From the Desk of Senator Blake

The so-called party of fiscal conservatism and balanced budgets has lost its plot. This week, Iowa Senate Republicans released budget targets that include a $900 million deficit. Due to Republican fiscal mismanagement, Iowa is going to spend more money than it takes in. To cover the gap, Republicans are going to use one-time funds to cover the shortfall. One of the biggest drivers of this budget-busting plan? School vouchers. They’ll account for nearly a third of the deficit, over $300 million.

Don’t let them fool you. Their priorities are clear: gut public education, weaken Medicaid, and slash critical services Iowans rely on. And they’re doing it all while pretending to be the party of “fiscal responsibility.”

There was one piece of good news this week. The Legislature passed HF 969, a bill expanding cancer presumptions for professional firefighters. This ensures those who risk their lives every day are covered for their service. In a tough session, this was a real win, and one of the proudest votes I’ve taken this year.

Join me at the Johnston Area Democrats Town Hall!

Join me this Saturday, April 12th, from 2:00–4:50 PM for a Johnston Area Democrats Town Hall at the Johnston Lions Club (6501 Merle Hay Road, Johnston). I’ll be joined by State Representative Rob Johnson as we discuss the issues that matter most to our community and how we can move Johnston forward together.

The Second Funnel Closes

Last Friday marked the end of Week 12 for the 2025 legislative session, and, with it, the end of the second legislative funnel.

Funnel weeks are self-imposed deadlines designed to narrow the pool of legislation up for consideration during a given year. By setting a deadline for policy bills, the idea is that the Legislature can quickly pivot to finalizing the budget before the session closes for the year.

While most of the bills proposed by my colleagues and I failed to advance beyond the funnel deadlines, there are some good bipartisan bills still alive. And though there are many bad GOP bills still alive, we’ve managed to help defeat quite a few terrible pieces of legislation. Here’s a brief rundown of where we stand after the second funnel (this list is not comprehensive):

Bipartisan Bills Still Alive

Ban cell phone usage in schools (HF 782)
Expanded cancer and health care coverage for firefighters (HF 969)
Helping individuals with disabilities to work and keep their healthcare (HF 905)
Expanding parental leave for adoptive parents & state employees (HF 889/HF 248)
New tools to address human trafficking (HF 649, HF 908)
Prohibiting the use of bots for ticket purchases (SF 146)
Lead service lines disclosed at selling (SF 425/HF 876)
Health Care coverage for spouses and children of workers killed on the job (HF 913)
Radon protections and free radon tests (HF 707)
Increased privacy protections for victims of domestic assault (HF 397/SF 457)
Expand services available in the Veterans Trust Fund (SF 617/HF 534)
Provides recovery funding and strengthens protections against out-of-state predators during a natural disaster (HF 982/SF 619)
Cryptocurrency Fraud Transaction Protections (SF 449)

Bad GOP Bills Still Alive

Low public school funding that reduces opportunities (SF 167)
Allow unlicensed chaplain services in public schools (HF 884)
State encouragement for elective high school courses on the Bible (SF 510/HF 845)
Ending Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in Iowa (HF 856)
$1 billion in new tax breaks for corporations at the expense of workers (SF 607/HF 980)
Make it easier to fire employees (HF 767/SF 110)
Voter Suppression (HF 954)
Limit food options for hungry children (HF 970)
Puts health care for 182,000 Iowans at risk (SF 615)
Creates a new offense for smuggling persons that could criminalize nonprofits and religious organizations helping people (HF 572)
Allow doctors to refuse treatment based on political beliefs (HF 571/SF 220)

Good News: These Bad GOP Bills are Dead

Immunity for pesticide companies giving people cancer (SF 394)
Gives the Governor a $100,000 pay raise (SF 544)
Funding diversion to charter schools affecting school district teacher salaries (HF 789)
Make it harder to access vaccines (HF 712)
Expands the ability to carry a gun into a school (HF 621)
Ties the hands of DNR to acquire public land (SF 553)
Cuts funding to libraries based on affiliation (HF 880)
Vitamins and light therapeutics for at-risk students (HF 522)
Conspiracy theory on chemicals in the air (HF 927)

School Funding Finally Advances

This week, after nearly two months of delays, Republicans in the House and Senate have finally come together to advance a school funding proposal – just days before the deadline at which school districts are required to submit their annual budgets.

