(Radio Iowa) – A bill that would significantly change the property tax system for Iowa homeowners has cleared the Senate. Senator Dan Dawson, a Republican from Council Bluffs, calls it the first step toward a plan that can win approval in the Iowa House and be signed into law by Governor Reynolds.
“This is not the final product, but we have to start to move towards a conclusion in this,” Dawson said, “and I do believe this bill is a good faith effort to finding that compromise within this General Assembly.” The bill passed on a 41-to-four vote. Senator Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines who voted “yes,” says it’s not perfect, but the bill is a good opener for negotiations.
“This is a substantial bill and there were commitments made at the beginning of session that we were going to see substantial change, not tweaks as we’ve done over the past, but significant in the direction that property taxes need to go,” Bisignano said.
The bill includes most of the ideas Senate Republicans unveiled in January, but the Senate G-O-P is no longer proposing that Iowans over the age of 60 who own their homes no longer have to pay taxes. The bill as currently written proposes a 50 percent homestead credit for all homeowners, with a 60 percent granted to Iowans when they reach 60 and a 70 percent credit when they turn 70.
