(Photo: Iowa Soybean Association / File Photo)
Setting the stage for 2026 policy
October 31, 2025 | Katie Hall
Hello Iowa soybean farmers! I'm the new lead of Iowa Soybean Association's (ISA) advocacy efforts. To say that I've had a lot to learn in the last year is perhaps an understatement!
Trade and tariffs continue to be a dynamic conversation at the federal level, with real impacts on Iowa communities. The ISA team has been engaged in a multipronged approach allowing us to connect the dots between local farms and key decision makers in D.C., including our Iowa delegation and their staff.
Beyond storytelling, our team has continued to work with our partners at the American Soybean Association, the Soy Nutrition Institute and National Oilseed Processors Association to further elevate those concerns. We're thankful to post incremental progress in the budget reconciliation package passed in July that reduces inheritance taxes and helps farms maintain long-term viability. We've also appreciated wins in crop-based biofuels — including removing tax incentives for imported feedstocks coming from places like China and Indonesia, and promising Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) which propose to further reduce the incentive for imported feedstocks and biofuel.
With leadership from ISA Advocate members, we drafted policy to modernize the grain indemnity fund, and we were glad to see that cross the finish line in Iowa's 2025 legislative session.
As I'm writing this, we know the state will experience significant changes in the 2026 election. Starting with Governor Reynolds' and Senator Ernst's retirements, the shuffle around those changes means we could see new U.S. Representatives in District 4 (Feenstra) and District 2 (Hinson). The domino effect of changes across the state and federal levels will be interesting to watch. We'll be tracking the governor's race, so be on the lookout for upcoming candidate profiles.
Looking ahead to the state session, starting Jan. 12, we expect to discuss property taxes and eminent domain — both complex, hot-button topics. The Iowa House and the Senate will likely be working on taxes with different approaches so that means the devil will be in the details. When it comes to eminent domain, the Iowa Soybean Association is asking Advocate members to engage at our annual policy meetings in November so we can best represent you and your farms in Washington, D.C., and Des Moines in 2026.
We work diligently to make progress for Iowa soybean farmers. If you have any questions, concerns or feedback please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly. I'd love to connect!
Written by Katie Hall.
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