Bills by state lawmakers may curb local control, leaders warn
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Iowa lawmakers advanced two bills this week that would further restrict local authority.
Why it matters: City and county leaders and advocates say state legislation restricting local authority can undermine their ability to respond to community needs.
- Meanwhile, state lawmakers say they're seeking uniformity to avoid confusion.
State of play: Over the years, a slew of state legislation has prohibited local policymaking, creating a chilling effect, according to some elected officials.
An Iowa House bill would bar cities and counties from enacting civil rights protections that go beyond the Iowa Civil Rights Act.
- Lawmakers last year removed gender identity from the act, taking away protections for transgender Iowans.
- 13 Iowa cities have policies in place that uphold gender identity protections, according to Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Another House Republican bill would ban cities and counties from issuing community IDs, which non-citizens could use to verify their identities with banks, schools and local law enforcement. The government-issued IDs would be intended to help all residents get identification but would not allow them to get a driver's license or vote.
- Johnson County issues community IDs. Polk County Supervisors considered them in 2022 but did not move forward. One of the reasons was fear of retribution by state lawmakers.
What they're saying: Des Moines City Councilmember Josh Mandelbaum says the Legislature is imposing a one-size-fits-all approach and elected officials are afraid to propose policies for fear of retaliation from state lawmakers.
- "Quite honestly, I don't want to talk about the specific pieces, because anything I mention, they could come after," Mandelbaum tells Axios.
Lucas Beenken of the Iowa State Association of Counties says local leaders are closest to residents and best know their needs.
- "If you've seen one county, you've seen one county," Beenken tells Axios.
The other side: Republican lawmakers and advocates for this year's bills have said continuity between municipal and state laws is important to avoid confusion.
- "With 99 different counties and over 900 different towns and communities, it does make sense that certain issues would have broad and consistent application across the state and not vary from one community to the next, or from one county to the next," said the Family Leader's Danny Carroll regarding civil rights protections, per ICD.
In 2017, the Legislature limited local policymaking, including banning jurisdictions from setting a higher minimum wage.
- In 2021, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill allowing landlords to reject Section 8 housing. Until then, Des Moines, Iowa City and Marion required landlords to accept the vouchers.
- In 2025, state lawmakers banned local cities from prohibiting residents from setting off fireworks during certain holidays. Des Moines and much of the metro restricted personal fireworks use until then.
What we're watching: Whether these bills get through the Feb. 20 funnel week.