Highlights in this edition:

• FY 2026 Tax Collections Stronger Than Projected and FY 2027 is Off to Strong Start
  • FY 26 finished almost $200 million ahead of projections and through the first quarter FY 27, net General Fund revenue has grown by 5.1 percent
• New High School Agriculture Curriculum Highlights Essential Role of Farming in Shaping Iowa and the Nation
  • The curriculum can be used by any Iowa educator to bolster inquiry, historical understanding, agricultural literacy and career-connected learning aligned to Iowa Academic Standards
• Iowa Multi-Agency Coalition Wins National Award for Dismantling Transnational Fraud Networks
  • The award-winning coalition unites the Iowa Department of Insurance and Financial Services, the Iowa Department of Public Safety (Iowa Fusion Center), the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, the Polk County Attorney’s Office, and the Iowa State University Computer Hacking and Cyber Security Club
• Iowa’s Rural Health Transformation Program Leads to Targeted, Collaborative Improvements
  • The program has $209 million to expand clinical services, strengthen the rural health workforce, modernize technology and infrastructure, and improve coordination across the state’s rural health system
• Iowa's Gun Rights Are Stronger Thanks to Republicans
  • House Republicans have built one of the strongest legal frameworks for gun rights in the country
• Fiscal Information Available on Major Steel Project
  • The bill also provides safeguards to protect any investment of taxpayer dollars

Highlights in this edition:

• Revenue Estimating Conference to Meet October 16
  • The October REC meeting is when the final budget numbers for Fiscal Year 2026 will be officially released
• Fighting the Left-Wing Culture War Against Parents and Students
  • "Multicultural" has evolved into Critical Race Theory and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• House Republicans Put Public Safety First
  • Repeat offenders will no longer get endless chances at the expense of law-abiding Iowans
• RISE Program Helps Fund Transportation Issues for Economic Development Projects
  • The program assists projects that are industrial, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and professional office developments

Highlights in this edition:

• State Revenue Continues Solid Start to Fiscal Year 2027
  • FY 2026 revenue is $161 million ahead of what the REC predicted at its last meeting in March
• House Republicans Focused Health Curriculum on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Less Screen Time
  • K-12 health curriculum is an inexpensive and effective way to fight unhealthy outcomes, childhood obesity and high taxpayer funded healthcare costs
• What Were the Steps Taken to Protect Students and Teachers?
  • Requires schools to have escalating levels of discipline for repeated instances of threatened or perpetrated violence and strengthens the reporting requirements on timeliness and transparency
• Iowa Ranks 7th on Medicaid Report Card
  • The scorecard rewards states that keep Medicaid closer to a targeted safety-net program, exercise fiscal discipline, minimize improper payments and fraud, run competent eligibility systems, and keep provider markets open
• Iowa Launches New Grant Program to Expand Capacity for Training Workers in High-Demand Careers
  • Helps Iowa community colleges, trade unions, and private sector apprenticeship programs expand their physical capacity to train more workers in high-demand fields

Highlights in this edition:

• Direct State Funding to University Athletic Departments is Becoming Common
  • Louisiana, Wisconsin, New Jersey, North Carolina and Connecticut have all taken actions to support university athletics
• Resources for 9/11 Classroom Instruction
  • Until House Republicans led the charge with House File 2545 in 2024, there was not a requirement for instruction in Iowa classrooms about 9/11
• Public Schools Required to Teach About the US Constitution During Week of Sept. 17
  • Federal law requires all public schools to teach students about the U.S. Constitution and citizenship during the week of Sept. 17
• Improving Student Learning
  • Three bills over the last three sessions centered on improving literacy and math skills
• What is a Prediction Market?
  • Users can enter event contracts for a wide range of things such as the number of daily views Taylor Swift has on YouTube that day

Highlights in this edition:

• Fiscal Year 2027 Begins with Stronger General Fund Numbers
  • With the 2024 tax cut fully implemented over a year ago, personal income tax numbers have stabilized and are expected to grow according to the March REC forecast
• K-12 Education Spending Up 34 Percent Since 2020
  • FY 2027 spending level will be almost $4.4 billion
• Republican Led Effort on Water Quality Funding Continues Implementation in August
  • The Cattle and Conservation Working Lands Program was expanded to 22 additional counties, many within the Greater Des Moines watershed
• Iowa’s Property Tax Reform Ranked First in the Nation
  • SF 2472 was the largest single property tax relief measure in the nation over the past decade, measured both per household and as savings relative to personal income

Highlights in this edition:

