Highlights in this edition:

• Iowa’s Bond Debt Situation
  • Due to former Gov. Culver’s I-Jobs program, the state still owes $421 million in principal and interest on these bonds paying $45 million this year from state gaming tax collections to the holders of these bonds.  The payments on all the I-Jobs bonds do not end until Fiscal Year 2034.
• House Introduces Legislation to Curb Pharmacy Benefit Managers Harmful Practices
  • In 2022, the legislature brought PBM oversight under the Iowa Insurance Division which will release an investigation into PBM’s this spring
• “Nation’s Report Card” Shows Encouraging Progress in Literacy, Underscores Iowa’s Need for Evidence-Based Mathematics Support
  • The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress results released by the U.S. Department of Education show Iowa in the top 10 of all states for eighth grade reading scores
• Iowa Leads the Way on Enforcing Immigration Laws
  • In Iowa, any local entity which does not enforce federal immigration law risks the loss of state funding
• State Government Committee Advances Parental Leave Bills
  • House File 26 directs employers to treat adoptive parents of children up to age six the same as birth parents according to their employee leave policies

Highlights in this edition:

• Higher Costs Continue to Impact DOT Budget in FY 2026
  • Vehicle replacements costs are way up - the cost of replacing a truck purchased in 2013 for $132,000 had risen to $226,000 last year which is a 71 percent increase over 12 years
• House Ag Panel Approves Measure to Facilitate Farm to Table Meat Sales
  • The bill creates a new type of licensed and inspected food processing entity that can store processed packaged meat or poultry raised by the licensee and offered for sale at a premise or farm on a wholesale or retail basis
• The Cost of Higher Education
  • Jay P. Greene, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation’s center for Educational Policy said: “A university is not an all-service commune with full-service, soup-to-nuts care for every need, as if students were children. The core mission of a school is teaching and research, so those should be the priorities, as well as limiting the cost to families and taxpayers. But that’s not their priority. Their priority is to expand empires.”
• Local Government Moves Bill to Provide Flexibility for County Attorneys
  • Many rural counties in Iowa have struggled to find higher qualified county attorneys with the current salary cap
• Casino Moratorium Making its Way Through Process
  • The bill prohibits the commission from issuing new licenses between January 1, 2025, and June 30, 2030

Highlights in this edition:

• Federal and Other Funds Budget Subcommittee Begins Work
  • The state has several non-general fund programs that had nearly $1 billion at the end of Fiscal Year 2024
• Commerce Committee Receives Presentation from Iowa Insurance Division
  • Insurance plays a vital role in Iowa with Iowa having the highest share of its private workforce employed in the insurance industry in the nation
• School Aid Refresher
  • From FY 2012 to FY 2025, spending per pupil has grown from $5883 to $7826
• Stopping Illegal Immigration with Help from the Federal Government
  • The failed policies of the Biden-Harris administration forced states to defend themselves from the influx of illegal immigrants
• Gov. Reynolds Announces New Grant to Advance Healthcare Careers in Iowa
  • The Iowa Healthcare Credentialing Grant will provide $3 million in total funding to create new pipelines of workers to help fill high-demand occupations in the healthcare sector

Highlights in this edition:

• Governor Reynolds Releases FY 2026 Budget Proposal
  • The bulk of the increases goes to two items with K-12 receiving a $102 million increase ($3.9 billion total) and Medicaid receiving a $223 million increase (nursing homes getting a $25 million increase)
• Affordable and Reliable Energy for Iowa
  • Governor Reynolds is proposing a Nuclear Energy Tax Force to examine and support the potential of nuclear energy in Iowa as a means of expanding Iowa’s energy generation portfolio
• University of Iowa Renames the Gender Studies Program
  • The university is simply moving the department to a new school with a new name
• Iowa Child Care Slots Expand by 25,000
  • Led by the efforts of House Republicans over the last several legislative sessions, Iowa has expanded the number of childcare slots by over 25,000
• BlackRock Decision Signals Retreat on ESG
  • ESG policies aimed to force industries to adhere to radical and unproven climate change policies that the Biden Administration was unable to push through Congress
• Iowa—Sixth Lowest Income Tax in America!
  • As of January 1, Iowa has a 3.8% flat income tax rate

