Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • Why Iowa needs to end civil statute of limitations for child sex abuse

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    Tell Iowa lawmakers to end the civil statute of limitations for child sex abuse.

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    Iowa gets a failing grade when it comes to protecting children from sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Advocates say Iowa can do better by eliminating the civil statute of limitations. Legislation to do that has already been written and could be passed before the 2022 legislative session ends.

    Senate File 32 would remove the civil statute of limitations for people who were abused as minors. Making this change would allow more sexual assault survivors to come forward as adults and seek justice.

    Kylie’s story

    Iowa native Kylie DeWees – victim, advocate and law student

    Iowa needs stronger laws

    Reforming the statute of limitations can help expose hidden predators in our communities and protect more kids from becoming victims.

    According to ChildUSAdvocacy, one in five girls and one in 13 boys are sexually assaulted before they turn 18, but under current Iowa law, those victims are barred from seeking civil damages against their abuser the day they turn 19.

    So far, 27 states have changed their laws to provide an opportunity for justice once a victim has matured and is able to confront their abuser, and 17 states have completely eliminated their statute of limitations for child sex abuse.

    Iowa needs Senate File 32 to stop abusers and punish the institutions that protect them.

    Learn more

  • Delta surge is result of failed GOP leadership

    Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls:

    “Iowans deserve a fair redistricting process, without interference from politicians, and without partisan amendments.”

    “Iowa’s historic $100 million investment in affordable housing was made possible by President Biden and Rep. Cindy Axne. Thank you!”

    “We are in this dangerous delta surge because of failed leadership from Iowa Republicans. They rejected $95 million to protect our students, have embraced vaccine skepticism, and continue to ignore our responsibilities to each other.”

    COMPLETE REMARKS

    DES MOINES—In today’s weekly press availability, Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls (D-Coralville) delivered the following remarks, as prepared for delivery:

    “It’s been a big news week here in Iowa, and next week may be even bigger. First, on redistricting, I want to reiterate our commitment: Iowans deserve a fair redistricting process, without interference from politicians, and without partisan amendments. Senate Democrats will support a plan that meets those criteria. We stridently oppose any efforts by legislative Republicans and the Governor to attack democracy and rig redistricting in their favor.

    “Additionally, this week we saw Governor Reynolds attempt to take credit for the $100 million investment in Iowa’s affordable housing. Let’s be 100% clear. Governor Reynolds gave a TV interview opposing this bill. Every single Republican in Iowa’s congressional delegation voted against this bill. Iowa’s historic $100 million investment in affordable housing was made possible by President Biden and Representative Cindy Axne and the Democratic Party. Thank you!

    “Next, yesterday, President Biden announced crucial measures that give Iowans a clear choice if they work for a large employer: get vaccinated or participate in weekly testing. And once again, we’re seeing failed leadership from Iowa Republicans. We are in this dangerous delta surge because of failed leadership from Iowa Republicans. They rejected $95 million to protect our students, have embraced vaccine skepticism, and continue to ignore our responsibilities to each other. Governor Reynolds should pick up the phone and call President Biden today to get our $95 million back to Iowa to protect our students. Yesterday, the Gazette reported that most new COVID-19 cases are among children. The Register reported that our hospitals are filling up. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue, and it never has been. This is about public health and protecting the lives of Iowans. Other Republican Governors have learned from their mistakes. It’s time for Governor Reynolds to start learning from her mistakes and stop putting her party politics over public health.

    “Finally, to close, tomorrow we will commemorate the twentieth anniversary of 9/11. I will never forget walking into my elementary school on that crisp autumn morning and watching on the television as our nation was attacked. For my entire generation, our lives changed forever. I will never forget the fear and anger and confusion that I felt — or the sense of unity and pride as we learned the stories of heroism from first responders and everyday Americans on that trying day, from Flight 93 to the Pentagon to Ground Zero.

    Twenty years later, the ideals of this great country endure. Despite the enormous challenges we continue to face today, we know that what makes our country strong is our commitment to each other to work through the hard times so we can enjoy the good ones. The same spirit of mutual responsibility and shared destiny that we all felt on the morning of September 11, 2001 is still with us today and is more important than ever.”

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  • 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.

