years ago.

It's my responsibility now to help put together a budget for the state of Iowa that funds the programs that the legislature created last year, ten years ago or this year.

So, it's my responsibility t help fund all of those things.

That's the law of the state of Iowa.

Let's talk about the budget right now.

You passed about a $9.6 billion budget agreement.

But the, March Revenu Estimating Conference expected you to bring in $8.5 billion, which is almost $1 billion.

Difference.

I know that you've been trying to push down the amount of money that's in reserves that the state of Iowa has, but is that sustainabl for the long run to be spending far more than you're getting, receiving?

No.

But, Jim, I think you and I have talked about this over the years.

Seven years, eight years ago, when we started this, we knew at some point we wanted to reduce income taxes, which we did, to a flat 3.8%, across the state, across upper income taxes.

They used to be 9%.

Well, we were well awar when we did that, that revenue, if you used to be collecting 9 and now you're collecting 3.8%, we new revenue t the state was going to go down.

So for a number of years we banked money, in preparation for the time when we cut the taxes.

So for a few years, on the history of Iowa, once you cut taxes for a few years, the revenue does go down.

But then over a period of time, revenues come back up.

And that's exactly what we're seeing happen.

So we knew there was going to be, shortfall of funding, which is why, we had built up 4 billion or 4.5 billion in our taxpayer relief fund.

We had a 2 billion in carryover balance, from, on June 30th.

We had another billion in savings account, so we had $7 billion in the bank.

Before we cut income taxes.

So when we did cut income tax to the flat 3.8, again, we knew revenue was going to go down and we'd have to draw up on those savings, which is what we're doing.

So I'm not worried.

Because that billion dollar shortfall this year, will reduce our savings.

But again, that was the plan originally.

And, here's another way to look at it.

We passed a budget this week of $9.6 billion for next year.

That starts July 1st.

So like your personal account you look at what kind of money do you have to cover that $9.6 billion in expense?

Well, our Revenue Estimating Council tells us we're going to have 8.5 billion of revenue coming in next year.

We still have roughly three and a half or $4 billion in the taxpayer relief fund.

We expect another billio or two carryover balance on June 30th.

So we were we're going to have in the neighborhood of 14, 13.5, $14.5 billion to cover a $9.6 billion budget.

I'm not to worry, because we'r going to have ample resources, to cover the $9.6 billion budget.

I want to talk about something other than just, cash and reserves.

And that is something that wasn't accomplished once again in this legislature.

And that was eminent domain, which has to do with, of course, the, carbon pipelines that want to move through Iowa and perhaps, take over private property in order to lay down these, pipelines.

Once again, the House passed it very quickly in January, it was pushed to the Senate.

No agreement.

Nothing happened.

Do you think that Iowa lawmakers are going to pay a price for this for once again not getting this accomplished?

Well, they very well may there's a large group of people that repeatedly come to the capital, which is their right to, lobby for, eminent domain legislation.

And as you mentioned, we in the House have passed, restrictions on eminent domain for CO2 pipelines, each of the last three years.

I don't know what more the house could do, to send the message that we support, not allowing eminent domain for pipelines.

But the Senate, fo some reason, has not passed it.

I don't know, whether we'l pass it a fourth time next year.

It's kind of a moot poin after we passed it three times.

So I'm anxious to watch and see what the Senate does.

It really doesn't do much for us to continue to pass the same bill, 3, 4 or 5, 6 times until we see some movement in the Senate.

Let's talk abou some of the health issues that, the state legislature has looked at.

And one of them is, regarding the abortion medications that, come into Iowa, often its by mail, by women who are, acquiring these from out of state, providers.

Iowa lawmakers now ar preventing that from occurring.

Did you support that or or do you think that's a step too far for, women's rights?

No, I did support that uh, Jim, and here's why.

Today, it's too easy for people to get things through the mail and pills that come to people, they might, you, we don't know where they co from.

Were they manufactured in China?

Were they manufactured in Mexico?

Were they manufactured somewhere else?

What's in those pills?

They're not approved by the FDA.

They're not approved by th National Institutes of Health.

