From the Desk of Senator Drey
One of the most enjoyable parts of this job is meeting constituents and highlighting their incredible work. Let’s dive in!
Sen. Drey was joined in the Capitol by Sioux City North ProStart students (left to right): Diego Becerra, Kelsey Miller, Sen. Drey, Legend Campbell, Teagan Lytton, and Amia Lopez, as they showcased their culinary work.
Spotlight: Sioux City North ProStart
A huge highlight of my week was stopping by the ProStart display and visiting students from Sioux City North High School in the Capitol Rotunda on Thursday. It was great to see this talented group proudly displaying and sharing their work with visitors and lawmakers!
ProStart is a two-year program where students learn real culinary skills, food safety, menu planning, cost analysis, and restaurant management.
The team from North created their own food truck concept called Jungle Shack Wrap. They built the menu (pictured above), brand, and business plan from scratch, and now plan to compete with it at the Iowa ProStart Invitational at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines on March 3. At this event, teams from around the state will present their concepts and skills to industry judges — with scholarships and advancement opportunities on the line. (IRAEF) I hope to be there to root them on and hopefully celebrate a big victory with these awesome students!
Sen. Drey joined advocates at the Iowa Homeless Coalition’s Day on the Hill. Pictured left to right: Sierra Pope, Kelsey Culver, Sen. Drey, and Sioux City constituent Sara DeLuna.
Spotlight: IC Alliances – Sioux City Chapter
I recently had the opportunity to connect with Sara DeLuna from the Sioux City chapter of IC Alliances, an organization focused on building stronger, more inclusive communities across Iowa.
IC Alliances works to bring people together across cultures, support immigrant and refugee families, and create pathways to opportunity through education, leadership development, and community engagement. Their Sioux City chapter is doing important, steady work — helping families navigate systems, connecting neighbors, and making sure more voices are part of the conversation.
Iowa is stronger when everyone has a seat at the table. Grateful for the work IC Alliances is doing locally to make that happen.
Special shoutout to Reggie Miller of Sioux City (left) and Chris Fagerness of Sioux Center (right) from the Iowa Athletic Trainers’ Society for visiting with me this week to discuss their legislative priorities — and a big win for athletic trainers! House Study Bill 672, which would enact the Athletic Trainer Compact to make it easier for licensed athletic trainers to practice across state lines, advanced unanimously out of full committee this week. The compact helps remove barriers for mobility and workforce development while maintaining public safety standards.
Our Affordability Agenda: Focusing on the Issues that Matter to Iowans
The biggest issue on our minds this year, on the minds of ALL Iowans, is affordability. While costs continue to soar, a lot of families are struggling just to stay afloat. Iowans are juggling higher healthcare premiums, rising housing costs, spiking energy rates, unpredictable grocery prices, and unaffordable childcare. Some of you are probably pretty familiar with the worried questions.
- Why does my electricity bill keep growing?
- Will I be priced out of my home?
- Should I risk going without health insurance?
- Can I afford rent AND medication this month?
- What will I do if my kids or parents have a serious health condition and I need to miss work?
- How am I going to pay the bills if I get laid off?
The stress is a lot to carry, especially if it doesn’t seem like anyone notices or it feels like you’re carrying it alone. So, this week, I want to talk about our agenda, and how the legislation the Senate Democratic caucus is working on is designed to help ease Iowans’ burdens. You sent us here to work for you on the issues impacting YOU. It’s only right you know what we’re up to at the Capitol.
Healthcare: Expanding Access and Lowering Costs
Limited access to reliable care, rising insurance rates, and worsening healthcare gaps are overlapping problems spreading throughout Iowa. The following bills are designed to address several of the issues.
- SF 2047 would cap the cost of insulin at $25 per month
- SF 2048 would expand Medicaid coverage for lung cancer screenings
- SF 339 would expand healthcare coverage for new moms and babies
- SF 2226 would prohibit insurance companies from using A.I. to deny health insurance claims
- SJR 2003 would enshrine the right to safe, legal abortion in the Iowa Constitution
Household: Housing and Utilities Iowans Can Afford
All Iowans deserve housing they can afford. We need combined efforts to reinvigorate and rehabilitate our existing housing supply, create increased opportunities for new builds, rid ourselves of predatory, out-of-state private equity firms gobbling up supply and hiking costs, and explore ways to lower residential utility costs for working families.
- SF 144 would empower neighborhood revitalization efforts
- SF 505 would ease entry into home ownership
- SF 414 would crack down on predatory practices that increase home prices for Iowa families
- SF 2106 would stop rental price fixing
- SF 2225 would provide tenant protections for residents in manufactured housing
- SF 2249 would ensure high-usage commercial properties like data centers aren’t passing along higher energy costs to homeowners
Childcare: Accessible, Affordable, Reliable
Ensuring Iowans have access to affordable, reliable childcare options is critical to growing Iowa’s workforce and providing peace of mind for working parents across the state.
