DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa State Senator Mike Bousselot (R) District 21 from Ankeny started off the 91st General Assembly with not a proposal to expand state funding, but expand the state.

Bousselot floated the idea on Tuesday at the Land Investment Expo — buying the southern most row of nine Minnesota counties. He then doubled down on the idea on social media.

“Make Minnesota Iowa Again!,” wrote Sen. Bousselot on X. “Our new Iowans, former MN residents, will have lower income, sales, business taxes. A more farm friendly state. And a better managed state. Gov. Walz may say it’s just “rocks and cows” but we see opportunity!”

But, is this proposal something that Republican leadership would even consider advancing?

“I look forward to having that conversation,” said Speaker of the Iowa House Pat Grassley, (R) District 57 from New Hartford. “Any time we can continue to grow Iowa some, we should at least engage in it and I think you’re actually seeing in some other states some similar legislation being discussed. But at this point I haven’t spent enough time looking at the bill, but I am more than happy to take a look.”

Iowa Democratic leadership didn’t think too favorably of the proposal.

“We have 99 counties in Iowa we have enough to do,” said Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner (D) District 45 from Ames.

“I would say is we have serious problems, we have real families that are struggling with their bills and their budgets and it seems to me that this is not a realistic approach and it is one to seek headlines, and frankly it is offensive to people who are trying to pay their bills,” said House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, (D) District 32 from Windsor Heights.

While who knows how serious this conversation could be, there hasn’t been an official bill released to the public yet.

Indiana and Illinois are going through a similar situation with several Illinois counties looking to secede from the state.

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