And I just think what the bill that we passed simply says that before a woman can get the pills she has to be seen by a doctor.

And the doctor ha to be involved in in her care.

And the reason primarily is it's to, iffy for just anybody, including even men, for other medications.

When you order pills through the through the mail, you don't know what's in ‘em, and you don't know where they come from.

You don't know what the side effects are going to be.

They may be laced with things that might be fatal.

And so all we're requiring is that the, the woman, see the doctor before she, has access to those pills.

And I think it's a safety issu for all women and all families.

You also, looked at, toughening, sentencing requirements.

When we look at some of the crimes that occur, in Iowa, it's kind of called a three strikes, law.

And you know that so well.

Does that tie a judge's hands?

Do you have problems with, once again, the legislature mandating, something that could be a very individual case by case issue.

Well, we don't see it as tying a judge's hands because the judges still have some flexibility.

But here's here's the genesis of why the legislature passed the three strikes.

We're sick and tired of people committing serious crimes who have committed previous serious crime and are back out on the street.

I've used the example of that Henry Dinkins gentleman who, I think raped and killed that young Breasia girl.

He was arreste and had, as I recall, four pages of serious crimes that he had committed previously.

And yet he was out on the street.

Iowans want safety.

We want safety for Iowans.

And so we passed a three strikes bill that basically says everyone starts over, on the three strikes.

But once you have three strikes for serious crimes, you've got a minimu of a 20 year sentence in prison.

We want those people off the street.

Iowans expect safety when uh when they're out on the street, when they're children around the street, and peopl who commit those serious crimes after three times, they ought to be locked up.

And that's the intent.

One of the other areas of concern in the state of Iowa is, coverage for mental health.

And, you know, so well Bettendorf police, pointing out how how difficult it is to deal with, a lot of the people out on the streets.

Because yo can't necessarily commit them.

It tends to be the same, crimes so to speak, that are being done by people who have a mental health issues.

What more d you think that the legislature needs to do in regards to mental health, which is a growing problem nationwide?

It's not just an Iowa problem.

Jim, I'm glad you brought that one up.

That was my bill.

It resulted from a meeting I was called to, year, a year and a half ago, downtown with the county attorney.

And in the meeting were like, 25 or 30 police officers, police chiefs, sheriffs, sheriffs deputies.

And the unanimous feeling in that room.

And I got to tell you, I don't go to a lot of meetings where everybody in the room has a unanimous opinion.

But the unanimous opinion was, we need to get people off the street, homeless people, or others, who have mental conditions, that are still out on the street and who need care, but aren't getting care.

And so, as a result of that meeting, I, hosted a statewide, study, last spring, I think it was.

And, as a result of that, we've developed legislation that alters, the current code of Iowa.

For example, people who, are picked up by the police and are in prison, and then get back out an are back on the streets again.

And from what I've hear from our local law enforcement, that might be 30 or 40% of the crimes, that, that they commit, that our police officers have to continually arrest and re-arrest these people, simpl because there was a limitation on how much care they could get, that the insurance companies would pay for.

There was a ten day maximum.

Well some of these people might need two months, four months, five months to get back on medications to get their diets regulated.

And so what our bill does is it requires insurance companies to help take care of these people for a longer period of time to get get them back on track.

So these people are not back out, let go back out on the street, committing other crimes.

And they'r they're not hardened criminals, but they're, they're committing crimes that the police have to arrest them over and over and over again, which is a big part of our homeless problem.

And I've worked with our people and our downtowns and our local police and sheriffs.

We got that bill passed.

So I'm hoping that in the near future, we'll see a reduction of homeless people, because they'll be getting some care that they're not currently getting.

Our thanks to Bettendorf Republican State Representative Gary Mohr.

Next week, we'll talk with a veteran Democratic lawmaker to find out the minority party's assessment of this session and what the party will campaign on in order to pick up some seats in the November election.

The Memorial Day weekend is just days away, and there are lots of events being held right no that may interest you as well.

Here's a look at some of what's happening.

Thanks to Visit Quad Cities.

[soft music] Check out the things t do this week in the Quad Cities.

