2026/01/13

Eye Opener: 2026 legislative session gets underway

It's Tuesday, January 13. The new legislative session is underway. More on that below ⬇️

Today's emoji forecast: ❄️🔜 Today will be mild, but a cold front coming this week will bring chances for snow. Jon Rivas has your forecast.

What people are talking about:

A pedestrian was hit by a pickup truck last night in Des Moines and has since died from her injuries.
The concession stand at Fort Des Moines Little League caught fire late last night and burned down.
A former member of the Indianola Police Department will avoid jail time after pleading guilty to stalking a woman.

TOP STORY: 2026 Iowa legislative session underway

THE 101: The 2026 legislative session opened Monday in Des Moines.

WHY IT MATTERS: Lawmakers have already spelled out some of their major priorities for 2026. Chief among them may be property taxes, which is an issue both parties say is driving financial anxiety for Iowa families.

Senate Republicans rolled out a proposal on day one, while Democrats warned that affordability pressures are only growing.

"Iowa families are seeing their bills rise with no predictability and no way to know if those tax dollars are being used efficiently," Republican House Speaker Pat Grassley said. "It's time to put the taxpayers first once again."

MAIN TAKEAWAYS:

Senate Republican leaders say the plan is designed to provide lasting relief while still funding essential local services.
Democrats made clear they plan to push their own proposals and keep pressure on the majority.
"We will work to lower the cost of living by expanding access to home ownership, easing pressure on family budgets and advancing a bold plan to reduce property taxes," new House Minority Leader Brian Meyer said.

4 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

🎾 Double fault: A professional tennis tournament drew the wrong kind of attention due to a lopsided first-round matchup. Read more

🔨 Closing down: A hardware store that opened in the late 1800s in Indianola will soon close its doors for the final time. Read more

⚖️ "They violated Iowa Code": The Madison County attorney says she will not pay invoices to a Des Moines law firm hired by the county board of supervisors because county officials have not disclosed why the firm was retained. Read more

🎤 Who could it be? Iowa State Fair officials have teased the next Grandstand headliner. Do you know who it is?

WEEKLY WEATHER OUTLOOK

The winds will be stronger today from the west northwest around 10 to 20 mph. We are already seeing some breezy conditions move in this early morning and will stick around for the afternoon to evening. Expect more clouds today which can lead to some patchy drizzle for the afternoon. A cold front is on it's way and will pass overnight into Wednesday.

The winds will strengthen overnight and gusts will be in the 30 to 40 mph range. Temperatures will drop into the 20s and stay in the 20s all day as the north winds stay strong. The gusts will weaken a bit into the afternoon, but it will still be a windy Wednesday. Wind chill values will be in the teens and single digits throughout the day. We will steer clear of any snow chances until we get later into the day Thursday into Thursday night. We are monitoring snow chances that can last into Friday as well with mainly light accumulations. There is still uncertainty on timing and amounts, but this will come into better focus as we get closer to the end of the week.

The weekend will bring its own weather woes. After the snow chances, gusty winds will push back in Saturday along with reinforce the cold air. Depending on how low the temperatures drop and how strong the winds will be, we are looking at the chance for subzero windchills for a good portion of Saturday and possibly even Sunday. Either way, the brutal cold will settle over Iowa this weekend with no substantial warm up into next week.

DAY BY DAY:

Today: Mostly cloudy and breezy. Slim chance of sprinkles. High 53F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 25 mph.
Wednesday: Windy. Chance of a brief snow shower in the morning, then sunnier skies by afternoon. High 29F. Winds N at 20 to 25 mph. Gusts up to 35 mph.
Thursday: Becoming mostly cloudy. Light snow possible in the evening. High 35F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.
Friday: Mostly cloudy and windy. Chance of snow showers. High 36F. Winds NW around 20 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph.