From the Desk of Senator Bennett

Greetings, Friends and Neighbors,

It’s been a wild couple of weeks at the Capitol, culminating in this week’s first funnel. For new readers, the first funnel is the first hurdle bills must pass to be considered for floor debate. To clear the funnel, bills must pass subcommittee and full committee.

Many of you have written to me regarding the continued culture war the majority party is waging upon the LGBTQ community. I have visited with many of you in the halls of the Capitol over the past few weeks, as you came to protest bills such as HSB 158 (drag ban) and SF 418 (Iowa Civil Rights Removal Act). Interestingly, 10 House Republicans filed an amendment to the bill, and 5 conservative House Republicans found the bill to be too extreme and voted “No.”

Sadly, Iowa Republicans passed this bill, and it was signed by the Governor. This makes Iowa the first state in the nation to ever cut a group of people out of civil rights protections.

You may view my full floor speech, complete with captions, here.

Here’s an update on the 6 bills I received the most calls and emails about:

SF 360 (Making administration of mRNA vaccines illegal): Stopped
SJR 6 (Repealing Iowa Natural Resources Trust Fund): Stopped
HSB 158 (Ban on minors attending drag shows): Amended to remove references to drag – Eligible for debate
SSB 1198 (Bans Iowa DNR from purchasing land at auction): Eligible for debate
SF 394 (Limits liability for pesticide companies): Eligible for debate
SF 92 (Eminent Domain/Pipelines): Not moving on Senate Side
HSB 286/SSB 1195 (Criminalizing Homelessness): This bill died in the Senate with Democratic Senator Janice Weiner and Republican Senator Dave Sires voting “No.” Sadly, the bill did advance in the House.

I again filed a ban on the Gay and Trans Panic Defense. I wrote this bill several years ago, and it has passed the House with bipartisan support three times now, however the Senate has declined to take it up. In this political climate of propaganda-fueled fear towards the LGBTQ community, it has never been so important to make clear that knowing or believing a person to be LGBTQ does NOT justify assault or murder.

You may view the list of other bills I have sponsored and co-sponsored so far here. There are several other ideas I will be introducing soon based upon feedback from constituents. These bills have required tweaking, so although they will not make the funnel deadline, it was important to me to introduce them. More updates soon.

One final note: At the end of this newsletter, you will find links to social media posts. Some of these social media posts contain language which some may consider to be profane. Know this: We are in a time of full-blown constitutional crisis. Neo-Nazi groups are openly marching and recruiting across the country, including in Iowa. Iowa Republicans introduced a bill to require permission from a member of the legislature to protest outside of the Capitol —The People’s House. The urgency of this moment cannot be understated, and our leaders owe it to us to give strong responses. I believe there are times when profanity is an appropriate means for highlighting and responding to the heinous nature of these actions. My great-grandfathers, great uncles, and now-passed constituents who worked at Collins Radio didn’t play nice with Nazis, and neither will I.

Now, for an update on other work my Democratic Senate colleagues and I have done this week.

Economic Security for Iowa Workers

This week, my colleagues and I introduced a legislative package designed to re-prioritize Iowa’s workers. The package would protect Iowans from unfair labor practices and reinforce the critical safety net of unemployment insurance. I believe that safeguarding Iowa’s workers is crucial to ensuring the long-term health and stability of Iowa’s economy.

Protecting Iowa’s Workers Against Wage Theft

Wage theft is a widespread problem that isn’t limited to any one industry. Iowa’s existing laws against wage theft are too weak and leave our workers unprotected against bad actor employers. According to a report by Common Good Iowa, 250,000 Iowa workers lose over $900 million a year due to wage theft violations.

My colleagues and I have introduced SF 147 to better protect Iowans against these violations because all Iowa workers deserve the chance to earn a paycheck that respects their work, supports their family, and ensures their economic security.

Expanding Iowa’s Unemployment System

Unemployment insurance is an earned benefit provided to workers in receipt for their labor. It is a protective safety net that helps stave off further financial harm should the worst come to pass and an employee loses their job. After repeated cuts to the state’s unemployment system, the safety net Iowa workers rely on has been severely diminished.

My colleagues and I have introduced a series of bills to rebuild the safety net and make the unemployment process less burdensome for Iowa’s workers.