• Florida’s DOGE Efforts Identify Nearly $1 Billion in Wasteful Local Spending
  • Several counties were spending tax dollars on divisive DEI programming of all varieties, including “transgender humility” training
• SBA Approves Low-Interest Disaster Loans for July Flooding
  • Homeowners, renters, businesses, and most nonprofit organizations in Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Polk, Story, and Warren Counties whose property was damaged or destroyed by this disaster can apply for low-interest disaster loans from the SBA
• Truth Bombs About School Choice
  • Each student who qualifies to receive an education savings account (ESA) receives $8,148 in their account while public school students receive up to $22,000 per student with all the funding streams public schools receive
• Legislature Focuses on Combatting Fraud and Waste in Welfare Programs
  • HF 1049 prohibits Medicaid funds from being used for transgender surgeries
• Sand is Slow to Protect Kids Online
  • After almost eight years in office, Rob Sand has finally realized House Republicans were right
• Democrats Oppose Creation of Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force
  • Despite criticism, Iowa has conducted more investigations with fewer staff than other states

Highlights in this edition:

• State Revenue for June Comes In Higher
  • For the year so far, sales and use tax receipts grew by 6.2 percent over Fiscal Year 2025
• Iowa Insurance Division Fraud Bureau Stops $2.28 million in Scams in 6 Months
  • 211 investigations opened across 96 Iowa communities
• Iowa Legislature Prioritizes Rural Health Care
  • Iowa’s Rural Health Transformation Plan has 5 initiatives - with a major cancer initiative investing $183 million to increase screening access, University of Iowa Cancer analyses, cancer hubs, and radon mitigation
• Republicans Delivered Increases in Monitoring and Water Quality Funding for FY 2027
  • HF 2771 provides a new funding this fiscal year for monitoring

Highlights in this edition:

• Local Audit Prompts More Questions about Iowa City School District’s Finances and What the State Auditor’s Office Knew about the Burgeoning Scandal
  • Sand’s own official website lists the Auditor’s official responsibilities and includes “The Auditor of State has responsibility for audits of counties, cities, school districts, and other governmental subdivisions.”
• Iowa Rural Certified Site Initiative Showing Success
  • The Iowa Rural Certified Site Initiative is a program created by Iowa House Republicans during the 2024 legislative session to help rural communities offset the costs of preparing industrial sites
• Department of Education Releases Guidance on Classroom Behavior Bill
  • Allows teachers to exclude a student from the classroom if they meet certain criteria
• Vehicle Fees - How Does Iowa Compare with Some Neighboring States
  • Illinois has a state gas tax set at 48.3 cents per gallon (second highest rate in the nation) plus local governments assess their own gas tax ranging from 3 to 8 cents plus Illinois assesses a 6.25 percent sales tax on gas purchases 

Highlights in this edition:

• Do They Know What They Are Doing?
  • Over the past month, the Iowa Auditor of State’s office has put out two “reports” that can be more accurately characterized as political campaign statements
• The Great American State Fair is Coming to the Washington DC National Mall
  • The “Great American State Fair” starts on June 25 and concludes on July 10
• Facts Optional in Auditor’s “Report”
  • The Auditor’s “report” got basic facts incorrect
• With America Celebrating Our 250th Birthday, House Republicans Believe Real History is Important
  • Students should not be taught that America is bad, racist, or evil as if those ideas are incontrovertible facts
• Iowa's Gun Rights Are Stronger Than Ever This Independence Day
  • House Republicans have also strengthened Iowa's self-defense laws to ensure law-abiding citizens are not treated like criminals when they protect themselves or their families
• Property Tax Reform & Owning Your First Home
  • The new program—FirstHome Iowa Accounts—will work like the already successful Iowa 529 plans and help pave the way to homeownership for the next generation of Iowa families

Highlights in this edition:

• Governor Completes Work on FY 2027 Budget
  • The Fiscal Year 2027 General Fund budget will spend $9.6441 billion This represents a 1.42% increase over the current year’s expenditures
• Iowa House GOP Leads the Charge on Limiting Screen Time in Schools
  • Research shows that screen time negatively impacts early child development by decreasing learning and attention
• Republicans Attack Fraud and Waste in Welfare Programs
  • SF 2422 implements new eligibility verification thresholds that must be met before individuals can receive public assistance
• Republicans Have Invested Over $1 Billion in Water Quality Since 2013
  • This session, the Iowa Legislature passed aggressive increases in water quality funding as well as a major investment in treating nitrates
• Governor Signs House GOP Bill on Habitual Criminals
  • Iowans have seen career criminals and repeat offenders in other states be released by judges more concerned with the criminal’s rights than the innocent victims’ rights
• Property Tax Reform—Why Revenue Caps Are a Necessity
  • Regardless of assessment growth, local governments may increase revenue collections by no more than two percent year over year – ending the practice of relying on assessment windfalls while claiming levy rates were not increased