Highlights in this edition: 

• Revenue Estimating Conference Finds Iowa in "Strong Financial Position" 
  • The state continues to see wage growth and increased consumer spending in the economy 
• Gov. Reynolds, Iowa Department of Education invest $3.5 million to bolster classroom instruction while reading at home 
  • The book packs are being provided to all public and accredited nonpublic elementary schools to send home with nearly 38,000 first-grade students
• Iowa Advances Maternal Health Care
  • Over the last two years the legislature has annually appropriated $560,000 to reimburse teaching hospitals for a resident in obstetrics practice, and these fellows are required to serve in a rural or underserved area of the state for five years after obstetric fellowship training
• School Security/Safety Task Force
  • Members are recommending multiple safety upgrades to new and existing school buildings

Highlights in this edition: 

• Smaller Growth Projected by Surrounding States as FY 2026 Revenue Forecasts Set
  • Iowa's Revenue Estimating Conference meets December 12
• Iowa Insurance Division Publishes Health Insurance Report
  • After 2024 open enrollment, nearly 40% of Iowa policies receiving advance premium tax credits (APTC) paid premiums less than $10 a month, with an average Iowa premium after the APTC of $93
• What Does It Take to be a Substitute Teacher? 
  • Individuals have two pathways toward becoming a substitute teacher in Iowa: substitute license and substitute authorization
• 2024 DNR Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants Awarded to Rural Fire Department
  • $416,000 in 50 percent cost-share grants were recently awarded to 138 Iowa rural fire departments to help their efforts to protect Iowan's and their property from wildfires
• $33.4 million provided to EMS in Iowa
  • Based on legislation by the Iowa House, emergency medical services recently received an additional $33.4 million to 66 EMS locations in Iowa 

Highlights in this edition: 

• Iowa's Taxpayer Relief Fund
  
  • It is an account in the State Treasury that holds unanticipated state revenue to be returned to the taxpayers
• Iowa Department of Education Releases New State School Performance Ratings and Federal Designations
  • Over 93%, or 351 schools, were identified in need of targeted support and improvement because students with disabilities at their school performed below the level of the lowest 5 percent of all schools
• Iowa Supreme Court Reverses Large Medical Malpractice Verdict
  • The jury decision that was reversed was for $97.4 million, with over $40 million being noneconomic damages
• House Republicans-Protecting Communities 
  • Organized retail theft goes beyond simply shoplifting and is a coordinated effort by an individual or group to steal merchandise from a retail establishment
• Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship (TPRA) Grant Program
  • TPRA is a unique grant opportunity that provides additional ways for current high school students and adult paraeducators to earn credentials while learning and working in the classroom

Highlights in this edition: 

• State Facilities Have $442 Million of Maintenance Needs
  • The summer 2024 version of the major maintenance list covers 514 different projects across the state at fifty-seven individual facilities
• Mental Health Annual Spending Reaches $1.2 Billion in Iowa 
  • House Republicans have made mental health a priority
• Iowa's Unemployment Rate Remains at 2.9% in September 
  • The figure in 1,000 lower than August and 18,800 lower than one year ago
• DNR Notes that 2024 Iowa Deer Hunting is Off to a Good Start
  • A major factor leading to Iowa's world-renowned buck quality is the simple fact that hunting during the rut - when bucks are most vulnerable - is restricted to compound and traditional bows

Highlights in this edition:

• As Income Tax Cuts Continue to Phase In, Iowa Remains in a Strong Financial Position
  • Fiscal Year 2024, the state had an ending balance of $1.9 billion in the General Fund, $961 million in the state’s Cash Reserve Fund & Economic Emergency Fund and $3.75 billion in the Taxpayer Trust Fund
• Are There Really More Democrat than Republican Professors on College Campuses?
  • According to a survey, 48.4% are registered Democrats and 5.7% are registered Republicans, which is a ratio of 8.5:1
• Major Issues with Court Debt Payment Distribution
  • Through the end of Fiscal Year 2024, the courts believe the programming errors in their IT system have resulted in the General Fund being overpaid by $26.5 million and underpayments to other state funds of $22.7 million and non-state funds of $3.9 million
• Election Day Preparedness
  • Absentee ballot requests must be received by the County Auditor’s office by 5:00 pm October 21