- SF 353 would expand eligibility for state assistance so more Iowans can afford childcare
- SF 352 would ensure parents can maintain childcare access while their family grows
- SF 122 would expand automatic qualification for childcare assistance to children under 18 who have children of their own
- SF 434 would double investment in the state’s Child Care Solutions Fund
Economic Security for Iowa’s Workers
The majority party has spent too much time prioritizing the privilege of the few over the needs of the many. Working families need real solutions to the issues they face every day, including ways to keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets.
- SF 2046 would protect workers from employer wage theft
- SF 2248 would provide paid, job-protected family leave for both public and private employees
- SF 2045 would raise the minimum wage
- SF 157 would restore unemployment benefits to 26 weeks
An Update on School Funding
In last week’s newsletter, I told you about Senate Republicans’ school funding proposal, SF 2201, which would set the annual increase for public school funding at 1.75%. Despite the fact that this bill would severely underfund our public schools, SF 2201 passed the Senate by a vote of 28-20.
The House took up the bill and ran it through the subcommittee and committee process on Monday, where it advanced with an amendment. The amendment is what is called a “strike-after.” A strike-after amendment deletes – or strikes – everything after the bill’s enacting clause (“Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa:”) and replaces the deleted text with new, different language. It’s basically the legislative way of saying, “This is great, let me do it completely differently.”
The newly amended bill, introduced by House Republicans, slightly raises the school funding number passed by the Senate to 2%. Reminder: inflation is currently hovering at 2.7%.
After debate on Thursday, the House passed the bill by a vote of 58-35. The amended legislation now returns to the Senate, where we will debate it again.
If Senate Republicans decide that 2% is an adequate amount at which to underfund our schools, they will accept the amended version, and we will proceed. If, however, Senate Republicans decide that 2% is just far too generous for Iowa’s public schools, they will reject the amended House bill, and we will find ourselves at something of a stalemate while Republican leaders in both chambers negotiate behind the scenes.
It’s worth noting that Iowa law says the deadline to set school funding is within 30 days of the governor’s budget proposal. That deadline was last Thursday, Feb. 12.
Quick Updates
Through the first funnel: It was funnel week at the Capitol this week – one of two self-imposed deadlines the Legislature uses to narrow down the legislation under consideration. Senate Committees met well into the afternoon on Thursday, so we don’t have the full list of which bills survived the funnel, and which are dead for the year. Come back next week for that update. In the meantime, here are a couple of funnel highlights:
- The Good: SF 2087 is a bipartisan bill that makes unemployment work search activity requirements more accessible to people with disabilities. It is still alive.
- The Good: SF 2294 is a great consumer protection bill that would prohibit streaming services from playing advertisements at a volume louder than the programming they accompany, anywhere in Iowa. It is moving forward.
- The Bad: SF 2274 is a bill that would legalize the sale of trigger devices that turn traditional firearms into rapid-fire Gatling guns. It is moving forward.
- The Ugly: SSB 3120 is a bill that would have removed safety requirements for youth hunters, putting hunters of every age at risk. This bill will not move forward this year.
- The Ugly: SF 2061 would have permitted taxpayer dollars to be used to fund infrastructure developments at private schools. This bill is dead.
Meeting healthcare demands in high-need counties: The Health Care Professional Incentive Program is seeking qualified applicants across Iowa. A state investment of nearly $8 million is available for this first year of awards. You can learn more about the program, including detailed eligibility criteria, award amounts, and application instructions on the Iowa Department of Education’s Health Care Professional Incentive Program webpage.
Opioid settlement applications to open in late February: The State of Iowa has secured over $365 million in settlements with opioid manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies, and other related parties to help combat opioid misuse and addiction. Of the $365 million, the State’s share is approximately $186 million, while $179 million is allocated to Iowa counties. The attorney general’s office expects approximately $20 million to be available by June 30, 2030, for distribution from its share of the settlement money. To receive a notification when the application site is ready to receive opioid funding applications, please send your email address to opioid.funding@ag.iowa.gov. The Attorney General’s office will begin accepting funding applications in late February. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and projects of all sizes and scopes are encouraged to apply.
Loan programs available for healthcare providers: The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is now accepting applications for three loan repayment programs: NHSC Loan Repayment Program, NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program, and NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program. These programs are designed to provide primary care, dental, and mental and behavioral health providers working at NHSC-approved sites with funding to be used toward their student loan debt. For details, eligibility, and applications, click here.
Ice fishing shelter removal date set: Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources officials are reminding Iowans that ice fishing shelters, left unattended, must be removed from state-owned lands and waters, including parking lots and boat ramps, before ice melts or March 1, whichever comes first. Shelter owners are discouraged from waiting until the last minute to get their shelter off the ice. If shelter falls through the ice, the owner is responsible for getting it out of the lake.