From the Desk of Senator Blake

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the 2025 Legislative Session

At 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 15, the Iowa Senate officially adjourned Sine Die, marking the end of the 2025 Legislative Session, and my first as your State Senator. Over the past four and a half months, we saw legislation that moved Iowa in a positive direction, decisions that will set us back, and some mean-spirited bills that target everyday Iowans.

Here’s my summary of the good, the bad, and the ugly from this year’s session:

The Good

I try to be an optimist, so let’s start with a few bills I was proud to vote for, some of the rare but meaningful wins this session that actually move Iowa in the right direction.

I was proud to vote for HF 969, which provides cancer presumptions for professional firefighters, acknowledging the serious, long-term health risks they face on the job. This bill passed in April with overwhelming bipartisan support.

I was also proud to vote for HF 472, a free speech bill that protects journalists, whistleblowers, and grassroots organizations from strategic lawsuits designed to silence them. These so-called SLAPP suits are often used by powerful interests to intimidate and suppress public participation. With this new law, these cases can be dismissed early, saving Iowans from costly legal battles and strengthening transparency and accountability across our state.

There were many other bills I supported throughout the session, but these two stand out as clear examples of progress, and the kind of work I came to the Senate to do.

The Bad

Let’s talk about the budget, and the financial mess the Republican party is steering us towards.

This year, Republicans passed a budget with a $917 million deficit on a $9.4 billion budget, spending about 10% more than the state is bringing in. They’re using one-time dollars to cover ongoing expenses, which just isn’t sustainable.

The Republican budget has been propped up by a flood of federal COVID relief money over the last few years. For example, the state had to bump up Medicaid funding by almost $250 million this year because those federal dollars are gone. That’s just one example of how the real cost of programs was hidden for years.

When we challenged this reckless deficit spending, Republican leadership brushed it off, calling it “part of the plan.” Their plan? Hope that Iowa’s revenue will grow fast enough to cover the shortfall. But last year, Iowa’s economy shrank. Manufacturing is slowing. Tariffs are hitting agriculture hard. If Iowa has another year or two of negative growth, I am not certain there is ever going to be a point where we catch up with revenue.

We’re not just watching a crisis unfold. We’re walking straight into a self-inflicted fiscal disaster.

The Ugly

Finally, the ugly. These bills hurt Iowans.

The most horrific bill of the legislative session was SF 418, which removed gender identity protections from Iowa’s Civil Rights Code. This made Iowa the first state in the nation to roll back civil rights protections for an entire group of people. We fought hard against this bill in February, and I was proud to help lead that effort in the Senate. Despite Republican claims that the bill only addressed sports and bathrooms, it was a sweeping attack that eliminated protections in housing, employment, and access to financial services. This is not just politics. This cruel legislation will have serious and harmful consequences for many Iowans.

Another damaging bill passed in the final week of session was SF 607, which cuts $1 billion from the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund by reducing employer contributions. As a time when layoffs are increasing across Iowa and economy is showing signs of recession, this was an irresponsible decision. Instead of strengthening the safety net for workers impacted by corporate decisions, Republicans chose to weaken it. Senate Democrats fought vigorously to protect Iowa workers, but this bill nonetheless passed.

Finally, Republicans advanced SF 615, their version of Medicaid work requirements. While the intent to prevent handouts is understandable, these work requirements have consistently proven to be anti-worker and costly to administer. States that have implemented similar policies have seen bureaucracy expenses outweigh any savings. Furthermore, this bill will create significant barriers for working Iowans trying to maintain their health coverage. Most concerning, it could jeopardize Medicaid expansion for hundreds of thousands of people, potentially costing the state billions and endangering critical healthcare systems.

These examples highlight some of the worst legislation from the session. Iowa should be happy that we adjourned for 2025.

What Didn’t Happen This Year?

There’s one big issue the Legislature discussed this year that didn’t get across the finish line: property tax reform. SF 651, the property tax reform bill proposed late in the session, went through several iterations but never advanced to the Senate floor for debate. The expansive bill would make significant changes to Iowa’s property tax law and is clearly still a work in progress. Thankfully, instead of rushing the changes through and forcing our communities to deal with any potential fallout, the process has been deliberate and allowed communities and stakeholders to weigh in throughout. There is still work to be done, but I anticipate we will see the bill again in 2026 and I am ready and willing to deliver on property tax relief for Iowans.

There were also a few bad bills I’m glad to see fail to reach the governor’s desk this year.

SCR 3: this Republican proposal would have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse its decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, overturning the national right to marriage equality. SCR 3 did not receive a subcommittee hearing, but its proposal does indicate an underlying desire within the Senate Republican caucus to overturn marriage equality, so we must stay vigilant moving forward.
SF 394: this bill would have created legal immunity for pesticide manufacturers even if their products could be linked to Iowans’ cancer diagnoses. The bill narrowly passed the Senate despite bipartisan opposition, but it failed to advance in the House.
HF 884: this bill would have given untrained, unqualified, unlicensed adults unfettered access to public school children with no oversight and no opportunity for parental consent under the title and authority of chaplain. It included no protections against proselytization. The bill passed the House and advanced through committee in the Senate but was never brought up for debate.

