Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • GOP should join us in maximizing help for Iowa in infrastructure bill

    Statement by Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls:

    Tomorrow, November 11, Veterans Day observances will be held across Iowa in towns small and large. We will come together to recognize American service members who have served our state and our country. We are deeply grateful for their service. Thank you.

    Next, I’d like to talk about why the passage of the bipartisan federal infrastructure deal is such great news for Iowa.

    Thanks to President Biden and Representative Cindy Axne, at least five billion federal dollars will arrive in Iowa over the next five years to help us rebuild the crumbling infrastructure in our state. And Iowa will get even more help in areas where we need it most, specifically with bridges, rural broadband, and water treatment systems.

    For example, Iowa has more bridges needing repair than any other state. President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill will deploy more than $400 million to fix those bridges. Even more help will likely come from competitive grants.

    In addition, Iowa ranks 45th in the nation in terms of broadband connectivity. Iowa Republicans failed to make meaningful investments in rural broadband, but President Biden and Representative Axne got it done, and there is $65 billion in this bill for rural broadband nationwide.

    Finally, many Iowa communities are dealing with aging water treatment systems and lead pipe contamination. There are hundreds of millions of dollars in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal to help address the water problems facing Iowa.

    All in all, the economic boost from this landmark legislation will create Iowa jobs and new Iowa opportunities for our families and communities for years and decades to come.

    That’s why I want to thank Representative Cindy Axne, who was the only one of Iowa’s four U.S. Representatives to vote for the bipartisan infrastructure bill. She was there for Iowans when the chips were down.

    Congressional Democrats accomplished this in less than a year.

    Iowa Republicans have had complete control in Iowa for five years. What have they done?

    So far, the results have been higher prices, stagnant wages, Iowa businesses unable to find workers, and working parents unable to find affordable child care.

    President Biden and Representative Axne have handed Governor Reynolds and Republican leaders an extraordinary opportunity.

    I call on Iowa’s Republican officeholders to set aside party differences and work with all Iowans—especially with Iowa’s local city and county leaders—to make the most of this rare opportunity to move Iowa forward. 

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  • Iowa GOP doesn’t support fairness for workers

    Republicans haven’t shown up to support striking workers for one simple reason: They don’t support them

    Prepared remarks by Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls at today’s news conference:

    “This morning, Senator Joe Bolkcom announced that he will not seek reelection to the Senate while calling for Iowans to step up and run for the statehouse. Senator Bolkcom is a close friend, a dear colleague, and a relentless champion for a better Iowa. “Since he was first elected to public office nearly thirty years ago, Joe has provided outstanding service to his community and to our beloved state.

    “I know that choosing to bring his decades-long career in public service to an end was not easy, but I appreciate his decision and am grateful that he is encouraging a new generation of Iowans to get involved in state government. His experience, his hard work, and his commitment to the people of Iowa will be missed, and I wish him all my best. 

    “Changing gears, I’d like to speak to this week’s news about the ongoing UAW strike. First and foremost: Hard work deserves fair pay.

    “That’s why Democrats are fighting every day for all hard-working Iowans. That’s why our members have shown up to support striking UAW workers across the state.

    “We support the decision of the workers to negotiate for a better contract, and we will continue to advocate on their behalf as they fight for fair pay and benefits.

    “Now, where are the Republicans?

    “Republicans haven’t shown up to support striking workers for one simple reason: they don’t support them. Republicans have abandoned John Deere workers and all Iowans who are fighting for better jobs and better compensation.

    “The ongoing negotiations between UAW workers and John Deere executives are another sign that Iowa Republicans have stacked the deck against workers.

    “Corporations like Deere are raking in record profits by keeping wages low and passing off higher prices to farmers and consumers. Farmers are frustrated by John Deere’s strategy and business practices.  Working families are frustrated by what John Deere is doing.

    “Workers across Iowa are frustrated by Iowa Republicans. We’re frustrated about:

    • Stagnant wage growth and high prices while big corporations like John Deere make record-high profits;
    • Lack of respect for essential workers;
    • No progress on providing affordable, high-quality child care for children in working families;
    • No progress on providing paid family and medical leave for working families.

    “Iowans deserve better from their employers and from Republican politicians. Republicans have complete control of state government. Hard working Iowans are getting screwed by a one-two punch of low wages and higher prices. Republicans have let this happen on their watch; they’ve let prices spiral out of control while doing nothing to bolster paychecks.

    “Rather than offer any solutions to the problems I’ve just laid out, they’ve stoked one manufactured culture war fear after another – hoping folks won’t notice that Republicans have no solutions. Instead, Republicans, led by Senator Jack Whitver, are planning yet another tax cut for the wealthiest and most powerful people in Iowa.

