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

Highlights in this edition:

• Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Relief for Farmers Passes House Floor
  • DEF began to be required in farm machinery under the Green New Deal
• House Passes Social Studies Standards…..Again
  • Students should not be taught political opinions such as that America is racist
• House Passes MAHA Bill - Republicans Support, Democrats Oppose
  • This bill prohibits schools and vendors from serving breakfast and lunch that contain blue dye 1 and 2, green dye 3, potassium bromate, propylparaben, red dye 40, yellow dye 5 and 6
• Republicans Advance Strong Anti-Crime Bills
  • HF 2542 addresses the revolving door we see too often in our justice system

Highlights in this edition:

• Backfilling TIF Continues to Grow
  • The state holds schools harmless from any negative property tax impact to their funding by replacing the lost property tax revenue through the school finance formula
• Screen Time Limited in K-5 Legislation 
  • A National Institutes of Health study of over 11,000 children found that more than 2 hours of daily screen time correlates with lower scores on language and thinking tests
• House Passes Bill to Improve Election Laws
  • Thanks to the consistent work of the House Republican Caucus, Iowa's elections are already safe, secure, and efficient 
• House Bill Requires Commercial Drivers to Speak English
  • The bill requires those applying for or renewing a CDL to demonstrate English proficiency