From the Desk of Senator Donahue
This week at the Capitol, we continued moving quickly through bills as we approach the final stretch of session, but too many of the priorities Iowans have been asking for still haven’t been addressed. We have not made meaningful progress on adequately funding our public schools, lowering costs for families at the grocery store or gas pump, or expanding access to affordable housing and childcare. We also have not done enough to improve access to healthcare, mental health services, maternal care, clean water, or lowering cancer rates—all issues I consistently hear about from constituents across our communities. As deadlines approach, I remain focused on pushing for real solutions that make life more affordable and strengthen supports for families, because these are the priorities Iowans have asked us to work on, and they deserve action before the session ends.
As the weather gets warmer, there will be more and more events happening around the district, and I hope to see you out and about at those supporting our local vendors. Supporting our local businesses and vendors during these events is what helps keep our communities vital and growing.
Events around the district:
Healthy Kids Day & Marion City Showcase
Name That Tune Trivia @ Mulligan’s Pub
Holocaust Remembrance Lecture with Dr. Alex Kor
The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight
We have another week full of birthdays and really BIG ones. If you happen to know any of these folks below, make sure you wish them a very Happy Birthday!
| Khanh | Phan |
| Matthew | Casebolt |
| Kendra | McAndrew |
| Cherrie | Girdner |
| Jacey | Waddell |
| Allison | Troup |
| James | Ellis |
| Steven | Winter |
| Walter | Roth |
| Edward | Vorwald |
| Richard | Kelzenberg |
| Shelley | Martin |
| Carrie | Loney |
| Jason | Beech |
| Jason | Murphy |
| Michael | Daws |
| Victoria | Peterson |
| Derrick | Phillips |
| Kenneth | Cummings |
| Larry | Gilds |
| Jack | Kramer |
| Timothy | Aubrey |
| Lorie | Brydon |
| Jeremy | Richert |
| Rose | Bradley |
| Rhett | Linssen |
| Susan | Meyer-Reed |
| Barbara | Huhndorf |
| Robert | Cihla |
| Joann | Cross |
| Natalie | White |
| Mark | Kenny |
| Dwayne | Ackman |
| Kimberly | Long |
| Beth | Pfeifer |
| Jeremy | Reece |
| Valerie | Cook |
| Nicholas | Appleby |
| Cynthia | Line |
| Melanie | Watt |
| Eileen | Farrell |
| Cindy | Lane |
| Brian | Harrington |
| Vivan | Durham |
| Jeffery | Veronda |
Property tax movement in the Senate
Good news for Iowa homeowners: this week, the Iowa Senate took a step in the direction toward property tax reform and bringing relief to homeowners across Iowa.
SF 2472 is a wide-ranging and ambitious bill that aims to overhaul the state’s property tax system. It touches on local revenue growth, public school funding, homestead exemptions, seniors, and more.
It’s important to note that while this is a positive step forward, this is not the final product. The House is running a separate bill that includes elements from the governor’s initial proposal. The Senate and House will need to negotiate a compromise between the two pieces of legislation. But this is progress.
This is not a perfect bill, but it does prioritize homeowners over corporations. We will continue to work with the majority party to ensure that any reform is targeted toward the middle class and Iowans on fixed income, while allowing our communities to continue providing the essential services on which Iowans rely.
SF 2472 passed the Senate by a vote of 41-4.
Health takes a backseat to ideology
Senate Republicans took another page from the Trump Administration this week and passed a version of the governor’s sweeping health omnibus bill. The bill sets questionable health priorities and complicates critical programs Iowans count on to feed their families.
Here are a few of the unhealthy provisions included in HF 2676:
- Pharmacists will be able to distribute ivermectin as an over-the-counter medication for human consumption.
- If the federal government chooses, for whatever reason, not to approve the state’s SNAP waiver, Iowa will withdraw from the Summer EBT program, which helps ensure thousands of Iowa kids remain fed during the summer months.
