Third Week of the 91st General Assembly
Monday brought many of Iowa’s pro-life advocates to our state Capitol. Speeches and displays highlighted and celebrated the achievements we’ve made over the last several years to protect and defend the right to life in the state of Iowa. Our state and our nation have fought tremendous battles over the years to further prevent the tragedy of abortion and ensure the protection of life for those who are unable to protect themselves. The legislature proudly passed a ban on abortion once a heartbeat could be heard. We have also passed a number of policies to help pregnant women, support families, and expand adoption and foster care options. As Governor Reynolds said in her speech, “Roe v. Wade is now on the ash-heap of history where it belongs. States are acting to protect the unborn, with Iowa leading the way.”
This week was also National School Choice Week across the country, which gave us the opportunity to celebrate our achievements in education and expanding school choice in our state. Over the last several years, the legislature has expanded education options available to Iowa families. Those options include open enrollment for all students, educational savings accounts so all families, regardless of their income, can choose the school of their choice, and expanded charter school options. We were proud to be able to give all parents the ability to choose the best path for their son or daughter to pursue academic excellence. Since passing the Students First Act in 2022, we have seen overwhelming support for this program. School choice improves academic outcomes and the quality of education, even for public schools, and gives all Iowa families the option to choose the educational setting that works best for their child.
Senate Republicans Propose New Funding
for K-12 Education
This week, Senate Republicans released our funding proposal for the next school year, proposing a $235 million increase for K-12 students. The increase in state funding is in addition to the budget passed last year, meaning state aid for schools coming from the state budget is $4.2 billion. It is also the same amount proposed by Governor Reynolds.
Senate Study Bill 1053 continues our dedication to responsible budgeting and our commitment to Iowa students. It provides money for students going to public school, students utilizing education savings accounts, and students attending charter schools. It also funds the teacher pay increase passed in the 2024 session, the largest teacher pay increase in Iowa’s history. Now in the second year of enactment, beginning teachers will start at $50,000 and teachers with more than twelve years of experience will be receiving at least $62,500.
The proposed increase for education funding goes to help all Iowa students. For public schools in Iowa, this bill will mean an increase of over $123 million for a total of $3.9 billion in total General Fund state aid spending. The education savings account program will receive an increase of $96.6 million, coming to a total of $315 million. Charter schools also receive an increase of $14.5 million.
When you look at the state budget, it is clear that education is a priority in our state. With state funding alone, we are spending $7,983 per student in Iowa. Including both state and local funding, K-12 students in Iowa receive over $6 billion. After all funding sources are considered, such as property taxes, state aid, federal dollars and other sources, public schools in Iowa will receive an estimated $18,722 per student next school year.
Funding for K-12 education in Iowa has received steady, sustainable increases since 2017. This proposed increase in funding continues our conservative budgeting practices and does so in a timely matter so schools across the state can start planning their budgets.
Tuesday brought many School Board members from across the state to the Capitol for the annual Iowa Association of School Boards Day on the Hill. I enjoyed visiting with board members from Mediapolis and Mt Pleasant in the Rotunda and outside the Senate chamber.
Bills Make it Out of Subcommittee This Week
Two Health and Human Services bills that I have worked on both made it out of subcommittee this week. Senate File 48 and Senate File 103 both seek to improve the quality of healthcare Iowans can expect. SF 48 intends to minimize the number of serious reportable events, which includes near misses and medical errors, by establishing clear reporting mandates and methods for baseline data analysis in order to seek improvements. SF 103 proposes greater clarity and transparency for physicians and for the general public seeking healthcare by developing strong mandatory principles (ethics) that are non-negotiable and are easily accessible to all stakeholders.
Making a Difference
In an attempt to make a difference and bring something good out of our own misfortune, the Lofgren Family held our annual “Love Like Louden” Birthday Blood Drive at ImpactLife in Muscatine this past weekend. We would like to thank all the individuals that took time to donate blood and those who have and will give in memory of Louden. To thank us for our continued support and advocacy for blood donation, Alex Burkamper and Megan Hess from ImpactLife presented our family with a memorial plaque that will be hung in the Muscatine ImpactLife blood center.
Best regards,
Mark L.