Iowa Senate Democrats

Fighting for a Better Deal for Iowans.

  • Legislative Democrats’ COVID-19 Recovery Agenda

    News Release
    June 1, 2020

    Focus on Keeping Iowans Healthy and Restoring Financial Security  

    DES MOINES – Democratic lawmakers outlined their plan today to address the needs of Iowa families and business during the upcoming session of the Iowa Legislature. 

    The plan was developed by lawmakers to keep legislators focused during the final days of the 2020 session on addressing problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “Iowans have worked hard to protect each other from the spread of COVID-19 and deserve to be at the front of the line in our recovery efforts,” Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen said. “We need to stay focused on fixing the problems created by the pandemic and passing a balanced budget.”

    “In these uncertain times, the state needs to be more transparent than ever so Iowans have all the information available to protect their family, open their business, or go back to the office,” said House Democratic Leader Todd Prichard. “When session starts again on Wednesday, the Legislature must also fulfill its duty to provide oversight and make sure our Iowa tax dollars are spent wisely.” 

    In releasing the COVID recovery agenda, the two leaders also said lawmakers must work together to find solutions that balance the physical health and safety of Iowans with their need to work and put food on the table. The full agenda is below.

    COVID 19 Recovery Agenda

    Keeping Iowans Healthy 

    • Access to affordable health care, including mental health
    • Ensure universal access to COVID testing, contact tracing and PPE in all 99 counties
    • Keep hospitals and local health care clinics open 
    • Free coronavirus vaccine once available
    • Support mitigation efforts by cities, counties and emergency management commissions 
    • Prepare for fall COVID resurgence 

     Opening Businesses Safely & Protecting Workers

    • Help small businesses reopen safely and help them stay open 
    • Tests for Iowans returning to the workforce and retesting at workplaces when an employee tests positive
    • Financial security for businesses and workers with COVID positive case
    • Expand whistleblower protections and workers compensation during pandemics, including first responders and health care workers  
    • Expand protections for renters and homeowners during pandemics and severe economic downturns
    • Expand community college opportunities to help Iowans get back to work
    • Paid pandemic leave for workers to stay home when they are sick 

    Kids Learning & Growing Safely

    • Protect K-12 public education funding 
    • Provide universal access to technology and home-based internet for student
    • Provide PPE for all educators and students
    • Increase childcare services for Iowa families
    • Provide timely guidance to schools, parents and students on reopening


    COVID Transparency & Accountability 

    • Expand vote-at-home opportunities statewide
    • Oversight of Test Iowa and other no-bid contracts
    • Require immediate public notification of COVID outbreaks and end threshold reporting requirement
    • Require OSHA inspections and enforcement during health care emergencies

     –  end –

  • Petersen: Let’s give Iowans a healthier way to restart the economy

    By State Senator Janet Petersen

    Iowans have made big sacrifices to protect our families, friends and neighbors.

    Businesses have been forced to close, people were laid off, and many parents are now at-home teachers—all while keeping a distance from the kind of community and family support we count on during a crisis.

    And then there’s the lack of leadership at the top.

    Save grandma or save the economy. Save Iowans working in meatpacking plants or save protein. Protect privacy or protect virus-outbreak data. Protect health or protect freedom of religion. Save Iowa’s economy or save ourselves.

    These are false choices. Even Governor Reynolds knows it.

    Yet, the Governor and Republican legislators continue to deliver narratives that are heavy on spin and light on facts and data.

    Ignoring the warnings of health experts is more than dangerous. It’s deadly for our health and economy.

    Iowa hasn’t flattened the curve. The number of COVID-19 cases is still increasing, and nationally ranked hotspots are popping up all over the state.

    Despite the numbers and the clear warnings from health experts in Iowa and across the country, Governor Reynolds is distancing Iowans from the facts with ribbon-cutting rhetoric.

    Instead, Iowans deserve:

    COVID-19 REPORTING WE CAN TRUST: Iowans need daily access to ZIP Code-specific COVID-19 numbers. Data from the botched Test Iowa program is giving us inaccurate information on cases, deaths, hospitalizations and contact tracing. It is unacceptable that the Governor is allowing workplaces to hide COVID-19 outbreak information from employees, customers and the public. 

