From the Desk of Senator Weiner
It was another week of debate on both sides of the legislature. Some of the bills were good bills. For example, we passed hands free driving on the Senate side (again) with only one dissenting vote, and it was on the debate calendar for the House yesterday (which has been the block in past years) but got pulled at the last minute. We passed bills on both sides that would create a way for children in particular to testify against their abusers without having to be in the same room (this is in response to an Iowa Supreme Court ruling last summer that made Iowa an outlier in the country) – the Senate passed a constitutional amendment, a longer process and likely necessary for a permanent fix, and the House passed a bill, which I hope will also pass the Senate for a stop gap fix.
But again, no school funding – which makes me wonder what the sticking point is, who in Republican leadership is holding it hostage to what. Because at this point, we certainly know that when our colleagues decide to pass something, they do – in a matter of days or even hours. It appears funding our public schools is not one of those priorities.
An example of our Republican colleagues rushing to pass a bill that no one asked for, and which had not been considered in subcommittee or committee, took place this week, under the innocuous name of Senate File 603. It started out as a good workforce bill that was largely a clean-up bill – clarifying sections of code – and which originally passed the Senate unanimously. It was uncontroversial.
It then went over to the House, where it sat for a week, and then was brought to the floor for debate. Rep Kaufman then amended it with language that should not have been allowed, because it was not germane – in other words, it changed the whole tenor of the bill. In fact, they had to suspend the rules on the House side to be able to consider that amendment. It turned it into a bill that takes aim at local governments, local control, and worker safety, and ties their hands when it comes to including language in incentive programs to encourage apprenticeships. It takes aim at the construction trades. Why? No one could really give us an adequate rationale.
If that language was going to be run, it should have been run as a separate bill. Yet Republicans in the House passed it and sent SF603 back to the Senate, where our Republican colleagues decided to take it up the very next day. Please recall, none of this new language had been vetted by Iowans through the normal subcommittee process. One of their own caucus members, Sen. McClintock, offered an amendment against it, to return the bill essentially to its original form. We argued for his amendment. Then we offered our own amendment. Both failed. In the end Republicans insisted on passing this unvetted version of the bill, which is now headed to the Governor’s desk. What started as a good, non-controversial bill, is now an anti-safety, basically anti-Iowa worker bill. Ask yourself why. I guess my answer is: follow the money. Because the process broke down here and did not work for the people of Iowa.
It remains the fact that much of what is going on here under the Golden Dome seems a sideshow compared to what is happening in Washington DC to deconstruct our governmental institutions. That was so much the case that our governor traveled to Washington this week for a photo op, standing by President Trump’s side while he signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education. She wrote an op-ed encouraging that, asking for the money to come to the states. Please recall that she is doing this when Republicans in the Iowa legislature have yet to pass public school funding for this year and school districts are well into their legally mandated annual budgeting process. Also please recall that the reason President Carter called for the creation of the Department of Education – which was created by an Act of Congress and can only be unwound by an Act of Congress – is that states were failing adequately to fund schools for poor districts and wouldn’t protect kids with disabilities, and wouldn’t follow civil rights laws, especially in the South – that was part of the willful legacy of Brown v. Board of Education. Calling for its abolition is a call to turn back the clock. it will hurt all of our public schools – but it will hit those in rural areas hardest.
On that cheerful note, I ask that you continue to pay attention on both the state and federal level. Continue to show up, as many of you are doing – at the State Capitol, at town halls and at listening posts, calling us, calling and emailing at the federal level. There are many rallies scheduled – I participated recently in a rally in Iowa City for veterans and care for veterans at the VA Hospital; and in Des Moines for the USPS, which serves all Iowans and Americans. I give credit to US Senator Grassley for actually showing up – at a recent town hall, he acknowledged that Elon Musk does not have the right to do what he is doing. Where is the rest of our delegation?
We Democrats in the State Senate are continuing to fan out across the state to listen to Iowans’ concerns. Several of us are in Sioux City on Saturday afternoon – to listen to Iowans. It’s at 2pm, March 22, at the Morningside Branch Library. I’ll be back home in Iowa City next weekend for more forums. Your voice is more powerful than you think – please use it.
Decreasing Revenues and Bad Budgeting
It’s clear the majority party’s budgeting isn’t working for Iowans. It’s not working for the children whose public schools are underfunded, it’s not working for the thousands of workers being laid off, and it’s not working for the families trying to cover the cost of childcare or find housing they can afford.
Now, after years of massive corporate tax breaks, Republican lawmakers’ runaway voucher spending will continue the misguided budgeting trends into the next five years.
The state’s Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) met last week to update their projections for the state’s revenues for the current and upcoming fiscal years (the REC meets every October, December, and March). According to their estimates, the panel projects state revenues will drop by over $1.2 billion in just two years, between FY24 and FY26. To put it mildly, that is a significant decrease.
For FY26, the governor has proposed appropriations (spending) of $9.433 billion, which, thanks to our decreasing revenue, is $925 million more than Iowa’s projected revenues. Gov. Reynolds is planning on spending more money than the state takes in during the 2026 fiscal year.
Here in Iowa, the governor is statutorily obligated to sign a balanced budget. So, the $925 million difference has to come from somewhere. It comes from two places, in fact. The first is from the Taxpayer Relief Fund (TRF) and the second is from carryforward surplus dollars from previous years. These are both one-time funds.
