The Iowa Legislature gaveled in yesterday, Monday, January 13, for the first day of session. All returning and newly elected House and Senate members convened at the Capitol for the first year of the 91st General Assembly.
Opening Week
The first day of session featured leadership speeches and procedural business. Speeches from Iowa governmental leaders will continue, and the major highlights and takeaways will be published in our legislative update at the end of the week.
The following addresses can be live streamed on Iowa PBS, and links to transcriptions will be added as they become available.
- Governor Kim Reynolds will deliver the Condition of the State on Tuesday, January 14, at 5 p.m.
- Chief Justice Susan Christensen will deliver the Condition of the Judiciary on Wednesday, January 15, at 10 a.m.
- Major General Stephen E. Osborn, Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, will deliver the Condition of the Guard on Thursday, January 16, at 10 a.m.
State of Iowa Budget Outlook
Decreased revenue projections are expected to influence legislation and appropriations this session. In the December 2024 meeting, the Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) provided an estimate of expected state revenues for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. At this meeting, the REC projected state revenues to come in at approximately $8.7 billion, which is less than the previous state budget of $8.9 billion. The REC expressed that a decrease in revenue was expected, largely driven by the tax cuts passed by the legislature. In a statement on the projections, Governor Kim Reynolds said:
“The REC projections are what we expected due to our responsible, growth-oriented fiscal stewardship. The State of Iowa will end Fiscal Year 2024 with a balance of $2.05 billion in the General Fund, $961.2 million in reserve funds and $3.75 billion in the Taxpayer Relief Fund.”
Governor Kim Reynolds is required to use this latest estimate as the basis for the budget she submits to the Iowa Legislature this month. The Appropriations committees in both chambers will begin to work on the numbers in her budget with the goal of delivering a budget for her signature within the next 110 days of the legislative session.
Major 2025 Topics – First Week Agenda
Caucuses have set priorities for 2025 in their leadership addresses. With this being the first year of the General Assembly, we anticipate many new bill introductions. At this time, we expect the 2025 session to include legislation related to property taxes, education reform, government efficiency, childcare, and affordable housing.
On Monday, the leaders below presented their 2025 priorities.
Iowa House of Representatives
House Speaker Pat Grassley
Speaker Pro Tempore John Wills
Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst
Majority Leader Matt Windschitl
Iowa Senate
Majority Leader Jack Whitver
Senate President Amy Sinclair
Democratic Leader Janice Weiner
Ahead of session, caucus leadership determined committee assignments for their respective memberships. See the Iowa Legislative website for the full list of committee assignments.
Legislative Timetable
The 2025 Iowa Legislative is slated for 110 days. The full 2025 Session Timetable can be found here.
