From the Desk of Senator Donahue
Week 14 brought many bills and budgets. There were a few controversial, but the majority of them were agreed-upon by both parties.
Some were more egregious bills for those who sent me to Des Moines – I was a no on those: the governor’s workforce bill, The teacher gun bill, a constitutional amendment for taxes, and a cleanup bill from the governor’s power grab last year on the reorganization of government, which gave her even more power.
More will be coming out about the constitutional amendment, but be sure to know that this is a bait and switch — or a shell game with taxes. Those who are less able to pay will have to pay more eventually when it comes to sales tax and property tax.
The first budget went through the Senate floor this week from transportation. The rest will come Monday, Tuesday and most likely Wednesday. with bounce backs from the House.
The end of session is scheduled for Tuesday, April 16, but I don’t believe that we have any way of being finished by that time. Currently, we are scheduled to be in Des Moines through next Friday. Hopefully, we’re finished by then. Why? As I like to say, the longer we are there, the more damage the GOP does to the people of Iowa.
Reproductive Freedom is on the Line in Iowa
Threats to Iowans’ reproductive freedoms and futures were back in the news this week, as the state marches toward a final decision on the legality of abortion.
On Monday, a legislative panel advanced rules that will implement the six-week abortion ban passed by Republican politicians in a special session last July. On Thursday, the Iowa Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case challenging that law.
Sometime in June, the court will rule, deciding for three million Iowans whether abortion is a safe and legal choice made between patients and doctors or whether the procedure will be banned by the sixth week of pregnancy – before many people even know they’re pregnant.
Senate Democrats are proud to stand with the majority of Iowans who value reproductive freedom and support safe and legal access to abortion.
Earlier this year, we introduced a legislative package defending reproductive freedom – including an amendment to the Iowa Constitution that will guarantee the fundamental right to reproductive freedom and ensure safe and legal access to abortion.
Reproductive freedom is the foundation for strong families, and allows all Iowans to plan for their futures and live the lives they want. Please take a minute to read our plan to expand those freedoms rather than take them away:
- A Constitutional Right to Reproductive Freedom:Senate Joint Resolution 2001: This resolution enshrines the fundamental right to reproductive freedom in Iowa’s State Constitution through a constitutional amendment. This includes the right to prenatal and childbirth care, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and infertility care. Restrictions imposed by the state would be subject to strict scrutiny by the courts, the highest constitutional standard.
- Over-the-Counter Birth Control:Senate File 2141: This bill permits pharmacists to order and dispense birth control without requiring a doctor’s prescription, increasing access to birth control and contraceptives across Iowa.
- Family Planning Services for Iowans:Senate File 2137: This bill reinstates the State Family Planning program. Republicans defunded this program in 2017, drastically limiting the number of providers able to provide family-planning resources to low-income families.
- Postpartum Medicaid Coverage: Senate File 57: This bill provides postpartum coverage for pregnant Iowans for up to 12 months after pregnancy, up from the current 60-day requirement. This bill aligns with federal requirements, ensuring all eligible Iowans can access postpartum care.
- Right to Contraception: Senate File 2135: The legislation codifies Iowans’ right to access and obtain contraception and prohibits health providers from adopting limitations or requirements that would impede access to contraceptives. It also preempts any future state or local government restrictions on contraceptive access and authorizes enforcement for violations of the law.
Quick Updates
- Justice for Iowa Survivors. The Iowa Senate this week passed a bill opening the door for Iowa survivors who suffered abuse as Boy Scouts to receive their full award from the Boy Scout Settlement Bankruptcy Trust. The national settlement agreement had lowered the award eligibility for Iowans because of Iowa’s laws limiting legal options for abused minors, but it will allow the full award if there’s a change in Iowa law before the deadline. The bill makes that needed change – but it still must be passed in the House and signed by the governor before April 19.
- Public voices silenced. The Senate passed Senate File 2385 this week, which implements Governor Reynolds’ plan to eliminate or consolidate dozens of Iowa’s state boards and commissions. Many professional organizations, health professionals, and skilled labor leaders have voiced concern that slashing boards and commissions will reduce oversight and enforcement in key areas of health and safety and cut Iowans out of their own government.
- Beware the Grandparent Scam. The Attorney General released an alert regarding an uptick in Grandparent Scam calls, in which the scammer targets an older Iowan by pretending to be a grandchild in crisis. This is particularly dangerous now that AI technology can clone the voice of a loved one. If you believe you or someone you know has been targeted by a grandparent scam, report it to the Attorney General’s Office at 888-777-4590 or file a complaint online.
- Senate Republicans fail to act on worker shortage. Business leaders tell us that the No. 1 problem facing our economy is a shortage of skilled workers – but Senate Republicans are doing nothing to solve it. Last year, 19,312 Iowans applied for Skilled Workforce and/or Iowa Vocational-Technical Tuition grants – but only 26 percent of qualified applicants actually received one. Expanding those programs to meet demand could help address our shortage, but education budget bills advanced by Republicans in the Senate this week provided no new funding for these programs.
- Iowa Legislature starves public universities. As state support goes down, tuition goes up, shifting the financial burden to Iowa students and families – and Iowa’s defunding of higher education rates among the worst in the nation, according to a new “State Higher Education Finance” report. The funding included in Senate Republicans’ proposed higher education budget for the coming year is $72 million below what it was almost 15 years ago.
- Iowa needs more mental health. The Iowa Mental Health Practitioner Loan Repayment program is an important effort to get more mental health practitioners working in Iowa, which ranks near the bottom nationally in the availability of care. The program provides loan repayment benefits for up to five years of full-time service, with a maximum award of $40,000. This year, the state received 121 qualified applicants – but provided funding for just 13 awards.
- IBAT Expanding. Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking (IBAT) now has 600 members in nearly every county in our state. IBAT is a statewide recognition and education program from the Iowa Secretary of State’s office that empowers businesses to help in the fight to end human trafficking through trainings and outreach opportunities. If you have a business or organization, join today and help make Iowa a trafficking-free state.
- Community Food Conference. The Community Food Systems Program and the Iowa Farm to School and Early Care Coalition will hold a conference on June 13 and 14 in Iowa City. The conference is open to the public, with food-systems practitioners, K-12 school district staff and early care and education providers encouraged to attend. Early-bird registration is open through April 15. Registration closes May 31. Click here for more information.
This Week in the Capitol
