As the 2026 Iowa Legislative Session rolls into its second week, one lawmaker discusses priority topics from his caucus.

District 47 Representative Carter Nordman says the House Republicans have outlined three main areas to consider this year including property tax reform, being tough on crime with developing a three strike policy and preserving property rights as it pertains to the underground carbon dioxide pipeline project. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that he and the Republican caucus have heard for too long that property taxes are continuing to be a burden for Iowans.

“So often we talk about the taxing entities and the people collecting the taxes. Well, we need to flip that script and we need to start talking about the taxpayer, because there are some Iowans that are getting priced out of their home based on property taxes and I think that’s criminal. So we need to make predictability and we need to deliver some results that actually give relief.”   

Nordman is anticipating a bill from the House to be introduced soon. 

As for property rights, Nordman explains that he has heard from constituents on both sides of the issue, including people that want the underground carbon dioxide pipeline that Summit Carbon Solutions has been proposing to be on their property and others that don’t. He points out that he has always erred on the side of property owners rights, such as he has during his tenure at the Statehouse when this topic was first brought up. 

“We have already passed a bill out of the Judiciary Committee of which I sit on and I voted in favor of. (It’s a) very simple bill, all it says is, ‘No eminent domain for the use of CO2 pipelines.’ It’s a couple of lines long and it is different from last year. Last year was a pretty comprehensive bill that touched a lot of different areas. This bill is just no eminent domain for CO2 pipelines.”  

Nordman adds that since the bill was passed by the House Judiciary Committee, it is now eligible for a floor vote before sending it to the Senate for consideration.