- Complicated SNAP restrictions that prevent Iowa families from purchasing certain – and often healthy – foods at the grocery store. The restrictions are not based on nutritional value – for example, families can buy a cup of fruit but cannot buy that same cup of fruit if it comes packaged with a spoon; Iowans cannot buy warm rotisserie chicken but can buy the same rotisserie chicken if it has been pulled from the bone, repackaged, and sold cold.
Rather than making Iowans healthier, this bill will complicate successful program, push healthy options further out of reach, and endorse fringe medicinal treatments not based in science.
Quick Updates
Sexual Assault Awareness Month: April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a time to raise awareness about sexual violence and strengthen prevention efforts. In 2026, we mark 25 years of SAAM with the theme “25 Years Stronger: Looking Back, Moving Forward.” Background and resources are on the national website, and you can connect with the local victim service provider organization in your area, visit www.icadv.org/survivorsupport. You can also call the Iowa Victim Service Call Center – 1.800.770.1650 or text “iowahelp” to 20121.
FY 27 Iowa Cancer Plan Implementation Grants: Grants are available for projects that align with at least one of the following Iowa Cancer Plan priorities: addressing cancer disparities across the cancer continuum, advancing cancer prevention and/or early detection, expanding successful local projects statewide, formalizing lasting, broad cancer control improvements through policy, and systems change within organizations, systems, or communities. You can learn more here.
FY 27 Survivorship Grant: Funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will soon be made available to increase support for groups involved in cancer survivorship support. More information can be found here.
The Iowa Cancer Consortium’s Spring Meeting will take place virtually on Tuesday, April 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This is an opportunity for partners across Iowa to connect, share updates, and collaborate on statewide cancer prevention and control efforts. Registration for the 2026 Spring Meeting is now available. For questions, email: staff@canceriowa.org
Navigating Parkinson’s Disease: A three-part educational series designed for those diagnosed with Parkinson’s, their caregivers and partners, and healthcare professionals looking for community-based resources has workshops available both in-person and virtually throughout the year. The next round of in-person workshops begins in April. Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease brings challenges not only to individuals but also to their families and caregivers. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers “A Journey through Parkinson’s Disease” to help Iowans navigate the complexities of a diagnosis with confidence and research-based support.
Harkin Institute’s cancer crisis report: The Iowa Environmental Council and The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement have released a new report,”Environmental Risk Factors and Iowa’s Cancer Crisis.” The report is a review of top scientific studies and academic research exploring the environmental risk factors impacting Iowa’s high cancer rates, and an analysis of the crossover between these risk factors and specific cancer trends in Iowa. The focus of the report includes pesticides (particularly the three most applied pesticides in the state – glyphosate, acetochlor, and atrazine), PFAS (“forever chemicals”), nitrates, and radon. The goal of the report is to educate Iowans about the environmental risk factors of cancer and to focus efforts on the changes that will make the most difference. Click here for more information.
High school graduation rate remains high: Iowa’s high school graduation rate reached 88.8% for the class of 2025, which is one of the state’s highest in recent years and the first time since 2020 that graduation rates have surpassed pre-pandemic levels. State data show roughly 1,000 more Iowa students earned their diplomas this year than in 2019. To find out more on Iowa’s graduation and dropout rates, see the Iowa Graduation Rates and Dropout Rates webpage.
Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes: Iowa’s Department of Education is hosting its first School Bus Safety Poster Contest. Entries are due April 17 for four divisions: grades K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and a computer-aided drawing category open to all grades. The 2026 theme is “Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes.” Division winners will be recognized in May, and their posters will be featured statewide for National School Bus Safety Week in October. Learn more on the poster contest webpage.
Earth Day: In 1970, 20 million Americans, from all walks of life, mobilized in an effort to change our environment. Today, Earth Day is celebrated by more than a billion people per year in 192 countries. Join the celebration on Wednesday, April 22!
This Week around Iowa and in the Capitol