    ACCURATE, ACCESSIBLE & TIMELY TESTING: Nebraska legislators are calling for their Governor to put the kibosh on the failed Test Nebraska program. Governor Reynolds’s $26 million no-bid, no-results Test Iowa program is a failure. Iowans deserve access to testing and contact tracing in all 99 counties, every day. Local county health departments should be in charge of running testing and contact-tracing programs. 

    WORKPLACE & SAFETY NET POLICIES TO PREVENT SUPER-SPREAD: Keeping Iowans safe will require new policies that incentivize people to stay home instead of spread COVID-19 because they are pressured to go to work. We need a better safety net, more accountability for taxpayer dollars, and an end to sweetheart deals for campaign donors.

    SAFE ACCESS TO FOOD, HEALTH CARE & DEMOCRACY: One of the easiest ways to make sure Iowans don’t go hungry is to expand nutrition assistance programs. They help families access food, while providing business for our local grocery stores and farmers. The Legislature also should extend telemedicine parity so that Iowans can get health care no matter where they live. And we ought to access federal aid to help more Iowans safely vote from home in the November general election. 

    ACCESS TO BROADBAND & TECHNOLOGY: Finally, the first day back to school will look completely different than what we’ve seen in our lifetimes. That’s why every Iowa family and child needs access to broadband and technology. Let’s expand Iowa’s networks. It will pay off in many ways for decades to come.

    It is time to give Iowans confidence that the decisions to reopen ourbusinesses, local schools, childcare facilities, and houses of worship are based on data and common sense, not polling. Our lives and our economy depend upon it. 

    Senator Janet Petersen of Des Moines is the Senate Democratic Leader

  • Celsi: More testing, oversight needed

    For Immediate Release: May 13, 2020

    More Widespread Testing, Government Oversight is Needed in Iowa

    Des Moines, Iowa (May 13, 2020) – State Senator Claire Celsi is calling on Governor Kim Reynolds to expand testing in cooperation with other entities in order to provide a larger testing footprint in Iowa. So far, TestIowa has not delivered on its contractual promise to test at least 5,000 people per day.

    “I am hearing reports from all over the state,” said Senator Claire Celsi. “People who have significant symptoms and/or exposure to COVID-19 are not being selected to receive a test. Also, people who have been tested are still not receiving their results in a timely manner. I am calling on Governor Kim Reynolds to hold TestIowa accountable for their promises.”

    “At this point, she should not hesitate to add more testing from other entities to fill the gap,” said Celsi.   “Iowans cannot wait. Governor Reynolds is planning to open up the state. The only defense we have is knowing who has tested positive for COVID-19. We must act now to make sure our testing is adequate to protect Iowans. People want to get back to normal, but to do so safely and with confidence people can get the testing they need.”

    Many Iowans are being told to “contact their health provider” to be considered for a test. However, the providers are not able to test all people – they must meet significant criteria in order to qualify for a test. Even people who have been exposed to COVID-19 in nursing homes, jails and hospitals sometimes do not qualify.

    “Mitigation efforts will not be adequate until our state has the capacity to test, at a minimum, all symptomatic individuals as well as asymptomatic individuals with suspected COVID-19 exposure or who work in high-risk environments,” said Dr. Austin Baeth, an internal medicine physician in Des Moines. “It is widely held among epidemiologists that premature resumption of economic activity before implementing robust testing and contact tracing poses a substantial risk of resurgence of COVID-19.” 

    Lorna Truck, a retired librarian who lives in West Des Moines, wrote to Celsi recently, pleading for more testing for all who have been exposed to the COVID-19.

    “Even though there have been several confirmed cases in a long-term care facility where Lorna’s mother lives, the facility has been denied additional testing, despite Reynolds’ claim to have testing available for all residents and employees of nursing homes. We need to change that immediately,” said Celsi.

    “As Iowa moves into the next phase of reopening, our state will receive a significant amount of money from the Federal Government to boost testing and contact tracing,” said Celsi, “I urge Governor Reynolds to spend that money bolstering county public health departments and Iowa-based testing labs instead of giving more money to unproven and unsatisfactory testing companies like TestIowa.”

    Celsi suggests that eventually Iowa should be testing 10,000 people per day and that number should include all Iowans who request a test as well as a significant sampling of asymptomatic people to monitor the spread and activity level of COVID19. Moving toward fall when many expect schools to reopen, this knowledge will be essential information for workers, students and all services that support school districts, like transportation and food service.