  • Iowa Republicans own Delta surge

    Thursday, September 2, new conference statement from Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls:

    “COVID isn’t going away because Kim Reynolds and Iowa Republicans aren’t doing anything to make it go away. Our return to normal continues to be pushed further and further into the future because Republicans continue to fail to do anything to stop the spread of the Delta variant.

    “The Governor and the Republican legislature have made clear: they own every missed class, every canceled football game, every missed day of work caring for a sick child, every closed business. The Iowa Republican ban on local communities following public health advice was a mistake. And rather than learning from their mistakes, Iowa Republicans are gambling with the safety and health of Iowa children. They are doubling down on a bad hand. They own the Delta Surge.

    “Governor Reynolds, you can make a big difference in Iowa’s fight against COVID. Stop telling Iowans what to do and just let Iowans make their own decisions about the health and safety of their local school children, and their communities.

    “If we have learned anything about the fight against COVID-19, it’s that one-size-fits-all policies don’t work. We need to listen to public health experts and epidemiologists, not Republican politicians and horse de-wormer salesmen.

    “We need to allow local school leaders to save Iowa lives, especially with a new variant that is more contagious and more deadly to children. Senate Democrats will support Iowa communities and schools that democratically decide to follow the science in the fight against COVID. 

    “Governor Reynolds: stop gambling with our children’s lives. Start following the science.”

    END

  • “Governor, you need to change course” on COVID & Iowa schools

    Thursday, August 26, news conference statement by Senator Zach Wahls:

    YouTube: https://youtu.be/rdyhqj6qzQc

    Right now, Iowans want two things from our local schools.

    First, they want schools to be open, and to stay open. That’s the best way to get all Iowa kids back on track. Most kids are ready to attend school in person, with their teachers and classmates.

    Second, and this should not be controversial, Iowans want our schools to be as safe as possible. This is not an either or proposition.

    We can do both.

    Studies show that, despite the pandemic, schools allowed to respond to local conditions, can be safe for virtually all students.

    But Iowa has a problem that many other states don’t have.  Governor Reynolds has refused to let Iowa schools make the decisions necessary to protect their students, their teachers, their staff and their parents from COVID-19.

    It is a fact that her state budget, written by Republican legislators, provided zero additional dollars to fight COVID-19 in our state.

    And it is a fact that Governor Reynolds has rejected 95 million federal dollars last April to help Iowa schools reopen safely.

    Since that mistake, we’ve seen new Iowa COVID cases increase sharply. Most new cases, because of the Delta variant, which we know is more infectious than previous variants.

    And we know that Governor Reynolds signed a law banning safe mask policies in Iowa’s schools and in other public places. And when she signed that law, she was surrounded by anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists.

    The Governor’s mistakes and political posturing are endangering children and threaten to further disrupt the education of all K-12 students in Iowa.

    Governor, you need to change course. Now, there are a few ways that you should do this.

    First, Iowa’s lucky that the $95 million in rejected federal funds is still available. We can use it for detection, for vaccination, for improved air filtration and circulation systems, and other common-sense steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Iowa’s K-12 schools.

    All the governor has to do is pick up the phone, and call President Biden’s administration, and tell them that she has changed her mind.

    We need to get those federal dollars to Iowa’s schools right away. We’ve wasted enough time during this public health emergency.

    We can request the additional dollars from the CDC. That money will pay for more in-school testing and contact tracing. It will help protect kids, teachers, parents and communities from the continued spread of the Delta variant.

    Finally, the Governor should use her emergency powers to suspend the dangerous mistake that she made last May. That’s when she made it illegal for Iowa schools to make the decisions necessary to protect our communities from COVID.

    The Governor needs to focus on the science, the science.

    Ignore the dangerous nonsense from people like Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and other anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists in the Republican Party.

    Listen instead to Iowa parents. They just want their kids safely back in their local schools, learning and preparing to take their next steps in life.

    Governor, do what’s right for Iowa kids, and do it today.

    End

  • Iowans need help, not roadblocks

    For Immediate Release:  August 24, 2021  

    State Senator Janet Petersen of Des Moines has organized a joint letter to Governor Kim Reynolds urging specific steps to make Iowa schools safer.  The letter is signed by all 18 Democratic members of the Iowa State Senate.

