As Iowa’s 2024 legislative session kicks off this week, I want to take a moment to say hello and thanks for your engagement in Iowa’s future. This year, Iowa Senate Democrats are committed to living our values and offering A Better Deal for Iowans.
To do that, we need passionate Iowans like you to stay informed and stay active as the legislative process plays out over the coming weeks and months. And with this weekly newsletter, I aim to help you do exactly that.
This year, I’m focused on policies that increase opportunity, defend freedom, and ensure accountability for Iowans. I’m going to fight for our values, and demand that Republican politicians listen to Iowa families – not just special interests.
You can help me in that effort. Speak up for the issues you care about, stand up for our shared values, follow along on social media, and forward this newsletter to a friend so they can get involved, too.
You can also reach me directly at [email protected] or 319-431-1656. Listening to your concerns, advancing your interests, and making our community an even better place to live is my job, so please reach out!
Thank you!
2024 Session Kicks off on a Somber Note
Mindful of the school shooting in Perry, this year's session started on a somber note. I was given hope by the hundreds of students who participated in the statewide walkout to end gun violence. While the activism of these students is inspiring, it underscores the dark reality of the violence that our state and our country faces every day. Students should be safe in their schools. Period.
And while each tragedy is uniquely somber, there are oftentimes similar factors that influence them. In response to this, Iowa Senate Democrats are offering solutions. Thoughts and prayers are certainly valuable, but they are incomplete without action. We know that mental health is one factor. We recognize the need for school counselors and psychologists and that is why we have always advocated for public school funding to ensure adequate staffing. In the past, many of us have advocated for Red Flag laws and bans on high-capacity magazines. We've been very frustrated that every solution we've proposed has been turned down by the majority party.
If you follow me on social media, you know how frustrated I was when Gov. Reynolds announced that Iowa would not be applying for the federal funds available through the summer EBT program. These funds would help over 240,000 struggling kids over the summer. To that end, I joined with my fellow Senate Democrats and co-sponsoredSF 2039, directing the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Education to apply for these funds and develop a program to distribute them. Iowa feeds the world: We should be able to feed our own kids. The bill is eligible for immediate consideration, and I will be urging my colleagues to move it forward for a vote.
Quick Updates
Celebrating MLK: On Monday, we celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., and recommit ourselves to the cause of justice and equality for all. Every Iowan and every American deserves opportunity to succeed in our society, freedom to live the lives they want, and accountability from their government. That’s what we’re working toward.
Thanking our public servants: Much of Iowa endured a major winter storm this week, with heavy snowfall and high winds. I want to thank our snow removal personnel and law enforcement members for keeping our roads safe and clear for all our citizens. This is what government does, and this is who public servants are: the unnamed and seldom thanked unsung heroes who do their jobs with dedication and professionalism and make life better for all of us. Thank you!
Iowa youth headed to D.C.: Two Iowa high school students have been selected for this year’s United States Senate Youth Program. Anika Yadav, a senior at Waukee High School, and Reem Kirja, a junior at Iowa City West High School, will join 102 other students from across the nation as delegates in the government and leadership education program. Delegates will attend briefings and meetings with senators, a Supreme Court justice, and the president of the United States, in addition to touring national monuments and historic sites. Each will receive a $10,000 college scholarship.
Book Bans: Hundreds of books – including works of classic literature -- have been removed from Iowa school libraries and classrooms as schools try to comply with a new law banning certain books. But here’s the good news: in December, a federal judge blocked enforcement of the law, meaning the book bans and other problematic pieces of SF 496 are on hold while the federal courts consider whether such restrictions are constitutional.
Nursing Home Oversight: Senate Republicans have rejected requests by Democrats for state oversight meetings to investigate nursing home care in the wake of recent reports of deaths, abuse, and neglect in Iowa care facilities. Iowans want and deserve full accountability and transparency for institutions that assist Iowa’s most vulnerable seniors. The nursing home crisis is real, and Senate Democrats won’t stop fighting for solutions and accountability.
Hunting seasons ending soon. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reminds Iowans that several hunting seasons close in early winter. Quail, partridge, grouse, and squirrel seasons close Jan. 31, while rabbit season and the furbearer hunting and trapping season close on Feb. 28. Fur harvesters may continue trapping beavers until April 15. Game bird hunters must register for the Harvest Information Program – click here or here to learn more.
Assessing the Governor’s Agenda
Gov. Kim Reynolds presented her Condition of the State Address on Tuesday night, outlining her agenda for the coming year and setting the table for many discussions to come in the legislature.
We heard proposals to raise pay for Iowa teachers, expand healthcare access for new moms, and offer birth control without a prescription. These are long-standing Democratic priorities, and I’m excited at the prospect of getting them done this year. That said, we need to see the details. We must ensure the legislation that comes before us truly accomplishes our goals and reflects our values.
The governor also called for substantial changes to the state’s Area Education Agencies, which provide critical services to schoolchildren all across Iowa -- especially in rural areas. We need to hear from parents, students, educators, and administrators on this proposal, and we need to know how services will be affected. At this point, I’m skeptical that this is the right thing for Iowa.
Gov. Reynolds also talked about tax cuts. And, again, we’ve got to see the details. So far, all of the governor’s tax cuts have prioritized big business and the wealthiest Iowans. This time around, we must make sure middle-class Iowans finally get a break.
What was missing? I didn’t hear much about reducing costs for Iowans on critical needs like housing and childcare – and nothing at all about fixing the crisis in Iowa’s nursing homes. Those are priorities for Senate Democrats, and we’d love to work together on a solution.
I’m willing to work with anyone to move our state forward, and I was encouraged by some of the governor’s priorities. There are opportunities for real bipartisan progress here – if the governor and her Republican allies are willing to work in good faith across the aisle.
Sent via ActionNetwork.org.
To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Iowa Senate Democrats, please click here.