    Senator Celsi is a member of the Senate Government Oversight Committee.  She plans to ask the Iowa Senate’s Republican leadership to hold a committee meeting dedicated to the TestIowa $26 million no-bid contract.  The meeting would focus on recovering the state funds given to TestIowa or requiring TestIowa to use different, more effective equipment to fulfill the terms of their contract.

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  • Petersen: Need transparency in fight against COVID-19

    By Janet Petersen, Iowa Senate Democratic leader

    When trouble hits our state, Iowans want leaders who talk straight and make sure all Iowans can be part of the solution.

    That’s true when we are helping fellow Iowans recover from flooding, tornadoes and other natural disasters. And it’s certainly true of our efforts to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

    If we are not all pulling in the same direction, that hurts everyone.

    Last fall, I had a conversation with a member of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ team who was refusing to invite lawmakers to attend a Maternal Health Summit to discuss such dangerous trends as labor and delivery departments shuttering across the state at record speed.

    I reminded him, “You are the Department of Public Health, not the Department of Private Health.”

    Like many Iowans, I was frustrated. I could see our health care infrastructure crumbling, and the Reynolds administration was continuing its alarming pattern of not sharing information.

    Since the for-profit privatized Medicaid program began, Iowa’s health care infrastructure has taken a beating. Iowa’s nursing homes, rural hospitals, ambulance services and public transportation services, and mental health providers were already financially reeling before COVID-19 crossed our state’s borders.

    The onset of this pandemic was like pouring lighter fluid on Iowa’s financially shaky health care system. In this perfect storm, the virus could trigger a wider health care disaster.

    It’s impacted our everyday lives, our jobs, our paychecks, our education, and our future.  It’s gone from being a public health crisis to a full-blown economic crisis, too.

    Fortunately, Iowans want to be part of the solution. That requires more Iowans knowing what is going on.  We deserve straightforward leadership that includes timely, accurate data, and clear directions.

    Iowa should take lessons from leaders in states who are doing things right.

    Governors who have been clear in their message and have had tough conversations with the people they represent about what to do to beat the virus are seeing better results. Most important, they’ve acted quickly to save lives, knowing that time matters.

    Leaders shouldn’t keep people in the dark. There is no reason to withhold knowledge of COVID-19 cases from Iowans who share the same living space or workspace with those infected. Iowa families with relatives in nursing facilities and meatpacking plants deserve to know immediately if their loved ones are being exposed.

    Iowans are frustrated that Reynolds is basing her decision-making on a “mystery model” instead of the scientific modeling that other states are using, especially when they are seeing better results elsewhere.

    Iowans deserve to know the governor’s plan for testing. The lack of widespread testing may give some a false belief that COVID-19 is not going to hit our state as hard as it has hit other states. The truth is that the continued lack of widespread testing and contact tracing puts us at greater risk than states with more aggressive testing measures.

    Our continued shortage of personal protective equipment should have more Iowans sounding the alarm because it’s putting our front-line workforce in danger.

    Overcoming the COVID-19 crisis will not be simple, but we can get there sooner with bold leadership, better information, and more confidence that everything possible is being done to protect the health and safety of all Iowans.

    Iowans want to be part of the solution. We want to help our front-line workforce. We want to protect our friends and neighbors. Most important, we want more sunshine, especially from the governor and her team.

  • Coronavirus comes to Iowa

    This post was last updated on March 17, 2020.
    For our latest COVID-19 updates, information and resources, go to wp.me/p8aBRy-7oW.

    Iowa news on coronavirus

    Legislators are receiving regular updates from state officials on coronavirus within Iowa.

    It is normal to be concerned, especially with reports of illness and death, so we want to keep you posted on cases of COVID-19 and the state’s response.

    At this time, 29 presumptive cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the following countied: Adair, Allamakee, Black Hawk, Carroll, Dallas, Harrison Johnson, Polk and Pottawatomie. The initial cases were people who had traveled to affected areas, but community spread is happening within Iowa.

    How is the state responding?

    The Governor has proclaimed a disaster emergency.

    Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and their health care partners are doing what they are trained to do to protect the patients, themselves and the community. That includes:

    ** Upon discovery of the existence of substantial community spread of COVID-19 in the state, Gov. Reynolds is recommending that Iowa schools close for four weeks.