    “That’s the difference between Republicans and Democrats. Senate Democrats believe we need an economy that works for hard-working Iowans, not the top 1%. Democrats will continue to fight and show up for workers and retirees who have earned a bigger paycheck and secure retirement.”

     ###

  • New butchery funding is good for rural economy

    Statement by Senator Kevin Kinney, an Oxford farmer and ranking member on the Agriculture Committee

    “Iowa’s meat processors are a key link in getting food seamlessly from farm to table. They ensure families can find fresh, healthy meat on their grocery store shelves, and that farmers have options for getting their livestock to market.

    “The new Butchery Innovation & Revitalization grants will enhance local locker operations and create good rural jobs that help feed all Iowans, our country and the world.”

    About the Butchery Innovation and Revitalization Program

    Beginning Monday, Oct. 18, Iowans can apply for funding through the new Butchery Innovation and Revitalization program opens Monday, October 18.  


    The program to strengthen Iowa’s food supply chain and rural development won unanimous approval in the Legislature earlier this year (HF 857).

    Grants of up to $50,000 will help Iowa butchers and meat processors with fewer than 50 employees. 

    Funding can be used to:

    • Rent or purchase facilities and equipment to expand capacity.
    • Start, expand or upgrade a small-scale meat processing operation, custom locker or mobile slaughter unit.

    For complete details on the program and how to apply, go to https://www.iowaeda.com/grow/butchery-innovation-revitalization.

  • Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill is good for Iowa

    We must lay the foundation for a robust and equitable recovery for all Iowans. The bipartisan infrastructure framework making its way through Congress can jumpstart our efforts.

    It’s a significant long-term investment in our infrastructure and competitiveness—something Iowa desperately needs. On its most recent infrastructure report card, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Iowa a C grade.

    The federal proposal would allow us to overhaul our critical infrastructure, build a stronger Iowa economy and improve life in every community, while creating great jobs and training students and workers with the skills they need to do those jobs.

    Here in Iowa, we’ll get to:

    • Repair and rebuild our roads and bridges. Iowa has 4,571 bridges and more than 403 miles of highway in poor condition. Commute times are on the rise, and expenses are going up for care repairs and other costs of driving on bad roads.

    • Improve transportation options. Iowans who take public transportation spend an extra 30% of their time commuting via transit vehicles that are often past their useful life. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework will allow us to modernize and expand transportation options Iowans need.

    • Strengthen infrastructure for 21st Century challenges, such as cyber-attacks and extreme weather events. From 2010 to 2020, Iowa had 32 extreme weather events, costing the state tens of billions in damages. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework aims to improve the resiliency of our infrastructure and support disaster recovery.

    • Deliver clean drinking water. Over the next 20 years, Iowa’s drinking water infrastructure will require $7.9 billion in additional funding. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework will invest in clean, safe drinking water for all communities, and eliminate lead service lines and pipes.

    • Connect every American to reliable broadband. 13.4% of Iowans live in areas where there is no access to high-speed Internet, and 61% have only one broadband option. The Framework will bring universal, reliable, high-speed, affordable service to every Iowa neighborhood.

  • Wahls: Labor movement is a pillar of America

    Cedar Rapids Gazette, 9/6/2021
    By Sen. Zach Wahls

    Since the New Deal, the Democratic Party has been defined by our dual commitment to civil rights and workers’ rights, the twin pillars of democratic politics in America. This Labor Day, workers across America will commemorate and celebrate the struggles, sacrifice and advancement of the labor movement, whose victories benefit every American. In addition, this Labor Day is a reminder to the Iowa Democratic Party about the importance of returning to our roots of prairie populism.

    While much of the focus on Labor Day rests on the rights secured by the labor movement, another way of looking at this progress is through the lens of responsibility. Over time, the labor movement has changed how our country considers the responsibilities of employers and governments. And the labor movement has taught us about the responsibilities we owe to each other and to the greater good.

    Our nation’s 18-month battle with COVID-19 has underscored the importance of strong workplace protections for every Iowan and continues to remind us that we all truly are in this together. Americans from all walks of life have learned and been reminded of the powerful lesson from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that we are all “caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

    Dr. King’s words foreshadowed a lesson from Sen. Tom Harkin, and his late colleague Sen. Paul Wellstone, that, “We all do better, when we all do better.” I couldn’t agree with these sentiments more, and these values are why I am so proud to be a leader in the Democratic Party. These are Labor values, and these are Iowa values.

    The Republican Party has recently started claiming they are the party of working people. But let’s look at the facts; when Republicans took power in Iowa, they wasted no time passing an agenda meant to hollow out the middle class. Gov. Kim Reynolds and legislative Republicans passed laws to gut collective bargaining rights, slash wages for union and non-union workers alike, and even to increase property taxes on middle class families.

