State Sen. Tim Kraayenrbink, R-Fort Dodge, said when he asked fellow lawmakers why they were getting involved in property tax issues he was told “because that’s all we hear about and we get blamed for it so if we’re going to get blamed for it anyway we should do something about it.”

“I’m actually in favor of having the local county do their own and be responsible for their property taxes,” he said.

He and state representatives Ann Meyer, R-Fort Dodge, and Mike Sexton, R-Rockwell City, fielded a couple of questions about property taxes during the Eggs and Issues forum Saturday morning at Iowa Central Community College.

Meyer gave an update on her ongoing effort to pass a bill banning the use of electronic devices while driving unless the device is in a hands-free mode.

She said the bill recently passed the Senate on a 47-1 vote.

“I do believe this is going to pass,” she said. “This is a live round.”

The lawmakers offered differing opinions on a bill that would raise the pay of the state’s elected officials, including a $100,000 boost for the governor. Meyer said she will not support the bill, while Kraayenbrink and Sexton seemed to favor a more gradual approach to salary increases.

About 40 people attended the Eggs and Issues forum, which was sponsored by the college and the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance.

Property taxes

Cities, counties and school districts are now finalizing their budgets for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

In Fort Dodge, the city government is eliminating six positions and reducing hours of operations at the Rosedale Rapids Aquatics Center. Reduced hours at the Blanden Memorial Art Museum and Fort Dodge Public Library are also possible, along with longer response times to nuisance complaints. Local leaders blame changes in property tax laws for those impacts.

On Saturday, the lawmakers were asked why they are putting limits on the revenues of local governments.

“Because the counties aren’t doing it themselves,” Kraayenbrink replied.

He said that like many other lawmakers, he hears continuous complaints from constituents about property taxes. He said constituents ask for lawmakers to fix the situation. He said he replies by telling people that when the legislature tries to do something it often does it wrong.

With regard to property taxes, lawmakers are trying to do something for communities as different as Pocahontas, Fort Dodge and Waukee, he said.

“It’s hard for the state to have a one spot solution for all communities,” Kraayenbrink said.

He said he believes Iowans need to get more engaged with their local leaders on property tax issues.

Sexton said he and Kraayenbrink represent a couple in Pocahontas County that are in danger of being “property taxed out of their home.”

“At the end of the day in rural Iowa the people need to decide what they want,” he said. “Do you want the very best top notch service or do you want level B services?”

“They need to talk to their county supervisors,” he added.

Kraayenbrink and Sexton said there are new property tax bills in the legislature, but they seem to get changed on a daily basis.

“It’s not by any means ready to run on the floor yet,” Sexton said.

Kraayenbrink said the Senate bill is a “long way from the finish line.”

Distracted driving

After hearing horror stories from constituents who were in crashes or nearly in crashes because of a driver distracted by an electronic device, Meyer has pushed for a bill to ban the use of such devices unless they are in hands-free mode for as long as she has been in the legislature.

Her effort is seeing renewed progress this year.

The Senate passed the bill. The measure would have come before the House on Thursday, but there were a large number of representatives absent, according to Meyer.

She said 53 members of the 100-member House have committed to voting for the bill. She added that she believes even more representatives will support it when it finally does come up for a vote.

“This should not be a controversial bill, but for some reason it is in the House,” she said.

She said the House Republican leadership is “not really on board with this, but they’re not standing in the way, either.”

She said if the bill passes the House, it will go to Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has already said she supports it.

Pay raise

There is a bill that would raise the pay of legislators from the current $25,000 to $40,000.

It would also raise the pay of the governor to $230,000, a $100,000 increase.

“There hasn’t been a pay increase bill for over 20 years,” Sexton said.

“I think there needs to be an increase,” he added. “I think it needs to be ratcheted up over time.”

Kraayenbrink said there needs to be more discussion about the amount of any increases.

Meyer said she will not support the current pay raise bill.

In an unrelated issue, all three lawmakers said they would not support a measure to ban vaccines made using mRNA. Currently, the COVID vaccine is the only one available that was made with mRNA.

Meyer said she is “totally against” banning such vaccines.

“There are people that want and need those vaccines,” she said.

Also on Saturday, Sexton advised that the state government will not be in a position to help farmers if tariffs hurt their business.

“First of all, we wouldn’t have the money,” he said.