    ** The State Hygienic Laboratory is equipped to test for cases of 2019 novel coronavirus in Iowa residents.

    ** The State Emergency Operations Center is collaborating with state agencies to respond.

    ** The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is prepared to step up response efforts as needed.

    ** The University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa have dedicated web pages with their updates and are moving to virtual instruction.

    ** The Long-Term Care Ombudsman notes that many facilities are limiting visitation, but communication with loved ones will be available via phone, Facetime, Skype, etc. Concerns may be directed to the Ombudsman’s office at 866-236-1430.

    According to IDPH, relevant information is being provided to schools, child cares, businesses, health providers, long-term care providers, emergency medical personnel, law enforcement and local public health partners.

    ** The Department of Corrections is not allowing visitors at its prisons. Find all of the DOC’s updates related to this pandemic at doc.iowa.gov/COVID19 . 

    There is a mandatory disease reporting order in place for COVID-19. This means all providers must report positive results to IDPH for public health surveillance and monitoring. Case numbers are updated regularly and IDPH releases those details to the public.

    What is COVID-19?

    Coronavirus is a respiratory illness. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath, appearing two to 14 days after exposure. There is no current specific treatment for COVID-19, but efforts are underway to evaluate potential therapeutics and vaccines.

    How it can spread

    ** Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet), via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. People are likely most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest).

    ** By touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

    ** Early on, many of the patients in the outbreak reportedly had some link to a large seafood and animal market, suggesting a potential animal-to-person spread. But chances are slim that pets or livestock could contract coronavirus.

    How to prevent spread

    ** Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

    ** Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

    ** Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

    ** Stay home when you are sick.

    ** Cover your mouth with your upper arm or tissue when coughing or sneezing.

    ** Disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

    What precautions should you take?

    ** Go about your normal routine, but plan what you will do if you or a loved one gets sick. What would you do if you could not go to work or school because of illness? What if your daycare provider was ill? How would you get groceries if you were ill?

    ** Travelers returning from a country where COVID-19 is spreading—currently China, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea—are encouraged to voluntarily self-isolate for 14 days following their return. If you need to seek medical care, call ahead to your doctor’s office.

    ** Call 911 if you need immediate medical attention.

    Further information

    COVID-19 Fact Sheet

    2019 Novel Coronavirus FAQ

    Talking to Children about COVID-19

    Latest from the CDC: Coronavirus.Gov

    Latest from the Iowa Public Dept of Public Health on Coronavirus

    Do you still have questions?

    ** Call the 211 Helpline. It’s available 24/7. Anyone can call with questions.

    ** Call your county public health office. Find their contact info.

    ** Call 911 if you need immediate medical attention.

    Upon discovery of the existence of substantial community spread of COVID-19 in the state, Gov. Reynolds is recommending that Iowa schools close for four weeks. 



  • Oversight meeting needed on state use of cloud-based software

  • Better tracking of rape kits

    By State Sen. Rich Taylor, Mt Pleasant (Senate District 42)

    New tracking system will offer victims greater transparency and accountability

    Victims of sexual assault will have more complete and timely information about their cases under a bill that has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee.

    Under SF 2376, the Attorney General’s Crime Victim Assistance Division will develop an automated tracking system for sexual assault evidence kits. The system will allow victims, county attorneys and certain others to track the location and status of a kit.

    Here’s how the system works:

    The crime lab enters information on new, unused kits, and documents when a kit is sent to a health care provider. Within 48 hours of receiving a kit, the health care provider will log its receipt in the system. When victims of sexual assault consent to a forensic medical exam and to having the evidence preserved, the health care provider will contact law enforcement, who will collect and store the kit.

    The location of the kit will be updated each step of the way, including when a kit is sent to the lab for testing and when results are complete. Victims will have decision-making ability throughout the process.

    Iowa’s Victim Compensation Fund will pay for any health-care related costs for the exams and for the lab fee.

  • Child protections cannot wait

    If we want to protect Iowa kids from abuse, neglect and potential death, it’s time to provide adequate funding for the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS). That is the #1 takeaway from a heartbreaking report released by the State Ombudsman this week.

    It’s clear many mistakes were made in how DHS handled child-abuse reports about Natalie Finn, a West Des Moines teen who died in October 2016 following years of abuse and neglect.

