A northwest Iowa lawmaker is keeping his seat at the leadership table in the Iowa Senate.
Republican state Sen. Lynn Evans of Aurelia has been reelected as an assistant majority leader for the 92nd General Assembly, extending a leadership role he’s held for the past two years. Evans was selected Friday by his fellow Senate Republicans, who also reelected Sen. Mike Klimesh of Spillville as Senate majority leader and Sen. Amy Sinclair of Allerton as Senate president.
Evans is one of four assistant majority leaders who work with the majority leader to coordinate legislative priorities, communicate with Republican senators and address concerns about proposed legislation. He tells Storm Lake Radio the position has given him a greater understanding of how the Legislature operates.
Evans says Senate Republican leaders meet each Monday morning before the chamber convenes to discuss the week’s legislative agenda, schedules and concerns raised by caucus members. The assistant leaders then relay that information to groups of Republican senators and bring their feedback back to leadership.
Evans will continue serving alongside assistant majority leaders Carrie Koelker of Dyersville and Adrian Dickey of Packwood. Sen. Dawn Driscoll of Williamsburg joins the group, replacing Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink of Fort Dodge, who was selected as Senate president pro tempore.
The leadership elections come as Republicans prepare to maintain control of the Iowa Senate following last week’s general election.
Evans, who was also reelected to a second four-year term representing Senate District 3, says education will remain one of his top priorities.
The former teacher, principal and superintendent has chaired the Senate Education Committee and hopes to continue in that role, although committee assignments have not yet been announced. Evans says improving classroom instruction, modernizing educational standards and giving schools greater flexibility will be central to his efforts.
Beyond education, Evans says property taxes remain a major concern among northwest Iowa residents. He says he heard repeatedly about the issue while campaigning and wants lawmakers to continue reviewing the property tax legislation approved earlier this year.
Evans also disputes the perception that the legislation was developed during the roughly 36-hour marathon session that concluded the 2026 legislative session in May. He says lawmakers had been working on property tax reform for four years, with only the final negotiations taking place during that extended session.
The legislation, signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds in May, includes limits on property tax revenue growth for most local governments and changes to the state’s homestead tax provisions.
Evans says homeowners have not yet seen the full financial effects of those changes, which are expected to begin appearing on property tax bills in 2027. But he believes more work is needed, particularly to help older Iowans remain in their homes.
Evans says the chairs of the House and Senate Ways and Means committees have indicated they’re open to feedback, and he intends to share concerns he heard from constituents while campaigning.
First elected to the Iowa Senate in 2022, Evans represents all of Buena Vista, O’Brien and Osceola counties and portions of Cherokee and Clay counties.
The 2027 legislative session begins Jan. 11.
