SECOND WEEK OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION
The second week was short but jampacked. The legislature observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday and was not in session.
Between Tuesday and Wednesday, the House and Senate held nearly 60 subcommittee meetings. The House also debated and passed a bill banning the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines.
In addition, the House released its initial property tax proposal, which is closer to the Governor’s proposal than the Senate’s. Carbon pipelines and property taxes will be the two biggest issues this session.
LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
Despite how busy the Capitol was this week, ISC bills we are tracking moved slowly. One bright spot was our bill to eliminate the celebrity deer tag, which passed a subcommittee unanimously, 3–0 and will advance to the full Senate Natural Resources Committee for consideration. The House Natural Resources Committee is expected to schedule a subcommittee hearing on the companion bill
soon.
One issue raised by a legislator involves nonresidents being required to purchase a doe tag along with a buck tag, even when the county in which they hunt has no doe tags available as determined by the DNR. Multiple legislators have expressed support for this idea and is a commonsense proposal.
BILL TRACKER
** New Information highlighted in yellow**
**Bills ISC supports are in green**
**Bills ISC opposes are in red**
**Bills ISC is monitoring are in blue**
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
Hunters play a critical role in shaping sound wildlife policy, and continued advocacy is essential as the legislative session moves forward. Key priorities—including eliminating the celebrity deer tag, allowing the use of drones to recover legally harvested deer, and opposing proposals that would add more nonresident tags or changing the depredation tag program—need strong, consistent support from the hunting community. Legislators rely on input from the people most affected by these decisions, and your firsthand experience in the field helps guide policy that protects conservation efforts and hunting traditions.
Now is the time to make your voice heard. Many legislators are hosting town halls and community events across the state, and these provide valuable opportunities to speak directly with them. Follow your legislators on social media to stay informed about when and where these events are taking place. Show up, share your perspective, and explain why these issues matter to you and to responsible wildlife management. When hunters stay engaged and speak up, lawmakers listen—and that advocacy makes a real difference.
Please look to see if your senator or representative serves on the Natural Resources Committee. If they do, tell them to support our legislation, and legislative agenda.
House Natural Resources Committee
Senate Natural Resources Committee
DNR Townhalls on 2025 Hunting Season
The DNR is hosting a series of town hall-style meetings where local staff will provide updates on recently completed hunting and trapping seasons, discuss possible changes to hunting and trapping rules and regulations, and address other topics.
Meeting dates, times, and locations:
• Waverly, March 2, 6 p.m., Waverly Public Library, 1500 W. Bremer Avenue
• Bloomfield, March 3, 6 p.m., Pioneer Ridge Nature Center, 1339 Hwy. 63
• Boone, March 3, 6 p.m., Wildlife Research Station, 1436 255th Street
• Burlington, March 3, 6 p.m., Burlington Public Library, 210 Court St.
• Chariton, March 3, 6 p.m., Pin Oak Lodge, 45996 State Hwy. 14
• Creston, March 3, 6 p.m., Performing Arts Building multi-purpose room (124), 1201 West Townline Street
• Decorah, March 3, 7 p.m., Franklin W. Olin Building, Room 102, Luther College, 700 College Drive, next to the Prues Library
• Des Moines, March 3, 6:45 p.m., Des Moines Izaak Walton, 4343 George Flagg Parkway
• Maquoketa, March 3, 7 p.m., Hurstville Interpretive Center, 18670 63rd Street
• Spencer, March 3, 6:30 p.m., Iowa Lakes Community College, 1900 Grand Ave. Suite B1, Entrance #1-West side of the North Mall
• Iowa City, March 4, 5:30 p.m., Johnson County Extension Office, 3109 Old Hwy 218 South
• Charles City, March 4, 6:30 p.m., Public Library Zastrow Room, 910 Clark Street
• Okoboji, March 4, 6 p.m., Maser Monarch Lodge, 22785 Nature Center Road
• Perry, March 4, 6 p.m., Dallas County Conservation Board, Forest Park Museum administration building, 14581 K Avenue
• Algona, March 5, 7 p.m., Tietz Entrepreneurial Center at the Algona campus of Iowa Lakes Community College, 2111 Hwy 169 North
• Council Bluffs, March 5, 5:30 p.m., Bass Pro Shops, 2901 Bass Pro Drive
• Hinton, March 5, 5 p.m., Dennis L. Sohl Center for Outdoor Learning, Hillview Recreation Area, 25601 C60
• Lake View, March 5, 6:30 p.m., Speaker Park Shelter House, 418 North Blossom Street
• Toledo, March 5, 5:30 p.m., Tama County Nature Center at Otter Creek Lake Park, 2283 Park Road
• Ventura, March 5, 6 p.m., Clear Lake Wildlife Unit Office, 15326 Balsam Ave.
PLEASE DON’T HESITATE TO CONTACT ME!
Phil Jeneary
Proud Chapter of
