Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • 2021 Highlights & Disappointments

    Democrats: Build Back Iowa

    Kids Back to School Safely

    • Give schools tools to get kids back to school safely (HF 659)
    • Student Pandemic Recovery Grants for public schools (HF 659)

    Support Iowa Families

    • Food security for every family (HF 609)
    • Homeowner or rental assistance for 15,000 Iowans and extend prohibition on evictions until 2022 (HF 657)
    • Exempt unemployment assistance from state taxes (SF 290)
    • Pandemic assistance for child care to families and providers
      • Grants to open new licensed child care centers and financial support to keep current centers open
      • Expand eligibility and support for Child Care Assistance (CCA) (SF177/HF 613)
      • End cliff effect for child/dependent care tax credit (HF 668)
      • Tax credit for small business that provide child care (HF 617)

    Open/Reopen Small Businesses

    • Expand eligibility and help another 5,000 small businesses stay open/reopen with $100 million for Iowa Small Business Relief Grant program (HF 608)

    Protecting Iowans from COVID

    • Make telehealth parity permanent for mental and physical health (HF 612)

    Accountability & Transparency

    • Protecting workers on the front lines while holding bad actors accountable
    • Transparency and accountability of taxpayer dollars spent on COVID response and recovery (HF 689)

    Reynolds & GOP: Politics & Division

    • Voter suppression (SF 413)
    • Historic low funding for public schools (SF 269)
    • Eliminate background checks & put guns in hand of criminals (SJR 7)
    • Take away right of woman to make her own healthcare decisions; ban common forms of birth control (HJR 5)
    • Eliminates diversity plans used by some schools (HF 228)
    • Provides immunity to firearm manufacturers (HF 621)
    • Eliminates housing voucher non-discrimination laws (SF 252)
    • Expands Charter Schools (HF 813)
    • Bans “divisive concepts” like racism or sexism from being discussed in public schools and universities (HF 802)

    Missed Opportunities

    Common Sense, Bipartisan Bills Killed by Republicans

    • Constitutionally restore felon voting rights (HJR 11)
    • Prohibits “gay panic” defense (HF 310)
    • Cap cost of insulin to $100 for month supply (HF 263)
    • Pharmacists can give birth control without prescription (HF 434)
    • Insurance has to reimburse physical health providers at same rate for telehealth services (HF 784)
    • Prohibits employers from restricting low-wage workers from getting another job (SF 496)
    • Learning Recovery Task Force for Covid learning losses (SF 545)
    • Enhances communications with our returning veterans to be sure they access benefits they’ve earned (SF 255)

    2021 Bi-Partisan Successes

    • Expanding access to emergency medical services (SF 615)
    • Increase funding for students learning English (HF 605)
    • Expand protections to prevent sexual abuse (SF 253)
    • Encourage more OB/GYN doctors to locate in rural Iowa (SF 129)
    • Increase funding for job training at community colleges (HF 871)
    • New enforcement to stop human trafficking (HF 452)
    • New tracking system for rape kits (HF 426)
    • Lifetime trout stamp for Iowans over 65 (HF 234)
    • More funding opportunities for voluntary fire departments (HF 761)
    • Expands protections for vulnerable Iowans (HF 839)
    • $1 million increase for Iowa state parks (HF 860)
    • Explores opportunities to expand broadband across Iowa communities (HF 848)
    • Creates new opportunities and financial assistance for small-scale meat processing businesses and lockers (HF 871, HF 857)
    • Expand services to sexual assault survivors and increase accountability in the investigations of these crimes (HF 603, HF 426)
    • Increase oversight of pesticide application (SF 482)

    Iowans stopped these bad GOP Bills

    • Cutting unemployment for Iowans (SF 492)
    • Reduces unemployment appeals for Iowans (SF 187)
    • Private school vouchers (SF 159)
    • Prohibiting any instruction about gender identity in schools (SF 167)
    • Requiring survey of political views of university employees (SF 292)
    • Allowing discrimination based on religious beliefs/exemption defense (SF 436)
    • Penalize or remove school board members and administrators for disagreeing with the Governor (SSB 1213)
    • Digital tracking women looking for reproductive care online (HF 515)
    • Legalize conversion therapy & ban medical care for some kids (HF 193)
    • Punish students in communities with high COVID cases (HF 165)
    • Reinstate death penalty (HF 271/SF 82)
    • Publicly shaming woman for their health care decisions and falsely declaring an “abortion pandemic” in Iowa (SF 508)
    • New barriers for Iowans to get food or health care assistance (SF 389)
    • Eliminate tenure at Iowa’s state universities (HF 496)
    • Discouraging Iowans from getting live-saving vaccines (SF 555)
    • New “poll tax” before restoring someone’s right to vote (HF 818)
    • Prohibits a social media company from limiting an elected official’s access to the platform (HF 830)
    • Punishing cities for keeping budget balanced (SF 479)
    • Allows the State to make discrimination easier (HF 815)
    • Medication abortion reversal requiring physicians to give unproven information to patients (HF 383)
    • Immunity to trucking companies for hiring rapists/sex traffickers (SF 537/HF 772)
    • Putting a monetary value on people’s lives when medical malpractice has occurred (HF 592/SF 557)