In a five-year projection provided by the state’s Department of Management (see below), the Reynolds Administration is planning on dipping into these reserve funds to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars for each of the next five fiscal years. That means the governor is planning on spending more money than the state takes in for five straight years and covering her poor budgeting with a dwindling supply of one-time money.
In this table, the top row represents actual and projected state revenues for the given fiscal year (actual for years past, projected for years future).
In the bottom row, you can see the one-time money the governor plans to transfer from the Taxpayer Relief Fund to cover the deficit in her budgets. The TRF can only be used to cover up to 50% of the deficit, so the gap between projected revenues and projected spending is actually double the number in the bottom row.
Visit Your Iowa Capitol!
One of my favorite aspects of serving in the Iowa Senate is coming to work in the beautiful Iowa State Capitol. Each day the building is filled with groups of Iowans from every corner of our state, from lobby days to school trips to sightseeing excursions, and more. All visitors are welcome in the People’s building.
If you’ve never taken the opportunity to visit, we’d love to see you! Here are a few tips if you’re planning a trip to the Golden Dome.
When to come: The Capitol is open year-round between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays. The House and Senate are typically in session Monday through Thursday between January and late April or early May, so if you’re looking to meet your legislators or see the Legislature in action up close and personal, you’ll need to plan accordingly.
Take a tour: The Capitol is truly a sight to behold, full of art and history. The Capitol is staffed by highly knowledgeable guides who lead tours throughout the day and can give an in-depth history behind the building and its unique characteristics. If a self-guided tour is more your speed, those are available as well. For groups of 10 or more, please click here to request in advance.
Watch a debate: The Senate and House galleries are open to the public during all periods of debate. You can sit in, watch the discussion, and see the votes cast in person from a seat overlooking the chamber.
Meet me in the rotunda: I am always happy to meet with my constituents, so please come say hi! Outside the Senate chamber, on the second floor, there is a pad of “pink slips” where you can write a message and provide your contact information. Hand the slip to a Senate employee near the Senate chamber door and they’ll hand-deliver it to the senator on the floor. When there’s a break in the action, I’ll come out to say hello, hear your concerns, and take a photo, if you’d like!
Let’s make a plan: If you know you’re going to be visiting the Capitol – especially with a group – please reach out in advance and I’ll be happy to assist you. If I know you’re coming, I can be sure to set aside time to meet and even formally introduce and recognize you on the Senate floor.
Quick Updates
- Equal Pay Day: Celebrated on a different day each year, Equal Pay Day highlights the gender wage gap across various industries and demographics. According to recent data, the gender pay gap for women is currently 83% for full-time, year-round workers and 75% for all workers (including part-time and seasonal). This year, Equal Pay Day is celebrated on March 25, the 84th day of the year – that means, by most recent data, it takes a woman one year and 84 days to earn the amount of money a man earns in one year. Looking for opportunities to take action? Visit www.aauw.org/issues/equity/pay-gap/ to learn more about the wage gap and what you can do to fight it.
- Neonatal Excellence in Iowa City: UIHC’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is one of only two units designated as a Neonatal Excellence Program by the American Academy of Pediatrics. UIHC has the highest survival rate for extremely preterm infants in the country, and continues to develop new technology to assist infants and parents. Thank you to all the dedicated staff that serve our smallest Iowans!
- Rural Healthcare Struggles: This NPR article takes an in-depth look at the state of rural hospitals in Iowa, and it’s not good. It’s clear that significant investment is necessary to keep rural hospitals operational in Iowa so that all Iowans can access care when they need it.
- Federal Cuts Impact Local Food Programs: The Trump Administration has cut $11.3 million in federal funding that provides thousands of Iowa children with locally produced meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables at schools, daycares, and food banks across the state. The cuts, affecting funding from 2025 to 2028, followed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s announced scaled-back spending as part of President Trump’s broader budget reductions. Farmers and advocacy groups warn that the funding loss threatens both access to nutritious food and the financial stability of local producers. An Iowa Farmers Union spokesman said Iowa producers had already planned over $3 million in food sales for 2025 through these now-defunded programs.
- Defining “Proficient”: Reviewing your child’s assessment reports can generate a lot of questions including, what does it really mean for my child to be “proficient” at reading? Iowa’s Reading Research Center (IRRC) staff answers in this month’s Ask IRRC video. You can learn more about literacy assessments and what they mean for your child by visiting a new eLearning module, Understanding Your Student’s Literacy Data.
- Iowa Workforce Grant and Incentive Program: Do you know a junior or senior at one of Iowa’s public universities pursuing a “high-demand” career field? Find out if they may be eligible for the Iowa Workforce Grant and Incentive Program! This program provides grants for up to four semesters and offers a $2,000 incentive payment to students who accept a high-demand job in Iowa within six months of graduation and work full-time for at least 12 consecutive months. Don’t miss this opportunity to fund your education and launch your career in Iowa!
- Master Gardeners: Master Gardeners in Johnson County partnered with Ecumenical Towers to create a hügelkultur garden that provides residents an innovative, accessible garden space for attracting pollinators. For this effort they have received the Search for Excellence Award from the Iowa Master Gardener program.
- Diesel Emission Reduction Grants: The Iowa Department of Transportation is accepting applications through May 9 for diesel emission reduction grants. The Diesel Emission Reduction Program (DERA), part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, was created as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and is designed to achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions among on-road or non-road vehicles and equipment, including school buses, medium- and heavy-duty transit buses and trucks, marine engines, locomotives, and nonroad engines, equipment, or vehicles.
This Week at the Capitol
