Senator Weiner's March 29 Newsletter

From the Desk of Senator Weiner

It’s spring, but if that means sprouting new ideas and opportunities to grow Iowa and help Iowans, I regret to inform you that it’s not happening at the Capitol. Maybe they should open the windows and let some fresh air in. We know that Iowans need help with lowering costs; with housing; with childcare; with healthcare; with unemployment and economic security; with cancer research – you get the picture. And there are plenty of bills in the hopper (my colleague, House Minority Leader Konfrst, pointed out at this week’s press conference that a record number of bills have been filed on the House side this year – so no shortage of ideas).

Instead, as I said at the press conference, the only opportunity our Republican colleagues offered this week were the opportunity for kids to be hungry (HF 970); for Iowans to be kicked off of their healthcare through a trigger provision (SF 615); and for corporations to be given immunity from liability (SF 394). In addition, there was the bill that appears to promote uniformity, inequity, and exclusion (SF 507).

Fortunately, we are fast approaching the second funnel (next Friday), when in theory, any non-financial bill that has not been voted on in one of the two chambers, dies. I say “in theory” because it is always possible for the majority party to amend something onto a bill or otherwise revive a project they really want to pass. However, it does mean we will be moving on to the final portion of this year’s session, when we *should* be focused on budget-related issues.

One of those issues will be property taxes. We will cover that in more detail in an upcoming newsletter, but I wanted to flag that there are companion bills in the House and Senate (identical bills, introduced at the same time) that propose a massive overhaul of Iowa’s complex property tax system. There’s a reason property taxes are complex – they are the principal funding source for counties, cities, and schools. Property taxes for cities and towns are attached to agricultural land – and decoupling that is unlikely to happen. There’s currently something called the “roll back” that helps ensure rates don’t rise too much in any given year, despite higher assessments, but as Rep. Jacoby likes to say, it only causes people’s eyes to roll back when anyone tries to talk about it.

On the Senate side, it is SSB 1208; on the House side, HSB 313. Both had subcommittee hearings on Wednesday. Past efforts (since around 2013) to reform the system have not resulted in reduced rates for residential property. Past promises that the state backfill some of the changes have been broken. Trust is not high and there are plenty of entrenched interests. And everyone needs the services their towns, cities and counties provide, even as costs (including insurance costs) rise for them as well. The last property tax “fix”, HF718, passed two years ago. Your eyes may be rolling back as you read this, but we will be paying close attention, cities and counties will be paying close attention – it’s an issue we hear about often at the doors – and whether or not you are a property tax wonk, we welcome your ideas and feedback!

I traveled to Sioux City a week ago with a couple of colleagues, where we had meetings and held a town hall. My goal was to listen and learn. The issues we heard there from people – many of whom clearly had been waiting a long time for someone to listen to them – are many of the same issues you bring to me here in Iowa City and Johnson County. Schools, healthcare, cost of living, messaging, workers’ rights – and what can we do? Their school district is in deficit, despite prior cuts. They are worried about hospitals closing – both rural and urban – if Medicaid is cut. Iowans are Iowans, no matter where in the state they live.

We had some technical difficulties distributing this newsletter this week, so apologies if you missed the forums on Friday or this morning. You still have an opportunity to make your voices heard this weekend, however. Today, Saturday, March 29, I am doing a listening post at 1:30pm in Meeting Room E of the Iowa City Public Library. There will be plenty more forums and meetings before the session ends. Lots of chances to show up!

Keep writing and calling – at our level and at the federal level.

Show Me the Money

There seems to be a common theme emerging from the Majority party this year: an aversion to transparency and accountability.

Over a month and a half ago, Senate Republicans passed SF 167, setting the rate for school funding growth at 2%. My colleagues and I argued on the floor at the time that the bill was insufficient and warned that, at 2%, nearly half of Iowa’s public school districts could be forced to raise property taxes to cover costs. Senate Republicans didn’t listen.

Now, weeks later, they have blown past our statutory deadline by which time we’re meant to finalize school funding. The already insufficient funding proposal has stalled because Senate and House Republicans can’t come to an agreement on just how much to underfund our public schools.

We’ve already seen reports of severe budget cuts and staff layoffs in certain school districts, and still, Senate and House Republicans can’t come to an agreement.

Another factor affecting our schools is the hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars flowing to the private school voucher program. With the income eligibility cap coming off next school year, Iowans deserve transparency into where their tax dollars are going.

Instead, the state Department of Education has refused to allow the state auditor’s office to audit the private school voucher program or the out-of-state company overseeing the program’s management. What are they hiding?

Earlier this week, the Senate debated new limits and restrictions on Medicaid as Republican lawmakers sought to advance legislation that would likely serve as the beginning of the end for health insurance for 181,000 Iowans.

As we would with any other bill of this kind, my colleagues and I looked to a fiscal note from the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency (LSA) to get a better understanding of how much the new restrictions would cost and how many people would be affected. What we got wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on.

Despite repeated requests from LSA, the state Department of Health and Human Services refused to turn over information that could give better insight into the cost and severity of the new restrictions. Again, we ask: what is the Reynolds Administration hiding?

We finally got a look at the Department of Management’s five-year projections, and they show Gov. Reynolds is planning on spending more than the state takes in for each of the next five years. It took a Freedom of Information request and weeks of delays to get even that much information.

Delays and secrecy only serve to withhold critical information from the public. Iowans deserve transparency from their government.

Quick Updates

Medicaid restrictions: This week, Senate Republicans advanced SF 615, adding restrictions for Medicaid recipients in Iowa. The bill includes trigger language that says if the federal government does not approve Iowa’s request for a waiver to institute Medicaid restrictions – a likely outcome under the next Democratic president – Iowa’s 181,000 Medicaid expansion recipients would be stripped of their healthcare coverage. Make no mistake, SF 615 is an attempt to dismantle Medicaid expansion in the state of Iowa, putting healthcare access at risk for hundreds of thousands of Iowans.
Pesticide immunity passes narrowly: The Iowa Senate passed SF 394 this week, with just 26 votes, providing massive, foreign chemical corporations with immunity from legal action if their products cause harm – including cancer – to Iowans. Iowa is in the midst of an ongoing cancer crisis, and this bill would protect chemical companies instead of Iowa’s farmers. The “no” vote was bipartisan.
Cell phones prohibited in Iowa schools: HF 782 mandates new guidelines for student electronic device use in schools. The bill requires school boards to adopt policies restricting student use of personal electronic devices during instructional time, with defined exceptions, by July 1, 2025. The Iowa Department of Education is required to provide guidance to schools and families by May 1, 2025. Each school must also revise and update their emergency plans, incorporating student electronic prohibitions.
Consumer protections on crypto scams: This week, the Iowa Senate passed SF 449, adding consumer protections and stricter regulations to cryptocurrency kiosks (ATMs) in an effort to fight growing fraud concerns. The bill institutes limits on fees and transactions and requires consumer warnings to protect users against scams which have cost Iowans more than $20 million.
Add spring color to your yard: Spring is a great time to plant trees. Find great tips and resources on how to select, plant and keep trees healthy on the DNR webpage. Check out the State Forest Nursery for diverse, native seedlings.
Severe Weather Awareness: The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) and the National Weather Service (NWS) have joined together to promote Severe Weather Awareness Week this week, March 24-28, 2025. The purpose of Severe Weather Awareness Week is to encourage Iowans to take the necessary steps to be prepared in the case of a weather emergency. You can learn more at https://ready.iowa.gov/.

Iowa Senate Democrats