Start your week by visiting Niabi Zoo.

They will be open late on th third Thursday of every month.

Next, head to Modern Woodmen Park to watch the Quad Cities River bandits take on the Beloit Sky Carp.

Then Davenport Civil Rights traveling exhibit is at our Union Station destination center.

Stop by to explore the powerful stories.

Then enjoy a free, relaxing outdoor yoga class at Harold's Landing.

Enjoy great views and fresh air.

Finally, enjoy a fantastic show along with an incredible dinner at Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse.

For more events like these check out our events calendar at VisitQuadCities.com [music ends] Quad City Musician Angela Meyer has taken to the stage with country music covers and her own work for more than a decade.

She's also host of The Muddy Waters radio show Saturday afternoons from two until five on WQED radio 107.7 FM.

Angela also performed for us as part of our Chords and Coffee series.

So here' Angela Meyer with “Muddy Water”.

The first song I played today was “Muddy Water”, and it was kind of me exploring this idea of like being a dreamer in a small town.

And whether you're choosing to leave or you're choosing to stay an make your career in that area.

[guitar strumming] So obviously about myself staying in the Quad Cities.

Usually people will be like, you know, are you moving to Nashville?

Are you moving to New York, L.A., all these music hubs, Texas?

And kind of why I choose to stay here.

And then some o the other people that I've seen who have stayed out of fear, so “Muddy Water” kind of explores those themes.

[guitar strumming] You said, “I'm drowning.” I said, “Then stand.” You said, “I'm outta here.” And I said, “When?” Like a buckle on a bed post, you're just hanging around.

Aint a damn prize left to be won in this town.

And it feels too deep, when the get tangled and you can't sleep.

Trying to keep the dream alive, look around, and what's pulling you under will bury you alive.

They muddy the water to make it feel deep.

They muddy the water... For me, music is my literal entire life.

I grew up with a mom that was in a cover band, and so some of my earlies memories are at three years old, dancing around at the Iowa State Fair.

And like the smoke and light and secondhand smoke, all of it.

Her parents were very big into country music.

My grandma played steel guitar.

My grandpa played, guitar.

And saxophone.

I think they both did their fair share of singing and probably writing as well.

And it's just definitely this thing that's been passed down in my veins.

My dad loves classic rock, so I got a little bit of that in me as well.

And I think every good country song kind of rocks and every good rock song ha that country songwriting in it.

[guitar strumming] They muddy the water to make it feel deep.

They muddy the water so you dont leave.

[guitar strumming] When you feel resistance start to dig.

It's just a season and youre planting seeds.

Soon you learn how the lotus grew to float, effortlessly.

[guitar strumming] You said, “I'm drowning.” I said, “Then stand.” You said, “I'm outta here.” And I said, “When?” [guitar strumming ends] Angela Meyer with “Muddy Water”.

Next weekend, she has concerts scheduled in Tipton.

Bennett and Buffalo, Iowa.

We're celebrating 250 years since America declared its independence in 1776.

And throughout the year, we've asked people about their Civic Spark, why they chose their career and how it impacts our society.

Doctor Kristi Mindrup is the presiden of Western Illinois University.

She has faced challenges in the past year as Western has cut back on programs due to falling enrollment at its two campuses.

So we asked Doctor Mindrup about her Civic Spark, why higher education is still so important to her.

[soft music] Civic spark.

I think the Civic Spark behind a rol that focuses on higher education is, making sure we have an educated society and education educated society makes sure that not just that we have the technical, skill set represented, in our society, but also the the ability to think critically, to examine information and understand the world around us and to appreciate the dynamics, that happen between all the different aspects of our society.

Also just to prepare people to understand their full potential, understand and inspire them, to think about what they can contribute, to their homes, to their neighborhoods, to their cities and towns and to the world around them.

[music ends] Our thanks to Western Illinois University president Doctor Kristi Mindru up for sharing her Civic Spark.

On the air, on the radio, on the web, on your mobile device and streaming on your computer, thanks for taking some time to join us as we talk about the issues on The Cities.

[lively music] [music ends]