    That’s not a party of working people. That’s not a party that treats Iowans fairly or rewards hard work. That’s not a party that believes in the Scripture that tells us “from those to whom much is given, much is expected.”

    The difference between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party is simple: the Democratic Party believes in fairness for every Iowan. We believe in improving the quality of life for all people, not just those at the top. We believe that we all do better when we all have great public schools, have affordable health care, and are members of strong and caring communities.

    The Republican Party believes you’re on your own. Period.

    The Republican mentality works for those at the top, but not for the people whose blood, sweat, and tears built this country and whose sacrifices ensured the rights and freedoms we will all be celebrating on Labor Day.

    The Democratic Party is at a unique moment in our party’s history. The lessons of COVID-19 are universal and speak to fundamental, democratic truths: no man is an island, we are all in this together, and we all do better when we all do better. These are guiding principles of the labor movement that built the American Middle Class. These are the roots of the Iowa Democratic Party’s progressive prairie populism. And they are the most promising path for our future.

    I hope you and your family have a safe, responsible, and healthy Labor Day.

    Zach Wahls of Coralville is the Democratic leader in the Iowa Senate.

    https://www.thegazette.com/opinion/wahls-labor-movement-is-a-pillar-of-america/

  • Labor Day: Hard-working Iowans deserve better

    On Labor Day, let’s renew our commitment to Iowa’s working families.

    When you put in a 40-hour work week, your contributions should be valued enough that you can make ends meet and provide opportunities for your family.

    Hard-working Iowans have faced a lot of challenges in recent years—wages that don’t keep up with inflation, a lack of child care options and a pandemic that has upended everything. Statehouse Republicans have added to worker woes with attacks on bargaining rights, workplace health and safety protections, and resources for out-of-work Iowans.

    The result? Workforce challenges, a child care shortage, a maternal health crisis, small businesses that still have not recovered from the pandemic and more.

    Iowans continue to fight for an economy that works for all of us. This year, you succeeded by fending off multiple proposals to reduce help for Iowans who lost jobs through no fault of their own during a global pandemic and record-high unemployment.

    Working Iowans, the engine of our economy, said, “We deserve better,” and defeated this mean-spirited legislation.

    Senate Democrats’ Build Back Better plan this year made a variety of proposals to help all Iowans get back on their feet, return life to normal as quickly and safely as possible, and rebuild our economy. The plan included an Essential Workers Bill of Rights and would have positioned Iowa for long-term economic growth. Unfortunately, Governor Reynolds and Republicans in the legislature chose not to work with us on these common-sense proposals.

    We still have a lot to do to ensure a fair shake for Iowans who punch the clock every day.

  • Community colleges help workers, economy rebound

    Community colleges are well-positioned to help Iowans and our economy bounce back from the pandemic.

    Since 1964, Iowa’s community colleges have provided education, training and services to students, businesses and communities throughout the state. As times change, so do our community colleges—always adapting to meet local needs.

    This year, the Legislature boosted support that will help our community colleges continue doing just that.

    As businesses and industries look to fully re-open, they’re struggling to find the workers they need to fill well-paying jobs. Iowans may be eager to apply, but often lack the specific skills required. That’s where community colleges come in.

    Looking for a better career? Now is a great time to contact your local community college about current education, training and financial aid opportunities.

    Last Dollar Scholarship

    In particular, you may benefit from a big increase to the state-funded Future Ready Last Dollar Scholarship, which covers a qualifying student’s tuition and fees not met by other federal and state grants and scholarships.

    To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:

    • Be Iowa residents
    • Enroll in an eligible program of study
    • Have applied for all other available financial aid
    • Plan to earn a credential for a high-demand job

    Iowa’s community colleges offer a variety of eligible programs, including welding, building trades, information technology, business and health care careers. Depending on the area of study, you can earn a credential in anywhere from 15 weeks to two years.

    Community college resources

    Learn about all career-training programs eligible for the Last Dollar Scholarship at futurereadyiowa.gov/college-list.

    There’s still time to apply for financial aid for the 2021-2022 school year. Go to studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid, and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by August 1.

    See what community college leaders had to say on a recent episode of Iowa PBS’ Iowa Press about how they’re helping Iowa students, businesses and our economy right now: youtu.be/xweuAegc3zA.

  • 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-

  • Our COVID Recovery Plan

    Iowans have been through a lot over the last year, particularly with the pandemic. It’s not over yet, but it is time for the Legislature to do all it can to help Iowa build back better, bigger and stronger than ever.

    My focus this session is on a four-part plan to help Iowa rebound from the ravages of the last year. Senate Democrats’ COVID Recovery Plan aims to:

    1. Defeat COVID-19 by rolling out vaccines to all Iowans as efficiently as possible. Our country has surpassed 400,000 deaths and is expected to hit the 500,000-fatality mark in February. With no time to waste, we should use some of the state’s budget surplus to get emergency funding to county health departments to speed up distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations and contact tracing.

