From the Desk of Senator Donahue
This week at the Capitol, we continued to see a steady stream of legislation move through both the House and Senate—but not necessarily the kind Iowans have been asking for.
Instead of meaningful action on lowering costs for families, strengthening our public schools, expanding access to healthcare, or addressing the workforce and childcare shortages facing our communities, much of the focus has remained on bills that create new mandates, shift funding priorities, or deepen divisions rather than solve problems. We’ve seen proposals advance that place additional strain on public systems—especially our schools—without providing the resources needed to make them work.
Meanwhile, the legislative pace tells its own story.
Next Tuesday marks the 100th day of session—the point we are scheduled to adjourn. But if you’ve been watching the work at the Capitol, you know we are nowhere near finished. The usual signs that session is wrapping up—final budget agreements, fewer new bills, and clear consensus on major issues—simply aren’t there yet.
That means the work ahead is critical. The decisions made in the final weeks will shape everything from classroom funding to healthcare access to the everyday cost of living for Iowans. I’ll continue fighting to keep the focus where it belongs: on policies that support working families, invest in our communities, and move Iowa forward.
Events around the area:
Healthy Kids Day & Marion City Showcase
Friends of the Marion Public Library Book Sale & Bake Sale
This week’s BIG birthdays are below – if you know any of these folks be sure to wish them well.
| Emily | Zumbach |
| Chelsey | Yates |
| Willie | Bridges |
| Daniel | Toy |
| Edith | Muth |
| Rose Lynn | Hancox |
| Katherine | Novak |
| Kurt | Bryant |
| Brieana | Lovelace |
| Cynthia | Burke |
| Linda | Moellers |
| Bonnie | Luerkens |
| Shane | Trimble |
| Saul | Ibarra |
| Alan | Moser |
| Patricia | Casner |
| Mark | Yeagle |
| Joellen | Zmolek Nyquist |
| Jenelle | Sisneros |
| Katie | Oliver |
| Sandra | Bishop |
| Jana | Madsen |
| Robert | Burton |
| Daniel | Raleigh |
| Robert | Freese |
| Carissa | McCalley |
| John | Meyer |
| Kathy | Kimbrough |
| Adriana | Pierce |
| Cathleen | Glynn |
| Susan | Rupp |
| Scott | Vandewalker |
| Heidi | Conerd |
| Clint | Koerperich |
| Sharolyn | Taylor |
| Gary | Moen |
| Deborah | Crippen |
| Lee | Coppock |
| Elizabeth | Ekberg |
| Eric | Speth |
| Amanda | Heim |
| Stephen | Woodhouse |
| Albert | Barnes |
| Donnie | Jennigs |
| Robert | Thomasson |
| Matthew | Burlage |
| Tammie | Pospisil |
| Sara | Walker |
| Mavee | Hoover |
Rigging the System
Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers passed an insultingly low amount of school funding for the 2026-27 school year. The measly two percent increase ensures that Iowa’s public schools will remain underfunded and school districts around the state will be forced into steep budget cuts, teacher lay-offs, and service reductions. At the same time, costs for the state’s unaccountable private school voucher program once again exceeded expectations, putting taxpayers on the hook for millions in higher costs.
The majority party called it “choice.”
Now those same Republican lawmakers would put their fingers on the scale again and shift more money and resources away from public schools – where over 90% of Iowa kids are educated – to support charter school expansion.
SF 2425, which advanced out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on a party-line vote on Wednesday, further rigs the system in favor of private or corporate-backed schools and starves public schools and the students they serve. The bill provides taxpayer dollars to schools that do not have to play by all the same rules as Iowa’s public schools. Here are some of the bill’s key provisions:
- Funneling state teacher salary funding into the hands of the private profiteers who back charter schools.
- Requiring the public schools whose resources are being drained to open their extracurricular activities to charter school students. Public schools would receive no additional funding for coaches, buses, gear, or uniforms and charter schools would be under no obligation to open their teams or activities to public school kids.
- Directing state aid to private preschools and providing a special early timing for receiving state funds that public preschools do not get.
- Giving a special handout to ONE specific private preschool.
