Highlights in this edition:

• Iowa City Schools’ Fiscal Troubles Shows Need for More Information, Transparency
  • The House Oversight Committee showed there may be a way to help get information into the light
• Huge Win for Parents, Students and Common Sense in Iowa Schools!
  • 8th Circuit Court of Appeals Sides with House Republican Common-Sense Bill
• Pregnant Female Bill Sent to Governor
  • This bill changes outdated references in Iowa Code from “pregnant person” to “pregnant female.”
• House Passes Bill to Improve Election Laws
  • The legislation also strikes a provision in code that allows voters to vote on election day without providing their identification

Highlights in this edition:

• Tax Receipts from Sports Wagering Continue to Grow in Iowa
  • In Fiscal Year 2025, $16.2 million in sports wagering tax revenue was collected
• Public School Instructional Coordinator Numbers Increase 504%
  • According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Instructional Coordinators are staff members responsible for supervising instructional programs at the district or subdistrict level, which includes curriculum development and in-service training for staff
• House Passes Rural Health Transformation Plan Bill
  • This session the legislature began funding radon test kits, and this application builds on that by funding 30,000 radon tests annually and subsidizing mitigation for 500 rural homes per year to combat lung cancer rates in rural Iowa
• Drive to Raise Speed Limit to 60 MPH Speeds Up After House Vote
  • Senate File 278 raises the maximum speed on state-regulated two-lane roads from 55 to 60 miles per hour on July 1

Highlights in this edition:

• Federal Funds & Other Funds Budget Subcommittee Focusing on Properties, Oversight of Federal Grants
  • The bill requires the Department of Administrative Services to maintain a digital inventory of all state buildings and requires four-year review cycle for a review of each property
• Non-Teaching Staff Grows 53% in Iowa School Districts
  • Non-teaching staff positions grew from 28,630 in 1992-93 to 43,879 in 2024-25 or 53 percent
• House Advances MAHA, Mental Health, Foster Care and Child Care Legislation
  • The MAHA bill limits K-5 digital instruction to 60 minutes per school day and prohibits the use of digital devices during recess
• House Judiciary Bills that Did Not Survive the Second Funnel
  • The Senate killed the judicial performance bill which increased transparency and allowed the public to make more informed decisions during judicial retention elections

Highlights in this edition:

• Medicaid Costs Impact Other Areas of State Budget
  • One out of every five Iowans is getting their health care coverage through Medicaid
• Iowa’s Economic Competitiveness Improves
  • Iowa’s median household income grew to more than $75,000
• House Passes Education/Immigration Bill
  • The bill prohibits an employer from employing an employee when the employer knows the social security number doesn’t belong to them
• House Committee Passes Historic Property Tax Reform
  • With this revenue cap in place—it will not matter what assessments do, local governments cannot collect more than 2 percent over last year

Highlights in this edition: 

• Iowa's Electric Rate Change Lowest in the Country 
  • Iowa's average retail rate increase is the smallest in the nation and well below inflation
• Bill to Focus Welfare Program on True Safety-Net Passes House with Bipartisan Support
  • Allows DHHS to require proof of at least 12 months of residency in Iowa on applications for public assistance
• Protecting Parental Rights
  • This bill helps ensure that child protection efforts stay focused on cases where children are truly in danger 
• Improvements to IPERS Service Passes Iowa House 
  • HF 235 makes several small changes that provide more flexibility and better serve Iowans