  • Closing remarks by Senate Democratic Leader

    By Zach Wahls, Iowa Senate Democratic Leader

    As we wrap up the 2021 Legislative session, I want to thank my Democratic colleagues for the honor of leading our team.

    I want to take a moment to ask the chamber to join me in showing our appreciation to our smart, talented, caring and hard-working caucus staff.

    And a big “thank you” to the Secretary of the Senate and his staff, the Senate pages, all the hardworking staff at the Legislative Services Agencies, and the news media that cover us every day on behalf of our constituents.

    I want to congratulate Lois Brownell with the Secretary of the Senate’s office on her many years of dedicated service to the Iowa Senate. She will be missed by everyone in the Senate. Enjoy your retirement, Lois!

    Let’s give Lois and all the staff a big round of applause.

    Mr. President, this session was a missed opportunity. COVID-19 turned our world upside down and gave us all a new perspective. With this new perspective, we could have reimagined our social contract and responsibilities to each other. We could have boldly addressed all of the challenges Iowa faces, nearly all of which were exacerbated by COVID-19: a workforce shortage, a child care crisis, not enough good paying jobs, crumbling infrastructure, struggling rural hospitals, a lack of high-speed internet, systemic racial inequities, and maternal health challenges faced by Iowa moms and babies.

    With our Build Back Better plan, Iowa Democrats introduced more than two dozen bills to help Iowans get back on our feet and return life to normal as quickly and as safely as possible. Our plan would have positioned Iowa for long-term economic growth, provided relief for struggling families, helped small businesses safely reopen, and supported our dedicated, frontline health care workers who got us through the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Unfortunately, Governor Reynolds and the Republicans chose not to work with us on these proposals. Not a single one of our bills was given a public hearing. Instead, Iowa Republicans drilled holes in a sinking boat, pursuing a divisive, partisan agenda.

    Republican inaction on a host of issues will actively hurt working families. Instead of tax relief and relief checks for middle class households – like the ones President Biden and Democrats in Congress provided to the American people – Republicans enacted policies that will raise property taxes and cut social services.

    Instead of providing relief to Iowans who lost their jobs due to the pandemic, Governor Reynolds ripped the carpet out from under these workers, cutting off unemployment assistance while they looked for work.

    Instead of supporting public education and helping our students return safely to school, Governor Reynolds returned $95 million of federal funds – our tax dollars – back to Washington D.C. These are funds that should have been used to keep students safe from COVID-19 and improve the quality of public education.

    Instead of bringing new workers, businesses, and investment to Iowa, Republicans continue to make our state unwelcoming to others by codifying discrimination, picking on our kids, banning diversity, and protecting online harassment and sedition.

    Instead of doing more for families who need affordable child care or helping Iowa moms and babies who are facing maternal health challenges, Iowa Republicans are paving the way to ban abortion, even in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother.

    And as our country grapples with the insurrection that took place in our nation’s capital on January 6, a day that will mar American history books for generations to come, Iowa Republicans passed one of the most severe and punitive voter suppression laws in the United States.

    I want to close this session by reminding everyone why we’re here, who we’re fighting for, and the challenges that we absolutely must address.

    Across our state, too many people have lost sight of a better future and can no longer see more opportunity for their children and grandchildren — and that was true before the pandemic hit. Too many Iowans feel disconnected from their local communities, and too many of our local communities are struggling as young Iowans are forced to move from our state due to lack of opportunity.