That wraps up our legislative work for 2025. I’d like to leave this session on a positive note, so let me say thank you for staying engaged throughout this session, thank you for reaching out to me with your concerns, questions, and recommendations. I remain hopeful that together we can and will make Iowa a more welcoming and prosperous state for ALL Iowans.

This newsletter will soon transition from a weekly release schedule to monthly, but you can always reach out to me at [email protected] or find me on social media. I look forward to hearing from you!

What Could Have Been: The Senate Democratic Agenda

Throughout the session, Senate Democrats proposed legislation to help lower costs, increase access to critical services and resources, improve economic security for Iowa workers, and prioritize Iowans’ needs. Our efforts may have been refused in 2025, but we will never stop working to build a better Iowa. Here are a few things we worked on this session.

Adequately Fund Public Schools

Our public schools have been underfunded for years under Republican leadership and, as a result, Iowa’s students are forced to do more with less and our national education rankings continue to slip. Senate Democrats proposed increasing public school funding by 5%, allowing school districts to finally begin to make up for years of underfunding, hire more staff, and provide more resources to students and families.

Increase Access to Affordable Childcare

Childcare is one of the most expensive pieces of any family’s monthly budget. Senate Democrats introduced several bills to help by increasing the number of families eligible for state childcare assistance, expanding automatic qualification for state childcare assistance to siblings and to children whose parents are under 18, and increase childcare worker wages and create more childcare slots by investing in a successful pilot program that previously relied on community donations and one-time federal funding. Iowa’s Department of Health and Human Services has $100 million specifically earmarked for childcare sitting unused in state accounts. We think it’s time to put it to use and improve access to affordable childcare for Iowa families.

Housing Iowans Can Afford

From our big cities and suburbs to our small towns and rural communities, we believe providing access to quality, affordable housing is critical, especially as we try to attract and retain a growing workforce. Senate Democrats introduced a housing legislation package to help reinvigorate and rehabilitate abandoned or dilapidated properties and create more livable space, empower homeowner renovations and community revitalization efforts, ease entry into first-time home ownership, and crack down on predatory, out-of-state private equity firms from gobbling up our housing supply.

Economic Security for Iowa Workers

Senate Democrats introduced a legislative package designed to protect workers from unfair labor practices and reinforce the critical safety net of unemployment insurance because we believe that re-prioritizing Iowa’s workers is crucial to the long-term health of Iowa’s economy. The package included efforts to protect Iowa’s workers from wage theft, reinstate the weekly unemployment benefits cut in recent years by Republican lawmakers, remove some of the burdensome hoops that make navigating the unemployment system a nuisance for both workers and employers, and to restore the collective bargaining rights that were gutted in 2017.

Senate Democrats also introduced legislation to better address the state’s rising cancer rates, to defend reproductive freedom, expand paid family leave to all working Iowans, and raising the minimum wage.

Quick Updates

Spot the Signs: Parenting is rewarding, but it can be tough – especially when kids face challenges that aren’t easy to see. Learn how to spot the difference between everyday stress and more serious concerns. Nurturing Healthy Minds provides resources that help families identify signs of stress and more serious mental health concerns.
Drone Compliance for Agriculture: The use of drones in agriculture continues to grow in Iowa. Drone usage can help with capturing arial imagery during planting season, weed and crop scouting, spraying crops, locating cattle, documenting storm damage, and much more, making them a reliable tool for identifying problems quickly and efficiently. A test is required to ensure drone operators stay compliant with FAA guidelines and fly legally. Iowa State University’s Integrated Crop Management team, in partnership with High Tech Solutions for Agriculture, will host a two-day, intensive training designed to cover the essential components of the Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 Aeronautical Knowledge Test. The FAA Part 107 Test Prep training is set for June 4 and 5 at the ISU - Alliant Energy Ag Innovation Lab, 3800 University Blvd., Ames. The cost to attend is $325 and participants must register online.
2025 4-H Youth Conference: This summer, 350 teens are expected to convene on the Iowa State University campus to experience three consecutive days full of speakers, educational workshops, team building, and service learning. The 2025 Iowa 4-H Youth Conference will occur June 24-26. All who have completed eighth grade are invited to register, regardless of previous 4-H participation. For more information on the Iowa 4-H Youth Conference or to register, please visit this website by June 1.
Share the Trail: With warmer weather drawing outdoor enthusiasts to Iowa state parks, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds hikers, cyclists, and equestrians to prioritize safety and courtesy through its “Share the Trail” initiative. Watch the “Share the Trail” video and explore trail information at the DNR website.

Contact Senator Matt Blake at [email protected] or follow him on social media.
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