The deal negotiated between the Republican factions in both chambers – without input from legislative Democrats – is still woefully inadequate.

At the agreed-upon amount (2%), nearly half of Iowa’s school districts would be forced to raise property taxes or enact deep budget or staffing cuts. The funding rate fails to keep pace with rising costs and will continue the years-long trend of underfunding our public schools.

Earlier in the legislative session, my colleagues and I offered an amendment that would have altered the school funding increase to 5%, providing schools some breathing room and beginning to make up ground on the funding gaps enacted under the Republican trifecta. That proposal was rejected in February.

Quick Updates

Cancer Coverage for Firefighters, finally: This week, the Senate finally passed HF 969, expanding cancer healthcare coverage for Iowa’s firefighters. This bill endured more hurdles than it should have, but I am proud to have supported it all the way through. Iowa’s firefighters deserve healthcare coverage that respects their service and the risks they take to keep the rest of us safe.
Nursing home legislation rejected: During debate this week on HF 309, Democrats offered four amendments that would more clearly improve the safety and security of Iowa nursing home residents: increasing nursing home oversight, expanding opportunities for residents to comment on safety inspections, allowing cameras in nursing home rooms, and banning private equity from taking over Iowa nursing homes. Each amendment was defeated.
Kinship & Victim Advocacy: This week is the 2025 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, and this year’s theme is kinship. Though the week is wrapping up, be sure to check out upcoming events throughout the year.
Celebrating and Defending Access to Books: April is National School Library Month, a time to celebrate the vital role that school libraries and librarians play in fostering curiosity, literacy, and a love of learning. But in many states, including Iowa, this celebration comes with a challenge—as legislators continue to ban books and restrict access to diverse perspectives in school libraries. Now more than ever, it’s important to support librarians and students by advocating for the freedom to read. Join us this month in celebrating school libraries—because every student deserves access to books that reflect the world around them.
Update your boat registration: Boat registrations expire April 30. Boat owners may bring their current registration to any Iowa county recorder’s office when they renew. Only boats displaying a current registration decal are allowed to operate on Iowa waters, so make sure yours is up to date! Learn more about how to register your boat on the DNR website.
Text Phishing Scam Alert: The Iowa Department of Transportation is warning consumers of a recent text phishing scam that is occurring across the country. Iowans are receiving fraudulent text messages that appear to be from the Iowa DOT that say they have an unpaid toll or registration fee. The text asks recipients to click on a link to provide personal information as well as credit card numbers. These texts are not from the Iowa DOT and citizens should not click on links. The Iowa DOT does not collect tolls on any of their roads or bridges. If you feel that you are a victim of a text scam, consider filing a police report and report internet-based crime here.
REAL ID Deadline is May 7, 2025: If you fly commercially or need to access federal facilities, you will need a REAL ID license. Make an appointment to the DOT and present the documents that prove your identity and residency. It does not cost more to get a card with a REAL ID star and there are no tests required to add a REAL ID star. It can take up to 30 days to receive your REAL ID in the mail.
Turkey Season Opens April 14: Iowa’s first of four turkey seasons opens on the second Monday in April each year. Successful hunters are required to report their harvest by midnight of the day after it is recovered by going online at www.iowadnr.gov, calling the toll free phone number printed on the tag, at any license vendor during regular business hours, by texting your registration number to 1-800-771-4692, or through the Go Outdoors Iowa app.

This Week in the Capitol

Tuesday, I had the chance to meet with guests from the Kosovo Security Forces and fellow Iowa National Guard Judge Advocates. I deployed with Kosovars when I was in the Middle East.

Thursday, I had a chance to see Johnston firefighters who came to the Senate in support of HF 969, the bill to provide essential cancer coverage for Iowa’s firefighters.

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