    In “A Tragedy of Errors: An Investigation of the Death of Natalie Finn,” the Ombudsman makes several recommendations—some of which DHS has already implemented—including:

    • Thoroughly review DHS’s child-abuse intake operations.
    • Keep records of child-abuse reports and assessments for longer periods so that patterns can be identified.
    • Require intake workers to read their notes back to callers reporting abuse over the phone to ensure accuracy.
    • Train field workers on legal tools available to them when faced with resistance from parents.
    • Provide resources to help child-abuse workers cope with their job-related stresses.

    Increasing funding is a must if we’re going to give these workers the support, resources and numbers they need in the critical task of protecting our most vulnerable children. The number of child-abuse intake workers at DHS has not increased since 2011, but reports of abuse have.

    The death of Natalie and other children in our foster system has prompted many Iowans to be more vigilant. According to the Ombudsman’s report, child-abuse call volumes and accepted intakes have increased significantly. Already over-taxed field workers saw their caseloads go up 36 percent between 2016 and 2018, and the centralized child-abuse intake unit is strained.

    As we begin hammering out the state budget, we will be fighting for these workers and kids. Ensuring protections for vulnerable Iowans will always be a top priority.

  • Tax-hike proposal violates Iowans’ trust

    Iowans made clear their support for our natural resources and recreational opportunities at the ballot box, but Governor Reynolds is now threatening to shortchange them (SSB 3116/HSB 657).

    In 2010, voters approved a Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund to be filled with a portion of state sales tax if the sales tax was increased. Governor Reynolds now wants to raise the sales tax, but is reneging on the agreed-to amount for natural resources and recreation.

    Iowans intended for at least $200 million a year in new money to go to natural resources and recreation, but the Governor’s sleight of hand will provide only $82 million in new funding, according to the Iowa Fiscal Partnership.

    Prior to the 2010 election, state legislators established how money would be generated and distributed so that Iowans knew in advance exactly what they were committing to when they voted for a constitutional amendment creating the trust fund.

    Although the idea was to beef up spending with new funding where it was sorely needed, the Governor’s plan ignores voters’ intent, and instead moves around money in existing programs. The result? Our land and water will get only about two-fifths of what was promised from the sales-tax increase.

    We will continue to listen to Iowans and push for changes to the Governor’s proposal as it makes its way through the legislative process.

    Learn more about what voters approved at iowaswaterandlandlegacy.org.

    Read the Iowa Fiscal Partnership’s analysis at iowafiscal.org/breaking-trust-with-the-trust.

  • Don’t hurt Iowans with another tax shift

    Iowans deserve a tax system that works for all of us. Unfortunately, many Iowans believe the current system is rigged against them. The proposed tax changes Governor Reynolds floated in her Condition of the State Address are a good example of why.

    The Governor’s plan is a tax shift that will have a big impact on the pocketbooks of Iowa families. Three in four Iowans likely will see a tax increase. Low-income Iowans and those on a fixed income will be hardest hit.

    Iowa’s current tax system already places a higher burden on lower-income Iowans than on the wealthiest. The Governor’s proposal makes the situation worse.

    Senate Democrats will assess any tax bill on four key principles:

    • Tax reform must be fair. According to the Iowa Policy Project, when all state and local taxes are accounted for, Iowa’s lowest income earners pay the largest portion of their income in taxes. Changes to Iowa’s tax system should address this situation, not make the problem worse.

    • Tax reform must simplify Iowa’s tax code to highlight our state’s true competitiveness. Iowa’s tax code is a confusing collection of credits, deductions and exemptions that do not accurately reflect the cost of living and doing business in Iowa. Our tax rates appear to be among the highest in the nation, but according to the Tax Foundation, taxes paid by Iowans rank our state in the middle of the pack.

    • Tax reform must fit our budget situation. Iowa, under Republican control, has not approved enough funding for state government to meet the needs of Iowans. Let’s not repeat the mistakes of states such as Kansas, which passed massive tax cuts that have resulted in an ongoing budget crisis and cuts to essential services.

    Tax reform must examine corporate tax credits. Under Republican control, the state has slashed funding for vital programs that serve some of our most vulnerable Iowans, while corporate tax credits have been exempt from cuts. We must determine if corporate tax credits offer a good return on investment and benefit Iowans, not just the few businesses that receive them.