Inside IECA Government Relations | Iowa Extension Council Association Iowa Extension Council Association

Legislative Update

State of Iowa with the dome of the Iowa Capitol superimposed over it

Representative Carter Nordman speaks on the Iowa House floor — IECA extends special thanks to Representative Carter Nordman (R-Adel) who worked to protect county extension throughout this property tax reform process. Rep. Nordman chairs the House Ways & Means Committee.

House Passes IECA's Requested Amendment

On April 22, the Iowa House passed Amendment H-8394 to Senate File 2472. This amendment would change Iowa Code 176A to:

Remove the levy rate cap
Remove the dollar cap, and
Add the 2% growth cap (replacing the incremental increase of $6K, $7K, $15K, or $25K)

This is good news! Without this amendment, levy-capped counties would see significant reductions in tax revenue.

What Comes Next with the Property Tax Bill?

Since the House and Senate have both passed different bills, they now need to reconcile and pass one bill. Once both chambers pass identical bills, it will be sent to the governor for signature and adoption. The new property tax calculations would be implemented July 1, 2027.

We appreciate that both the House and Senate versions of property tax reform include similar safeguards to protect the ag extension district levy.

Your Advocacy Makes a Difference

This amendment would not have happened if it weren’t for constituents. Extension and 4-H supporters called, texted, and emailed their legislators and the message was clear, allowing the amendment to pass without issue.

Extension Council members and Extension Districts are encouraged to continue sharing the impacts of extension work in their counties with legislators, taxpayers, in media outlets, and online (see resources on this page).

Share the Public Value of ISU Extension and Outreach

Any council member can share the message about the extraordinary public value that ISU Extension and Outreach has for Iowans throughout the year (not just during the legislative session). Here are a few resources you can share.

Familiarize yourself with your county's impact report. If you will be seeing someone in person, your county office can help print off copies, as needed.
Read through the Annual Impact Report for ISU Extension and Outreach to familiarize yourself with some of our accomplishments.
Review ISU Extension and Outreach financial information. The ISU Extension and Outreach Funding at a Glance and County Agricultural Extension District Tax Asking Limits are both helpful documents to understand where our funding comes from and how counties are limited in their allowable levy ask.
The Resources for Legislators page provides a broad overview of some of ISU Extension and Outreach's key programs and the impacts that are made in their legislative districts.

2026 Legislative Priorities

Preserve the County Extension levy
Share the message that “Iowa Needs the County Extension Levy.”
Share Extension and Outreach’s impact in each legislative district.
Share the public value of ISU Extension and Outreach to Iowans.

How Council Members Can Help

Share your county impact report and the ISU Extension and Outreach Impact Report with your legislators at local legislative coffees they hold in your county. Highlight one or two key program successes that show how Extension and Outreach make an impact in your county. If you are unable to meet with them in person, you could also mail or email the report to them, along with a message to reach out to you if they would like to talk further about how ISU Extension and Outreach impacts the citizens they represent.
The ISU Extension and Outreach Talking Points document has some great suggested highlights to share with your legislators.
Help your legislators understand the unique 3-way partnership ISU Extension and Outreach has with federal, state, and county funding sources. Share the Extension Funding at a Glance with them and highlight that local property tax revenues are used to fund local programming, staff, and facilities. Notice also that public dollars are leveraged with grants and donations.
Familiarize yourself with County Agricultural Extension District Tax Asking Limits that guide the amount (in dollars and levy rate) that a county extension district can levy.
Talk about the value that your county's extension programs bring to residents. Learn more about public value through the Communicating Public Value video and public value worksheets from the 2024 extension council conference. Or take a few minutes to complete the Value Mapping Worksheet for a program you'd like to share with your legislators and members of your community. Enlist county extension personnel to help you with these exercises - or work on them at a council meeting.

Federal Resources

Congress.gov - This is really the only Federal Government website that you need. From here, you can look up Iowa's U.S. Senators and Representatives, view committee membership, search the congressional record, and more.
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Senate

State Resources

Effective Education | Simple tips to help you approach elected officials and share your message effectively.
Briefing Information on ISU Extension and Outreach | A brief summary of statewide ISU Extension and Outreach impacts. This information can be used as support material when talking with elected officials.
Making Contacts for ISU Extension and Outreach | This handout is designed for copying and direct distribution to your volunteers. The information provides some basic tips for anyone who wants to talk with decision-makers about the importance of ISU Extension and Outreach's educational programs.
Helping Volunteers Prepare a Message for Decision Makers | This reference gives pointers for council members to develop a story about the importance of the local Extension program. The tool suggests local data that your Extension staff should have on hand to build facts into the message about the numbers of people involved in Extension, local impacts, etc.
Iowa Legislature Link | The website below is your link to State Government information including legislator names, email addresses, committee information and district maps.

Board of Regents

A portion of the funding for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach from the Iowa Legislature is funneled through the Board of Regents appropriation and then through the Iowa State University line item. County extension district funding does not filter through the Board of Regents. For information about the Iowa Board of Regents, visit the website.