    As I talk with voters across my district and across the state, I see the same thing in big cities and small towns: a growing gap between the haves and the have nots; the powerful and the powerless; the well-connected and the disconnected. We need to remember that politics is about the fact that everyone — Democrat or Republican or Independent — wants their families to be happy, safe, and nearby. That means improving the quality of life in every Iowa community, because Iowa is strong only when our families are strong. Iowa thrives only when our middle class thrives. We are free only when Iowans have both liberty and justice. If you work hard, you should be able to provide for yourself and your family. These are the guiding principles of Iowa Senate Democrats, and I’m proud this caucus fought for those values every single day of this session.

  • Initial analysis of GOP’s latest attack on Iowa voters

    The key section is Ballot Courier Language – Operation 11

    SF 568 – Public Measures/Elections Changes – Original Bill Summary

    First passed Senate: 30 -17 (March 17); Passed House: 54-33; Final passage in Senate: 29-17 (May 19)

    SF 568 relates to the conduct of elections, including nominations and procedures for proposed amendments to the Iowa Constitution. Key provisions of the bill include:

    Public Measures/Elections Changes: The bill adds the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of an even-numbered year as an available date for a county to hold a special election on a public measure. This does not apply to cities or school districts.

    Constitutional Amendments/Petitions: The bill requires the constitutional convention question, which is required to be submitted every decade, to be treated the same as a public measure on a ballot.

    Holding Two Offices/Vacancies: The bill allows an elected official to be elected to and simultaneously serve in a second office for not more than 30 days.Under the bill, if a person is elected to multiple incompatible offices and doesn’t resign from one, the vacancy will be in the first office to which the person was elected. Under current law, a vacancy occurs in all of the offices to which the person was elected.The bill includes an effective date of January 1, 2022, for sections of the division relating to ballot vacancies.

    Filing/Withdrawal Deadlines: The bill changes the deadline for the filing and withdrawal of nomination papers for primary elections, as well as for filing objections to the nominations of candidates. The bill changes the timeline for the replacement of a candidate who withdraws from a primary or general election or dies.The bill requires a ballot for president and vice president of the United States to disclose that a vote for such candidates is a vote for the slate of electors selected by the organization nominating such candidates.

    After Election Activities (House amended this section): The bill  now requires when ballots are returned to the auditor the memory device used by voting equipment shall be returned to the auditor by two precinct election officials of different political parties, by law enforcement, or by a person designated by the commissioner. The printed results and memory device shall be returned in a sealed envelope with signature of all board members of the precinct place across the seal so envelop cannot be opened without breaking the seal. 

    Secretary of State: The bill requires the SOS to order election audits prior to all elections other than general elections. This provision of the bill takes effect January 1, 2022.The bill requires the SOS to develop an Internet application to allow voters to track their absentee ballot requests and ballots by February 26, 2024. The system must also inform a voter of an error in the voter’s application or ballot that requires correction.
    [3/17: 30-17  (No: Democrats; Excused: Goodwin, Hogg, Nunn)]

    Amendment H-1535 (compromise between House and Senate Republicans)

    Standing in Court – Operation 1

    Gives political parties and non-political parties standing to bring certain actions in court, and gives them standing to intervene in certain actions brought by other persons.

    Nomination Papers – Operation 3

    The amendment makes multiple changes to signature requirements for county and city office nomination papers.

    Voter Registration Cancellation – pg 4

    Prohibits sending a voter from being sent a notice and return card for the purpose of cancelling or making a voter inactive if the registered voter was not 18 years old for the general election.

    Strikes “Public Measures” from the bill – Operation  5 

    School, City, County elections and any public measure election held in  March or September: Not less than four days and not more than 20 days before an election, an auditor must publish notice containing a list of candidates and public measures to be voted upon. Costs for a notification sent or posted pursuant to this section may be charged to the entity requesting the public measure. For an election to approve the issuance of a bond, the bill requires auditors to send notification to all voters not later than 20 days before the election. The notification must include time and date of election. Estimated costs for this mailing could reach $153,000 in additional costs per election.

    Provision Ballot – Operation 7

    Clarifies that the new absentee ballot deadline does not apply to those who are eligible to reconcile their provisional ballots.

    Absentee Request Forms – Operation 10

    Requires voter to date and sign absentee ballot requests forms.

    Satellite Voting – Operation 10

    The amendment allows a valid petition for satellite voting to be rejected within four days if any of the following apply:

    1. The site is not accessible to elderly and disabled voters.
    2. The site has physical limitation that make it impossible to meet ballot security and secret voting.
    3. The owner of the site refuses.
    4. After a reasonable effort, the auditor cannot find the staff to ensure compliance with law.