    2. Help hurting Iowans. The pandemic has sickened Iowa workers and shuttered businesses throughout the state. The good news is that we have ample resources to:

    • Support struggling small businesses with direct grants and forgivable loans.
    • Help cities, counties and school districts bounce back from a tough year.
    • Assist food banks that are serving an increasing number of Iowans in need.
    • Exempt federal unemployment payments from state taxes.  

    3. Build back better by focusing on critical needs. This includes:

    • Developing an Essential Workers Bill of Rights that guarantees better pay and stronger workplace protections.
    • Keeping local small businesses that are part of the very fabric of our communities.
    • Expanding access to affordable child care throughout the state.
    • Investing in high-speed Internet that will make every corner of Iowa a great place to live, learn and work.

    4. Ensure accountability. An independent, blue-ribbon COVID Commission with representatives from all sectors of our economy should be given broad subpoena and investigative powers. Iowans deserve to know where their hard-earned tax dollars are going as we recover from this pandemic. The knowledge we gain will help us better prepare for future emergencies.

    Senate Democrats are currently putting together the bills that will help achieve the goals of this four-part plan.

    RELATED LEGISLATION

    Vaccinating Iowans

    • Emergency funding to county health departments to speed up distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations and contact tracing {SF 199}.

    Helping hurting Iowans

    • Using our budget surplus and the economic emergency funds to support struggling small businesses on Main Street with direct grants {SF 325}.
    • Support food banks and other efforts  to address growing food insecurity in Iowa {SF 153; SF 157; SF 273}
    • Exempt the first $10,200 in federal and state unemployment payments from state taxes {SF 290}.

    Building Back Better

    • An Essential Workers’ Bill of Rights, including:
    • Requiring employers to provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for eligible employees. {SF 137}.
    • Provide hazard pay to essential workers exposed to the risk of COVID-19 {SF 412}.
    • Providing whistleblower protections for employees who file a complaint due to risk of contracting COVID-19 in the workplace {SF 471}.
    • Expanding access to child care {SF 437; SF 177; SF 186}.
    • Expanding access to preschool {SF 189}. 

    Blue-Ribbon COVID Commission

    • The Commission would help us understand state government’s mistakes and failures, investigate negligence or profiteering in the private sector, and show us how to better prepare for future pandemic {SF 519}.

  • The Truth about Iowa Unemployment

    Statement by Senator Herman C. Quirmbach, D-Ames:

    “The headline today from the Reynolds administration of 4.7% unemployment in Iowa wildly underrepresents the dire current unemployment situation in Iowa.  A truer unemployment number would be 12.3%.

    “What the Iowa Workforce Development press release says up top is that there were 76,600 unemployed Iowans this September.  That is up from 48,700 unemployed in September a year ago.  That is a 57. 3% increase in the number of unemployed in just 12 months.  That would be bad enough, but the full story is much worse.

    “Only in the fine print at the bottom of the news release do you get the full picture.  In addition to the 76,600 unemployed workers, there are another 138,400 Iowans who have left the labor force in the last 12 months.  If all those people were also still looking for jobs, the unemployment rate would be 12.3%.

    “Here’s how people quitting looking skews the unemployment number.  The way unemployment is calculated is a little strange.  If you lost your job and are looking for a new one, you are counted as unemployed.  However, if you lost your job and have gotten so discouraged about your prospects that you have given up even looking, you are no longer counted as unemployed.  Indeed, you aren’t even counted as being in the labor force!  You’re called a ‘discouraged worker’ and become invisible to IWD when it computes the unemployment rate.

    “During the year, there is always some degree of churn in the labor force.  Older folks retire.  Young folks get out of school and look for a first job.  New parents leave and then reenter the labor force around the period when their kids are young.  People move in and out of the state.

    “But a loss of 138,400 workers is not normal churn.  That’s a loss of nearly 8% of the workforce—not quite 1 of every 12 workers—in just 12 months!  If job prospects were better, most of them would still be at least looking.

    “The Iowa economy will not recover until we crush the coronavirus.  And that won’t happen until we get serious about masks, widespread testing, and contact tracing.   Instead Governor Reynolds obstinately refuses to follow the White House Coronavirus Task Force recommendation to mandate masks.  With COVID-19 cases surging—nearly 7,700 in the last week, per the New York Times—contact tracing is unmanageable, even if Iowa were seriously trying, which we are not. 

    “Until the Reynolds administration is willing to commit to a serious effort to end the pandemic, Iowa businesses, Iowa consumers, and Iowa workers will continue to suffer.  No amount of rosy press releases and misleading claims will do the trick.”

    -end-

    Senator Quirmbach holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Princeton and taught as an economics professor at ISU for 29 years.