Iowa House Republicans say they want to move early in the 2026 legislative session on a “tough on crime” package aimed at repeat offenders — a push Speaker Pat Grassley framed as a proactive effort to keep Iowa from developing the kinds of public safety problems that have drawn national attention in larger Midwestern cities.
Early outlines include a “three strikes” approach tied to longer mandatory prison sentences for people who have previously been convicted of violent crimes and some form of bail reform, though GOP leaders say the specifics are still being developed and no bill language has been released.
Grassley, R-New Hartford, said the effort is aimed at discouraging repeat and violent offenders by ensuring Iowa enforces consequences for persistent criminal behavior.
“We are going to make sure Iowa is not a place career criminals want to live,” he recently posted on social media.
House Republicans, he said, want to act before Iowa faces the same level of crime challenges seen in places like Chicago and Minneapolis — while also arguing that parts of Eastern Iowa already feel ripple effects from larger metro areas.
“And as you see what’s happening in Chicago, as you see what’s happening in Illinois or in Minnesota, I think it’s important for us to make sure that Iowa not only doesn’t turn into places like that,” Grassley said in a recent interview. “But if you talk to some of my friends on the eastern side of the state, in Scott County, for example, they’ve got a lot of issues that they face from crime spilling over into this state. And so I think it’s extremely important for us to make sure Iowa does not turn into those places, but also not ignoring that stuff’s not happening here.”
Despite repeated Trump administration claims that Chicago and Minneapolis are overrun by rampant crime, available city data and local reporting show violent crime generally declined in both cities in 2025 — generally aligning with a nationwide downward trend following a pandemic-era spike.
In Minneapolis, police statistics and Minnesota media reports show fewer shootings and homicides in 2025 than 2024, with some measures approaching or falling below pre-pandemic levels. That trend has unfolded alongside high-profile mass shootings, including a late-summer attack at a Catholic church and school that killed two children and wounded others — events that drew national attention despite broader declines.
In Chicago, city data reported by local outlets show homicides and shootings down roughly 30 to 35 percent year over year, with additional drops in robberies and carjackings. Still, high-visibility violence, including a fatal shooting on a CTA train late in the year, has reinforced public concern about safety.
Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is not running for re-election, declined to be interviewed for the Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau’s legislative preview series.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird will host a press conference Tuesday to announce her 2026 legislative priorities.
You can read the full article at The Gazette.