The 2026 Iowa Legislative Session gets underway Monday at the State Capitol, with lawmakers preparing to address a wide-ranging agenda. Issues expected to dominate the session include property tax relief, state spending priorities and ongoing discussions on education policy.
Eminent domain is also expected to return to the spotlight this session, following Governor Kim Reynolds’ veto last year of legislation tied to carbon capture pipelines. State Representative Josh Meggers, a Republican from Grundy Center who represents House District 54, tells RadioOnTheGo News lawmakers are evaluating how to move forward on the issue this session.
“As a member of the Republican Legislative Intervenors for Justice, I remain committed to protecting the property rights of Iowa landowners. While there was certainly frustration following the governor’s veto, speaker (Pat) Grassley has been very clear that we are focused on moving forward. Moving into 2026, we have to find a path that balances our energy infrastructure goals with the fundamental rights of the people who own the land. It’s an ongoing conversation, and we’re not going to stop looking for ways to ensure Iowan’s property is protected from abuse.”
Meggers is also advancing legislation in a different area this session. In 2024, Iowa State Patrol troopers issued more than 1,000 citations to drivers traveling over 100 miles per hour, highlighting growing concerns about excessive speeding on Iowa roadways.
A bill introduced in the Iowa House would significantly increase fines for those violations. Meggers, who has served nearly 20 years with the Iowa State Patrol, says his firsthand experience on patrol is what prompted him to bring the legislation forward.
“I’ve seen an uptick in 100-mile-an-hour plus citations being issued. For an example, last summer I stopped a driver for 103 in a 55-mile-an-hour zone. When I was questioning him about his excessive speed, he told me I had a really bad day at work and I just wanted to get home. So when it comes to this type of driving behavior, it’s about public safety, not about revenue. When people are traveling at those speeds, they’re not just breaking the law. They are also putting every other family on the roadway at risk.”
As the 2026 session gets underway, Meggers will represent the interests of House District 54, which includes Hardin and Grundy counties, on a range of issues from public safety to property and land-use policies.
