DES MOINES — With the next legislative session roughly four months away — but the next election just more than four weeks away — Democrats in the Iowa House on Thursday unveiled their top lawmaking priorities for 2025.
Democrats have been the minority party in the Iowa House since 2011.
Since 2017, Iowa Republicans have set the state lawmaking agenda with their majorities in both the Iowa House and Senate alongside Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds.
Iowa Rep. Jennifer Konfrst, a Democrat from Windsor Heights and leader of the House Democrats, said during a virtual news conference Thursday that the caucus chose to publicly highlight their top legislative priorities to show Iowa voters what lawmaking actions they will take in the 2025 session.
“The reason we’re putting forward these four issues with 40 days to go is that we believe strongly that Iowans deserve to know what we stand for before they go to the ballot box,” Konfrst said. “You’re going to see a lot of information out there on TV and mailboxes, etc., but we want to speak directly to voters and tell you, ‘If we’re given the opportunity to lead, we’re going to listen to you.’”
The four issues House Democrats say they plan to address: lowering costs of health care, food, child care and utility bills; loosening recently enacted restrictions on abortion; investing more state money in public schools; and legalizing marijuana.
Konfrst said all four issues have the support of a majority of Iowans in public polling.
“The bills that we pass, the priorities that we have will be the priorities of Iowans,” Konfrst said. “And that’s what’s driving our message here. That’s what’s driving our policy: Iowans are. So we think it’s important that we put forward what we stand for. We’re proud of what we stand for.”
House Democrats said they would accomplish their four legislative goals by:
- Capping health care costs, expanding access to mental health care, focusing tax cuts on working families rather than large businesses, creating more affordable housing options and access to affordable child care. The Democrats did not point to specific legislation or actions that would accomplish these goals.
- Overturning the recently enacted state law that bans abortions once cardiac activity can be detected, which typically is at the sixth week of pregnancy, usually before the parent is aware of the pregnancy. By repealing the ban, state law would return to a ban on abortions at 20 weeks of pregnancy, House Democrats said. Also by adding a guaranteed right to abortion access in the Iowa Constitution by starting a constitutional amendment, and protecting access to infertility treatments like in vitro fertilization and birth control.
- Increasing state general funding to public schools to “keep up with rising costs,” raise pay for all educators, end bans on certain books in public schools, and repeal the state’s new taxpayer-funded assistance for families of private school students.
- Legalizing and regulating marijuana for recreational use.
“These are issues that are reflected and supported by more than 50 percent of Iowans — not just Democrats, but all Iowans — who want the Legislature to focus on things that matter to them,” Konfrst said. “They’re tired of seeing special interests run the day. They want to be heard as people. So House Democrats are proud to put people over politics and advance a proactive agenda that will do just that.”
Republican spokeswoman responds
A spokeswoman for Iowa House Republicans pointed out that state funding to public schools remains the largest slice of the state budget pie. In the 2023 state budget year, the most recent available from the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency, state aid to public schools comprised 43.4 percent of the state budget.
“In response to Iowa House Republicans’ record of improving educational opportunities, maintaining safe communities, and letting Iowans keep more of their hard-earned money, Iowans have only grown our majority,” Iowa House Republicans spokeswoman Melissa Saitz said in a statement.
“Seeing the massive election success our agenda has had, it’s not surprising to see Democrats taking some cues out of our book. It’s great to hear Democrats will now join us in our work to support public education and make Iowa more affordable,” Saitz said. “Though most recently, their voting record shows votes against historic tax cuts for all Iowans and against public school teacher pay raises.”
Democratic lawmakers voted against the 2024 bill that contained teacher pay raises because they objected to the part of the bill that changed the funding and operations of the state’s nine Area Education Agencies, which provide special education and other supports to public schools. Iowa Statehouse Democrats annually propose higher general state funding to public schools — the funding stream most directly responsible for teacher salaries — than Republicans.
The election is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Early voting starts Oct. 16.
The 2025 session of the Iowa Legislature begins on Jan. 13.
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