Senator Donahue’s April 5 Newsletter

From the Desk of Senator Donahue

Here we are Week 13 of the Iowa Legislature’s 2024 session, with a scheduled end date of April 16. I have never ended on time in my years here — and it would be a miracle if we do this year.

But we are closer. Budgets are starting to come out in the senate, with numbers this year (for those who remember last year’s blank budgets).

The budgets and bills are not what we would do as a Democratic Party. Budgets really show the priorities of the majority party. Given the ability to make changes we would make sure that the people of Iowa came first. We would:

Create more opportunity for Iowans
Ensure freedom for Iowans
Provide more accountability for Iowans

Voting matters!

Budget Bills are Moving!

There’s one way to be sure the legislative session is winding down: budget bills begin moving toward debate and passage in the House and Senate.

This week, budget bills started to move.

Passing a state budget is the legislature’s one required responsibility each year. Here’s how this vital process works, and why it’s important to our state:

Every December, a three-member panel of experts called the Revenue Estimating Conference meets to – you guessed it! – estimate state revenues for the coming fiscal year, which begins on July 1.
In early January, just after the legislature convenes, the governor releases her budget proposal, which is based on the REC’s estimate and reflects her administration’s agenda and priorities.
With the governor’s budget in hand, the legislature usually begins holding hearings and gathering input on the budget.
In March, the REC meets again to update its revenue projections. Lawmakers follow these updated numbers in crafting a final version of the budget.
After the REC numbers are out, the majority parties in the House and Senate release new “budget targets” – topline numbers for the state’s various spending areas.
Right about now – early April – the bills start to move. The state budget is divided into 10 separate bills covering areas like transportation, education, social services, etc. These bills are introduced and considered through the same process as other legislation – with a subcommittee hearing, then consideration by the full Appropriations Committee, and then with floor debate.
Like any legislative process, consideration of budget bills is subject to substantial negotiation, politicking, and gamesmanship. This generally occurs between the House and Senate majorities – even when they come from the same party. Eventually, they find consensus.
Once the budget bills pass the legislature, they go to the governor’s desk, where she has 30 days to sign them into law. Budget bills are also subject to the line-item veto – meaning the governor can strike individual spending lines while approving the rest of the bill.

This truly is a critical juncture in each legislative session. The budget drafted and passed into law each year dictates how your money is spent and determines whether you’re getting your money’s worth as an Iowa taxpayer. Senate Democrats are committed to an accountable state budget that provides what Iowans need to ensure their health, safety, opportunity and wellbeing.

This year, the initial budget targets released by the Republican House and Republican Senate were tens of millions of dollars apart. When and how they close that gap and agree on final numbers will determine when the legislature finishes its work and adjourns for the year. Stay tuned!

Quick Updates

Choosing big business over Iowa farmers. The Senate advanced Senate File 2412 this week, a dangerous bill that strips away legal protections for Iowa farmers who get diseases like cancer and Parkinson’s, and protects the huge, foreign chemical companies whose products caused those diseases. With this bill, big corporations are let off the hook for the hurt they cause Iowans, while farmers risk cancer, medical debt, and losing their family farms. That’s exactly backwards, which is why Senate Democrats opposed it.
Reproductive freedom on the docket: Be sure to watch the Iowa Supreme Court’s oral arguments on Planned Parenthood v. Reynolds at 1:30 p.m. on April 11. Iowa’s strict six-week abortion ban is on hold while the High Court hears this case, and these oral arguments are a key step toward a final ruling. At stake is whether reproductive freedom enjoys any level of constitutional protection at all in Iowa.
Nominate a Teacher of the Year. Anyone can submit a nomination for an outstanding Iowa teacher to receive this prestigious honor. Nine semi-finalists will be selected as Regional Teachers of the Year, with one being named as the 2025 Iowa Teacher of the Year. Click here to learn more about the Iowa Teacher of the Year award and submit your nomination today.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month. We can do a better job of addressing child maltreatment. Actions can be taken at all levels – individual, community, and governmental – to address the root causes and provide meaningful support to strengthen families and help them thrive. Click here to learn more about Child Protective Services initiatives in Iowa, and check out the Childwelfare.gov toolkit here.
Affordable Connectivity Program ending. Due to inaction by Congress, April will be the final fully-funded month for Affordable Connectivity, the federal program providing discounts on monthly internet bills. Once the program ends, households will no longer receive the ACP discount on bills. But subscribers who participate in ACP are encouraged to see if they qualify for the Lifeline program, another federal program that lowers the monthly cost of phone or internet service. Click here to learn more.
Buzzing about Bee Tracking. A new statewide project is seeking volunteers to help researchers track and monitor the state’s at-risk bumble bees. The Iowa Bumble Bee Atlas is a collaboration between the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, Iowa State University, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources that aims to understand native bumble bee distributions and their habitat needs throughout the state. If you’re interested in pollinator conservation, this project is for you! Training will be provided on how to complete surveys, take high quality photographs of bumble bees, and submit observations. Interested volunteers can sign up for the first online training event on April 13 and view other events here.
No one is a good distracted driver. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and this week, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau is partnering with law enforcement across Iowa to curb the alarming and unsafe trend of distracted driving. Distracted driving is a primary law in Iowa, meaning law enforcement can stop any driver who is texting (reading, writing, or sending) or using any portable electronic, device unless the motor vehicle is at a complete stop off the traveled portion of the road.

From the Desk of Senator Donahue

Budget Bills are Moving!

Quick Updates

This Week in the Capitol

Around the District

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