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.
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.
The bill includes most of the ideas Senate Republicans unveiled in January, but the Senate GOP 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 credit granted to Iowans when they reach 60 and a 70 percent credit when they turn 70.