    “Iowans are begging Governor Reynolds to keep our kids, our schools and our communities safe,” said Senator Petersen. “Other Republican Governors are working to make classrooms safe places for all children. We call on Iowa’s governor to do the same.”

    In the letter, the Senators urge Governor Reynolds to reverse her April rejection of $95 million in federal funds intended to help to reopen Iowa schools safely.  Initially aimed at testing, these federal dollars can now be used to fight COVID-19 in K-12 schools through vaccinations, testing, and upgraded air filtration systems.

    “We strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to reject Reopening Schools funding,” wrote the Senators.  “Iowans want to fight Covid, not mitigation efforts or each other. It’s time to do the right thing to lead our state and country out of this pandemic.” 

    Surprisingly, Governor Reynold’s own budget provided no new dollars to protect schoolchildren, and related federal funds have not been distributed. The Senators wrote:

    “You opted in April 2021 not to use the funds, and the situation in our state has worsened since then.  Those funds are needed more than ever by local schools who want to protect their communities. The changes since April include a dramatic increase in new cases, the Delta variant sweeping the nation and impacting more children, and your law banning safe mask policies in public places.”

    According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa currently has:

    •     The highest number of virus-related hospital admissions since January.

    •     The highest average number of positive COVID-19 cases since February, before Iowa vaccines were available.

    The letter also urges Governor Reynolds to resume daily reports of Iowa COVID cases and hospitalizations, and an end to statewide law preventing schools following CDC safety guidelines on masks and contact tracing.

    End

    Letter to Gov Reynolds from the Democratic members of the Iowa Senate

    Dear Governor Reynolds:

    Every state leader, no matter their party, should be focused on keeping our children, students and school personnel safe and healthy this year.  Iowa schools and families need our help, not roadblocks, to ensure our kids get an uninterrupted education this year.

    While your state budget provided no additional resources to protect the health and safety of children, the Biden Administration appropriated $95 million for Iowa Schools to help them safely keep their doors open. 

    We strongly urge you to use the $95 million from the American Rescue Plan dedicated to the state in the federal Reopening Schools program.  You opted in April 2021 not to use the funds, and the situation in our state has worsened since then.  Those funds are needed more than ever by local schools who want to protect their communities. The changes since April include a dramatic increase in new cases, the Delta variant sweeping the nation and impacting more children, and your law banning safe mask policies in public places.

    The latest weekly report from the Iowa Department of Public Health is quite grim:

    • The highest number of virus-related hospital admissions recorded since January.
    • The highest average number of positive COVID-19 cases since February. Even more troubling, the weekly average is higher than the same time a year ago – when vaccines were not yet available in Iowa.
    • More than 6,200 COVID deaths and more than 390,000 cases since the pandemic started.

    It is important to note that federal officials have updated the guidance to allow schools to use the funds for detection, mitigation and prevention of COVID-19 in K-12 schools, including vaccine, testing and promotion, and upgraded air filtration systems to improve air circulation.

    Additional resources, such as those from the CDC, would help schools do more testing, identify who may have COVID-19, and better protect kids, teachers, and parents from COVID-19.

    In addition, Iowans deserve access to daily reporting of COVID positive cases and hospitalizations; and local schools should not be banned from following the latest CDC safety guidelines, including masks and contact tracing.

    We strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to reject Reopening Schools funding.  Iowans want to fight Covid, not mitigation efforts or each other. It’s time to do the right thing to lead our state and country out of this pandemic. 

    Signed,

    Sen. Janet Petersen
    Sen. Tony Bisignano
    Sen. Joe Bolkcom
    Sen. Nate Boulton
    Sen. Claire Celsi
    Sen. William A. Dotzler Jr.
    Sen. Eric Giddens
    Sen. Robert Hogg
    Sen. Pam Jochum
    Sen. Kevin Kinney
    Sen. Jim Lykam
    Sen. Liz Mathis
    Sen. Herman C. Quirmbach
    Sen. Amanda Ragan
    Sen. Jackie Smith
    Sen. Todd E. Taylor
    Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott
    Sen. Zach Wahls

  • Republicans threaten safe return to school

    Statement by Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls

    As prepared for delivery on August 19, 2021:

    “You just heard from Kim Reynolds, who had an opportunity to denounce Marjorie Taylor Greene’s radical conspiracies. She didn’t do that. That’s because Kim Reynolds and Iowa Republicans are enacting MTG’s right-wing conspiracies into law right here at home.

