Senator Donahue’s March 7 Newsletter

From the Desk of Senator Donahue

Week 8 brought a flurry of subcommittees and passage of bills through full committees to beat the funnel deadline in both chambers. We watched a few good bills get killed — and even a few bad ones. But now the attention will turn to the appropriations committee and ways and means committee work — as well as work on House files that the leadership in the Senate chooses to pick up. In the coming weeks, more debate will also begin on those Senate files that have been moved on through committee.

Here’s What’s Happening Around the District:

This week’s BIG birthdays are below. If you happen to know these folks, make sure you wish them a very happy birthday.

Iantha	Lafler
Denise	Jones
Sharlene	Tomash
Roger	Carlson
Donald	Glueck
Janey	Piersall
Vivian	Baier
Mary	Martin
Elfrida	Tillander
William	Werden
Ruth	Noth
Michael	Strief
Julie	Ottaway
William	Lyman
Martha	Hernandez
Michelle	Ellerhoff
Janellen	Akers
Monique	Hinson
Mary	Folkedahl-Meehleder

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 in 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.
- Hiawatha Public Library is Celebrating Women’s History Month Through Art: On March 1, 2025, the library invites patrons to explore and celebrate the stories of inspiring women through art. Visit hiawathapubliclibrary.org.

Iowa Senate Democrats