    The other reasons listed for a reason that a petition can be denied include if the petition asks for satellite voting location in a city runoff election and a special election is held between the date of the regular city election and the city run-off election.  A petition can also be denied if the owner of the site of the location is demanding payment.

    If a county auditor receives two petitions for the same precinct the auditor is allowed to establish only one satellite voting location.

    Ballot Courier Language – Operation 11

    The amendment clarifies who can return a ballot for a registered voter. The person must be a registered voter in Iowa. A person can be an immediate family member which is defined as a someone in the within the fourth degree of consanguinity which extends out to a first cousin once removed or great-great grandparent. The delivery agent can only return a ballot so long as the person they are delivering for cannot deliver the ballot on their own due to blindness or disability.

    A person can NOT deliver a ballot for someone if they are the voters’ employer, an officer or agent of the registered voters union, or a person acting as an actual or implied agent for a political party, or a candidate or candidate’s committee.

    A delivery agent must fill out a form or receipt as prescribed by the Secretary of State.  A delivery agent can only deliver two ballots per election.   The delivery agent can NOT return the ballot to a mailbox or drop box and must return it to the county auditor’s office and must present an ID and must sign a statement saying they are eligible to return the ballot.

    Technical Stuff

    • Operation 4 – state register determines date of audit not county auditor
    • Operation 6 – adds “facsimile” of county seal
    • Operation 8 – Strikes Sec. 31 – Return and preservation of ballots
    • Operation 9 – Strikes Sec. 33 – Return of election register
    • Operations 12 – 20 –  technical stuff.

  • Iowa Executive Branch launches investigation into Heritage Foundation allegations

    Senate Democratic Leader calls on Sen. Roby Smith to cooperate with investigation

    “The claims made recently by Heritage Action about their role in secretly pushing voter suppression legislation in Iowa and other states are disturbing. The allegations by Heritage Action are that they secretly wrote and lobbied for harmful legislation that Iowa legislators are claiming they authored.

    “Iowa is the first state that we got to work in, and we did it quickly and we did it quietly,” Jessica Anderson, executive director of Heritage Action, said during a recent meeting with supporters in Arizona. “We helped draft the bills. … Honestly, nobody even noticed. My team looked at each other, and we’re like, ‘it can’t be that easy.’”

    “It is good news that the Executive Director of the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board has opened an investigation into these allegations. Specifically, Executive Director Mike Marshall has requested that Jessica Anderson provide the Board with any contacts that she or other Heritage Action representatives made in Iowa. Marshall has also asked the office of Gov. Kim Reynolds to search its records for any such interactions, according to the Associated Press.

    “Today, I am calling on Senator Roby Smith, Chair of the Senate’s State Government Committee, to cooperate with the investigation by the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board. If asked, Sen. Smith should turn over any records of contacts with anyone affiliated with Heritage Action, including emails, letters, messaging memos and phone records.

    “Iowans deserve to know the facts about this case and whether any laws or rules have been broken.” 

    end

  • SF 342 is misguided criminal justice legislation

    State Senator and Veteran Law Enforcement Office Speaks Out Against Misguided Criminal Legislation

    DES MOINES – State Senator Kevin Kinney of rural Oxford spoke passionately this afternoon in the Iowa Senate against legislation that he says will do harm to Iowa communities.

    “Thirty-five years ago, I got into law enforcement to help people, to protect people,” said Kinney, who recently retired as a Lieutenant in the Investigations Division of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.

    During a speech during debate on Senate File 342, Kinney said that pieces the legislation are going to hurt people in our communities.

    “It doesn’t even make sense,” he said.

    Kinney is particularly concerned about new criminal penalties that could make it unsafe for the general public during traffic stops by officers operating unmarked vehicles.

    Here’s a link to Sen. Kinney’s speech and transcript: https://youtu.be/cc9n8cpMc2w

    end

  • Statement on Biden decision to support Iowa farmers

    Statement by Senators Kevin Kinney, Amanda Ragan and Jackie Smith on Biden Administration’s decision to support Iowa farmers

    Background: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has filed a motion to vacate three waivers given by the Trump administration to Sinclair Oil Corporation refineries that exempted them from biofuel blending mandates.

    “This decision by the Biden administration is good news for the renewable fuel industry and Iowa farmers who sell to them. It reverses a terrible decision by the Trump administration to support Big Oil and dampen demand for ethanol, biodiesel and other renewable fuels.

    “We need more policies at the state and federal levels to boost – not threaten – the economic well-being of rural communities. We must boost ethanol demand, help farmers and the biofuel industry, and jump-start the farm economy.”