    We can’t crush Covid and get back to normal because Governor Kim Reynolds, Senator Jack Whitver, and Iowa Republicans have embraced the far-right, fringe ideas that have consumed the Republican Party. Their policies and failed leadership have allowed for the Delta variant to spread unabated throughout our state, causing preventable deaths, sickness, stress, wage loss, and business closings.

    Republican mistakes are why parents all across Iowa are now facing extremely difficult decisions about sending their kids back to unsafe schools.

    It’s fitting the Governor announced the return of INDYCAR to Iowa today: her COVID-19 policies have our state going in circles.

    Democrats understand the importance of getting our kids safely back in schools. Getting our kids safely back in school is critical for getting our lives back to normal.

    Unfortunately, Kim Reynolds and the Republicans in the legislature are preventing our kids from returning safely to in-person school.

    Reynolds and the Republicans in the legislature have tied the hands of parents and school boards. They’ve taken away the voice of parents and local communities who want to do the right thing and protect themselves against the Delta variant.

    Republicans have created a false choice between no in-person school or extremely unsafe schools. I’ve talked to countless parents who are agonizing about sending kids back to unsafe schools, or upending their lives to keep their kids safe at home for virtual learning or home school.

    Governor Reynolds – forcing unvaccinated children back to school isn’t a plan. Continuing to ignore Covid isn’t a plan. Hoping that the Delta variant just goes away isn’t a plan. It’s reckless, it’s dangerous, and it’s putting untold numbers of children, parents, educators, and other staff at severe risk.

    When it comes to stopping Covid, Kim Reynolds is all talk, no action.

    Simply put, Republicans are to blame for the unabated spread of the Delta variant in our state. They’ve politicized mask wearing, rejected common sense safety measures, and spread outrageous conspiracy theories about the Covid vaccines.

    From day one of this crisis, they have failed to take it seriously, and Iowa continues to pay the price for their failures.”

    END

  • Survivors Network joins Petersen in call to extend statute of limitations

    We fully agree with the opinion piece written by Iowa State Senator Janet Petersen. Our applause for her willingness to champion window legislation, which will protect the vulnerable and hold child predators and the institutions who enable them accountable.

    For too long, survivors have held the entire liability for the long-term effects of the abuse they suffered. Regardless of when the crime occurred, it is time to shift the cost back where it belongs, to the perpetrator and to the organizations who covered up for them. 

    Attorney General Miller took a positive step forward and investigated the Catholic dioceses in his state, but so far, nothing has been done to hold the Church accountable for the damage it caused.

    SNAP Leaders John Chambers and Paul Koeniguer and SNAP President Tim Lennon made great efforts in Iowa in 2019. They appeared at the state’s capitol with Senator Petersen to demand legislators take the issue of much-needed SOL reform seriously. We welcome the opportunity to be invited once again to the table to discuss this critical cause.

    No boy or girl should be put at risk from known abusers. As victim stories are told and heard across the state, lawmakers should work to deliver justice to those who have been silenced for far too long. 

    When SOL laws are amended, children and communities are safer, and institutions with hidden or recycled perpetrators have a solid incentive to change their behavior.  SOL reforms help hold sexual predators accountable and instill accountability and consequences for any institution that harbors, conceals, or protects them. Reform will help ensure another child will not be the next victim, and Iowa will become a safer place. 

    Governor Reynolds and Attorney General Miller should take the proper next step on the heels of this recent investigative report and pledge their support for window legislation. Senator Petersen has demonstrated leadership in this matter, and SNAP will support survivors and advocates in Iowa who follow her lead in every way possible.

    END

    CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (mmcdonnell@snapnetwork.org,  267.261.0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (zhiner@snapnetwork.org, 517.974.9009) Tim Lennon, SNAP President (415-312-5820, tlennon@SNAPnetwork.org), Paul A. Koeniguer, SNAP Iowa (515-865-9673, Paul.koeniguer@focusfirstinc.com), John S. Chambers, SNAP Iowa (515-277-8436, jsc2597@aol.com) 

    (SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is www.snapnetwork.org)

  • 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

  • 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. 

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