SF 157 restores unemployment benefits to 26 weeks (from the current 16), bringing Iowa back in line with the 38 other states to offer at least 26 weeks of benefits.
SF 358 restores unemployment benefits for workers following a plant closure to 39 weeks (from the current 26).
SF 372 waives unnecessary work search requirements for seasonal employees that waste time for both the workers and the businesses fielding applications from workers who are simply fulfilling a UI requirement.

Restoring Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Sector Employees

Prior to a law change in 2017, public sector employees and employers across Iowa could sit down and work together to discuss and adopt mutually agreeable solutions in the workplace. Those collective bargaining rights served Iowans and employers well for more than 40 years before they were gutted.

My colleagues and I introduced SF 263 to repeal those harmful 2017 changes. We want to restore employees’ voices and bring workers back to the table. It will have the added benefit of addressing ongoing issues with the recruitment and retention of Iowa’s public sector employees in the long run.

After years of lax workplace protections, reduced unemployment benefits, and the elimination of collective bargaining rights, Iowa’s workers need a better deal. Showing that our state values its workers is a great way to start. Iowa Democrats have always been the party of working Iowans, and my colleagues and I are proud to introduce legislation to bring workers’ needs back to the forefront.

Quick Updates

Transparency for Vouchers: This week, every Senate Democrat signed on to co-sponsor SF 485, a bill establishing accountability standards for nonpublic schools accepting vouchers. Your taxpayer dollars are funding the private school voucher program – to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. We believe it’s only fair that private schools accepting vouchers should follow the same rules as public schools. SF 485 requires the following:
- Nonpublic schools accepting vouchers must adhere to the same accountability and transparency requirements as public school districts.
- Voucher accepting schools must adhere to the same data reporting requirements as public school districts.
- Voucher accepting schools must adhere to the same minimum course offerings as public school districts.
- Voucher accepting schools must follow the same educator certification, licensing, and child abuse reporting requirements as public school districts.

REAL ID is here, finally: After a series of long delays and setbacks, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has set May 7, 2025, as the date by which you must get your REAL ID. After that date, you will be required to carry REAL ID or a valid passport for all domestic air travel and for entry into secure federal buildings, like a courthouse. According to the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), almost 75% of Iowa drivers have their REAL ID already. In Iowa, REAL ID is signified by a yellow star in the upper right corner of your driver’s license. If you do not already have REAL ID, you’ll need to make an in-person appointment with the DOT. Be sure to remember the required documents for your appointment!
No New Investment in Early Childhood: SF 445 is the Governor’s proposal to restructure some early childhood programs. The bill would transfer some early childhood funding over to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to stand up a new “continuum of care” program, without creating a new funding mechanism. While there is little detail as of yet, providers are being told there will be very limited funding available for local ECI (Early Childhood Iowa) areas to fund current programs and services. Please contact your state senator and representative to ask for more information and share how local ECI funding and supports are critical for your area.
March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month! This month reminds us that individuals with developmental disabilities are valuable members of our communities and deserve full participation in all aspects of life, including education, employment, recreation, and civic engagement. That is why it’s so important to preserve Iowa’s share of funding for 504 plans for children with disabilities. Recently, the Texas lawsuit that Iowa Attorney General Bird signed onto has been in the news because, if it moves forward with everything it asks for, it could effectively end accommodations for Iowa kids with disabilities. Clearly written in the text of the lawsuit is a request to make the entirety of Section 504 unconstitutional and its provisions unenforceable. This means that employers and organizations such as hospitals, nursing homes, mental health centers, and human service programs could legally discriminate against Iowans based on their disability. If stripping disabled children of their accommodations is not her goal, then the attorney general should amend the lawsuit itself to say so or withdraw her participation int the lawsuit, period.
Department of Education Cancels Additional $1.2B in Grants The U.S. Department of Education canceled $350 billion in grants, largely made to Regional Educational Laboratories, which support research, development, and technical assistance activities. The department also canceled $226 million in grants to Comprehensive Centers, which support capacity-building services to states and education systems, and $600 million in grants that it characterized as supporting teacher training. All the programs were canceled for promoting “divisive ideologies.”
Women's History Month is here: March is a time to honor and celebrate the contributions and achievements of women throughout history. Throughout Iowa, local libraries are hosting a variety of events to celebrate Women's History Month in March 2025. Visit your local library to see a complete listing of events.

This Week in the Capitol

Contact Senator Liz Bennett at [email protected] or follow her on social media.
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Did you receive this newsletter from a friend? Subscribe here.