~by Iowa House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst
February 18, 2024
The Iowa Legislature hit the first deadline of session last week, known as the funnel, and it means we’re almost halfway done with the 2024 session.
It’s no secret the first weeks of session have been marked by politics, frustration, and division. That’s because most of the bills brought up by the Governor and key lawmakers are things Iowans don’t actually want: cutting mental health and disability services through Area Education Agencies (AEAs), legalizing discrimination, and even arming teachers.
There are some commonsense bills that have cleared the first deadline – like price caps for insulin drugs, expanding preschool, and raising pay for teachers and education professionals – but it’s far short of what should be done by now.
The sad truth is the politics and division this session have pushed too many bills that would improve the lives of Iowans to the backburner.
It’s been a disappointing start, but there’s still time to refocus our efforts on the issues Iowans tell us are important to them. That includes lowering costs, investing in public schools, protecting reproductive freedom, and legalizing marijuana for adult use.
Here are a few bills we should get to work on for the second half of session that will make a difference in the lives of Iowans:
Lowering Costs – We should make childcare more affordable and expand Iowa’s tax-free holiday in August to two weeks so families have some more money in their pockets. We should also create more affordable housing, raise the minimum wage, and freeze tuition at state universities for all four years for every incoming freshman class.
Investing in Public Schools – Legislative leaders have already missed the deadline required by law to set funding for public schools. It puts school leaders in a big pinch as they are working on the budget for next year without knowing what their actual funding will be. While the House is at least working on a school funding bill, Senate leaders have done nothing. Adding to the budget uncertainty is the Governor’s AEA bill that could strip away millions from schools or require them to create new services for kids with learning or physical disabilities that are now available through AEAs.
Reproductive Freedom – We’ve already introduced bills to make birth control accessible through a pharmacist without a prescription and extend Medicaid postpartum coverage to 12 months. With overwhelming support from Iowans, we should also guarantee reproductive freedom by adding it to Iowa’s Constitution.
Legalizing Marijuana – Most neighboring states have already legalized marijuana for adult recreational use and it’s time for Iowa to do the same. We’ve got a bill already filed that will ensure product safety, stop our tax dollars from going to neighboring states, improve the quality of life for Iowans suffering from chronic illnesses, and stop wasting state resources to unfairly punish Iowans.
All of these ideas have support from a solid majority of Iowans, so that’s what we should be working on this session. We can’t afford to let the special interests or politics push them off any longer.
I’m committed to listening to Iowans and working together to improve their lives. Making progress before the session adjourns in mid-April requires putting the culture wars aside and passing the help that Iowans are asking for.
It’s about putting people over politics.
