In her ninth Condition of the State speech, Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday outlined her top priorities for the legislative session, which began Monday. Property tax relief, addressing cancer concerns, improving health care, a focus on education and veteran benefit reform were at the top of her list for this session. 

Property taxes: Reynolds proposed capping local government revenue growth, moving property assessments to every three years, shifting the burden of proof for large increases to assessors, freezing property taxes for some seniors and creating savings accounts for first-time home buyers. She suggested lawmakers target spending to help solve the issue. 

“Over the years, we’ve tried to rein in local taxing authorities. But it’s often felt like squeezing a balloon—limit one levy and another one expands. So this year, we need to go after the real driver of the problem: spending,” Reynolds said. 

She proposed freezing taxes for seniors who meet certain criteria. 

“My proposal freezes property tax bills for Iowans ages 65 and up whose homes are valued at $350,000 or less; so they can stay in their homes and their communities,” she said. 

She encouraged Iowans to visit the Iowa Department of Management’s State Property Tax Dashboard, where visitors can now more closely review how cities and counties are spending tax dollars.  

Cancer rates: Iowa has the second highest rate of cancer in the country and to reverse that, Reynolds proposed studies and improved access to testing and treatments. 

“Last year, I directed Iowa HHS to partner with the University of Iowa College of Public Health to begin the most comprehensive study of cancer ever undertaken in our state. In the coming weeks, the initial findings will be released,” she said. 

Healthy Hometowns, a plan aiming to strengthen rural health care, was awarded $209 million for the first year of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program. 

“Just this year, more than $50 million will be invested specifically in cancer prevention, screening and treatment. And we expect it to grow to $183 million over four years,” Reynolds said. 

The Healthy Hometowns plan involves creating cancer care hubs that fund the doctors, equipment and technology needed for treatment. 

“That’s step one and it starts this year,” Reynolds said. “We’ll complete this hub-and-spoke model by opening satellite clinics in outlying communities, where patients can get routine cancer care even closer to home,” she said. 

Childhood obesity: To reduce chronic health conditions, childhood obesity needs to be reduced, Reynolds said. 

“Across the U.S., more than 40% of children have at least one chronic health condition. And obesity is a major driver of many of them,” she said. “That’s concerning, since one out of every six children in Iowa are considered obese. And Iowa ranks 17th in the nation for adult obesity.” She said it’s time for the days of government programs enabling chronic illness to end.

“With USDA’s approval, SNAP and Summer EBT in Iowa will help families purchase fresh produce, grains, meat and dairy, but candy, sweets and soft drinks are no longer covered,” she said. “This year, I’m asking the Legislature to make sure our state always maintains a nutrition-first focus for these programs by directing the Iowa HHS to maintain a federal waiver going forward.”

She proposed requiring physicians to take nutrition classes as part of their continuing medical education and said she plans to introduce a bill to remove artificial food dyes from school lunch programs.

Education: Reynolds touted improvements in early intervention, evidence-based literacy instruction, teacher pay raises and expanded school choice.

“For the first time in Iowa’s history, Education Savings Accounts are universally available, meaning the same State Cost per Pupil follows every child, regardless of income or ZIP code,” Reynolds said. 

She is proposing a bill that ensures per-pupil funding will truly follow students, “so that every public-school student receives equal support, no matter which public school they attend.” 

“My proposal will ensure that public charter school students have access to concurrent enrollment classes and extracurricular activities, just like students in traditional public schools,” she said. 

Agriculture: Reynolds plans to introduce legislation that she said would modernize the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program by expanding its size, making it refundable and extending it to land sales and leases.

In response to her farming proposals, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in a press release, “I look forward to working closely with the governor and the Legislature to advance the Iowa Farm Act, which will deliver meaningful wins for farmers and strengthen rural communities. I appreciate the governor’s staff working closely with my team to modernize and strengthen the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit. I strongly support revamping this important program so it remains a meaningful tool to help the next generation of farmers get started and build their farm businesses.”

Veterans: Reynolds proposed veterans benefits reform, following her introductory remarks, which honored the two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed in Syria in December, Staff Sgts. William Nathaniel Howard and Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar. Lawmakers stood and applauded as Reynolds pointed out family members of Howard who were present in the gallery. 

“Iowa is home to nearly 178,000 veterans, yet only a third is receiving the benefits they’ve earned, placing Iowa 44th in the nation for VA compensation. And that’s not acceptable. An outdated system that provides little accountability is leading too many veterans and well-meaning county officials without the tools, training and consistency they need,” she said. 

Her proposal includes modernizing the VA system statewide and incentivizing better performance by repurposing existing state funds to create a new performance-based county grant program. 

“The higher a county’s VA compensation per capita, the more money a county will earn, ensuring that outcomes improve. The goal is simple: more benefits reaching more veterans,” she said.

Reynolds’ speech did not mention commercial or industrial property taxes and did not bring up energy programs as she has in the past. 

“There will be time to look back and time to say thank you. But tonight, our focus is forward, on what still needs to be done, and on doing it together,” Reynolds said.