    Senators Kinney, Ragan and Smith are members of the Iowa Senate’s Agriculture Committee.

    -end-

  • Oversight needed on rejection of federal COVID help

    Legislators request Oversight meeting on Reynolds rejection of $95 million in federal COVID help

    The top Democrats on the Iowa Legislature’s House and Senate Oversight Committees are requesting meetings to review the Reynolds Administration’s handling of Federal COVID relief funds. 

    In a joint letter to the House and Senate Oversight Committee chairs, the top Democrats on each committee, Senator Claire Celsi of West Des Moines and Representative Ruth Ann Gaines of Des Moines, write that they were “flabbergasted to discover that Governor Reynolds sent $95 million in COVID-19 testing funding back to the U.S. Federal Government instead of giving schools the option to use it for COVID-19 testing protocols in their districts.”

    For more information, contact Senator Claire Celsi, 515-554-6754.

    -end-

  • Federal investigation needed at Anamosa, DOC

    Axne, Iowa Lawmakers Request Federal Investigation into Anamosa, DOC

    Des Moines, Iowa — Today US Rep. Cindy Axne, Iowa House Minority Leader Todd Prichard, and Iowa Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls sent a letter to federal officials requesting an independent investigation into last month’s deadly assaults at the Anamosa State Penitentiary, as well as the increasing violence within Iowa’s correctional facilities.

    In the letter to the US Attorney General and US Secretary of Labor, the Iowa lawmakers outlined the ways in which Governor Reynolds and Iowa Department of Corrections have disregarded and dismissed several warning signs leading up to this tragedy. The signs include: rising violence, prison overcrowding, staff reductions and continued budget cuts.  As two inmates attempted to escape the Anamosa State Penitentiary on March 23, they violently killed correctional officer Robert McFarland and nurse Lorena Schulte. 

    Last year, the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration (I-OSHA) issued numerous warnings and serious violations to DOC for inadequate communication and prison staffing. One I-OSHA report warned Anamosa employees did not have reliable communication equipment or adequate staff for emergency responses. Instead of fixing the problems identified, the DOC began denying state inspectors access to facilities for fair and independent safety assessments. 

    “Last month’s attack at Anamosa highlights the risks facing our workers if adequate emergency procedures and other measures are not in place to protect them. We owe it to these employees and their families to seek an independent investigation that will uncover all of the facts of this tragic incident and ensure we have clear answers for what went wrong and what can be done to better protect Iowa’s workers,” said Representative Cindy Axne.

    “This terrible tragedy should never have happened. We know the Reynolds Administration ignored the warning signs for years, failed to take action, and even proposed denying additional safety inspections in our correctional facilities. It’s time for an independent investigation that’s completely outside the control of the Reynolds Administration,” said House Minority Leader Todd Prichard.  

    “The Governor’s reaction to last month’s tragic events is yet another example of her failed leadership. How can Iowans expect Republican leaders to keep our state safe if Republicans can’t even keep state workers safe? The Reynolds Administration should have immediately requested an independent, outside investigation. Because she was unwilling to do so, today, we are calling on the Federal government to intervene and take on that responsibility. Iowans need to know the truth about what is happening in our prisons,” said Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls. 

    ###

  • 2021 Second Funnel Update

    Last week, the Legislature passed a key deadline, the “second funnel.” For Senate policy bills to remain eligible for consideration, they had to be approved by a House committee, and House policy bills had to be approved by a Senate committee to remain alive.

    The funnel helps legislators narrow our focus to what has a real chance of becoming law this year. Fortunately, some bad ideas have died, and many good opportunities still have the chance to make it to the Governor’s desk.

    Bad bills that are still alive

    • Voter suppression (SF 413)
    • Historic low funding for public schools (SF 269)
    • Eliminate background checks & put guns in hand of criminals (SJR 7)
    • Take away right of woman to make her own healthcare decisions; ban common forms of birth control (HJR 5/SJR 2)
    • Eliminates diversity plans used by some schools (HF 228)
    • Provides immunity to firearm manufacturers (HF 621)
    • Eliminates housing voucher non-discrimination laws (SF 252)
    • Expands Charter Schools (HF 813)
    • Bans “divisive concepts” like racism or sexism from being discussed in public schools and universities (HF 802)
    • Immunity to trucking companies for hiring rapists/sex traffickers (SF 537/HF 772)
    • Putting a monetary value on people’s lives when medical malpractice has occurred (HF 592/SF 557)
    • Punishing private businesses for blocking hate speech and insurrection on social media (SF 580)
    • Allows landlords to charge higher fees for late payments and throw away a tenant’s possessions immediately after eviction (HF 843)
    • Cut unemployment for Iowans (SF 492)
    • Vouchers for private schools (SF 159)

    Common sense, bipartisan bills killed by Republicans

    • Constitutionally restore felon voting rights (HJR 11)
    • Prohibits “Gay Panic” defense (HF 310)
    • Cap cost of insulin to $100 for month supply (HF 263)
    • Pharmacists can give birth control without prescription (HF 434)
    • Insurance has to reimburse mental health and physical health providers at same rate for telehealth services (HF 294/HF 706)
    • Prohibits employers from restricting low wage workers from getting another job (SF 496)
    • Learning Recovery Task Force for Covid learning losses (SF 545)
    • Enhances communications with our returning veterans to be sure they access benefits they’ve earned (SF 255)

    Bipartisan bills moving ahead

    • Dentists can administer vaccines (HF 528)
    • Exempt COVID payments & relief from state taxes (SF 364)
    • Creates more affordable housing options (HF 582/ SF 295)
    • Increase funding for students learning English (HF 605/ SF 544)
    • Expand protections to prevent sexual abuse (SF 253)
    • Double tax credit for volunteer EMS/fire fighters (HF 563)
    • Tax credits/grants for businesses to build on-site child care (HF 606)
    • Encourage more OB/GYN doctors to locate in rural Iowa (SF 129)
    • New enforcement to stop human trafficking (HF 452/ SF 388)
    • Expand Child Care Tax Credit (HF 230)
    • Expand adoption tax credit (HF 369)
    • Business child care tax credit (HF 370)
    • New tracking system for rape kits (HF 426/SF 451)
    • Lifetime trout stamp for Iowans over 65 (HF 234)
    • Employment leave for adoptive parents (SF 362/HF 724)
    • Expansion of the popular beginning farmer tax credit to attract younger farmers (HF 694 / SF 360)
    • More funding opportunities for voluntary fire departments (HF761)
    • Expanded benefits for firefighters (HF 797)
    • Reducing costs for Iowans to examine public records (SF 480/HF 786)
    • $3 million increase for Iowa state park maintenance (HF 749)
    • Expands protections for vulnerable Iowans (SF 450/HF 839/SF 583)
    • Toughens enforcement of retailers selling drug paraphernalia in our neighborhoods (SF 363)
    • Explores opportunities to expand broadband across Iowa communities (SF 390/HF 848)
    • Eliminates inheritance tax and ensures tax reform (SF 576)

    Bad GOP bills that are dead

    • Reduces unemployment appeals for Iowans (SF 187)
    • Statewide private school voucher program (SF 127/SF 128)
    • Prohibiting any instruction about gender identity in schools (SF 167)
    • Requiring survey of political views of university employees (SF 292)
    • Allowing discrimination based on religious beliefs/exemption defense (SF 436)
    • Penalize or remove school board members and administrators for disagreeing with the Governor (SSB 1213)
    • Prohibits mask requirement on college campuses (HF 204)
    • Digital tracking women looking for reproductive care online (HF 515)
    • Legalize conversion therapy & ban medical care for some kids (HF 193)
    • Punish students in communities with high COVID cases (HF 165)
    • Death penalty (HF 271/SF 82)
    • Publicly shaming woman for their health care decisions and falsely declaring an “abortion pandemic” in Iowa  (SF 508)
    • New barriers for Iowans to get food or health care assistance (SF 389)
    • Eliminate tenure at Iowa’s state universities (HF 496)
    • Discouraging Iowans from getting live-saving vaccines (SF 555)
    • New “poll tax” before restoring someone’s right to vote (HF 818)
    • Prohibits a social media company from limiting an elected official’s access to the platform (HF 830)
    • Punishing cities for keeping budget balanced (SF 479)
    • Allows the State to make discrimination easier (HF 815)
    • Medication abortion reversal requiring physicians to give unproven information to patients (HF 383)

  • Statement on tragic deaths at the Anamosa State Penitentiary

    Statement by Sen. Todd Taylor, Ranking Member of the Justice System Appropriations Subcommittee

    “The death of two prison employees at the Anamosa State Penitentiary is a horrible tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, neighbors and co-workers. In addition to ensuring that justice is served, we must also ensure that state leaders address chronic understaffing and other systemic problems at our prisons before we have more deaths.”

    – end –