This isn’t choice. This isn’t fairness. This isn’t competition. It’s a handout to private interests that pushes the vast majority of Iowa kids to the back of the line while the privileged few reap the benefits.
The Highs and the Lows
On Wednesday, the Senate unanimously passed SF 2489, lifting the state’s statute of limitations on child sexual abuse so that Iowa victims can take part in a national legal settlement stemming from abuses within the Boy Scouts. A prior version of this legislation, passed in 2024, provided an exemption to the state’s statute of limitations laws through December 2026. SF 2489 gives victims more time, extending the exemption through the end of the legal proceedings. But why is an exemption necessary?
Iowa currently has some of the most restrictive statute of limitations laws in the country for child sexual abuse. Victims have only one year after they turn 18 to file a civil lawsuit. This requires kids to pursue justice for crimes committed against them at a time when they may not be psychologically or emotionally capable of it, when they may not have the support system to help them.
So, during debate on a separate bill dealing with statute of limitations laws, SF 512, Sen. Janet Petersen filed an amendment that would have completely eliminated the statute of limitations for victims of child sexual abuse to pursue civil legal action. The exemption in SF 2489 would no longer be necessary because child sexual abuse survivors wouldn’t have a time limit on when they could seek justice. But despite fitting within the same code section and addressing the relevant topic, the amendment was ruled out of order by the Senate president, and we never got a chance to vote on it.
You take the wins when you can get them around here – and SF 2489 certainly is a win – but I think we’d all love to get to a point where the legislative highs aren’t mirrored so often with lows.
Quick Updates
Opioid settlement funding available: The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching an additional funding opportunity to help communities across the state respond to the opioid crisis. Iowa HHS will allocate this funding through a competitive application process. Each project can receive up to $1 million, with $10 million available in each round. To learn more about the project requirements and to apply: FY26- Round 2 Opioid Settlement Funding IowaGrants
Boat season is almost here! The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages all boaters to enroll in a boating education course. Both traditional and online courses are available and are made to fit every schedule and lifestyle. Find information about course options here.Don’t forget to visually inspect each life jacket looking for rips or tears and make sure all straps and buckles work properly, check if your fire extinguisher is fully charged and not expired, inspect the horn and emergency signaling devices, and restock the first aid kit.
Free trees for cities and service programs: Iowa Tree Planting grants are available to community governmental entities, volunteer organizations, and service organizations involved with local, urban, and community forest services, to plant trees on publicly owned properties within the community to diversify the tree canopy, increase tree benefits, help with energy costs and health disparities, and increase access to parks and nature. Apply at: Iowa DNR Urban Forestry Grant Programs website by June 22, 2026.
Statewide Disaster Readiness website: Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has launched a new Disaster Readiness website – a one-stop hub for trusted information and resources to help Iowans prepare, respond, and recover from disasters. The Disaster Readiness website offers:
- Resources to support mental health and emotional well-being for individuals, families, farmers, and communities
- Practical home and household tips and resources to help individuals and families prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters
- Information for community leaders, local governments, and businesses to strengthen local resilience, protect operations, and support recovery when emergencies happen
- Information for farmers and agriculture professionals on biosecurity and protecting crops and livestock during disasters and extreme weather events
Byrne Justice Assistance Grants: Iowa’s Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP) seeks public comment on the state’s application to the U.S. Department of Justice for an estimated $2,000,000 in FY 2025 Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program funding. The State of Iowa’s JAG application to the U.S. Department of Justice aims to strategically support drug and crime reduction priorities and is posted for public viewing on ODCP’s website. Comments may be emailed to wiggins@dps.state.ia.us through May 10, 2026.
Beware Tax Season Scams: As tax season concludes, the attorney general is warning Iowans about common tax scams including tax preparer fraud, phone and email IRS imposters, and identity theft to claim refunds. Remember to always research tax preparers thoroughly, never share personal or financial information over the phone, email, or text, keep computers and mobile devices secure with up-to-date antivirus software and firewalls, and be aware of urgent or threatening language demanding immediate action. If you or someone you know has been targeted by a tax or IRS scam, contact the Iowa Attorney General’s office at 888-777-4590, email consumer@iowa.gov, or file a complaint at iowaattorneygeneral.gov.
This Week in the Capitol
