Iowa House Democrats want amendment protecting right to abortion

DES MOINES — Iowa Home Democrats have revealed a four-part coverage agenda for the election season and the subsequent legislative session, advocating for insurance policies they are saying have majority assist amongst Iowans.

The 4 pillars of the plan are reducing prices for Iowans, investing in public colleges, defending reproductive freedom, and legalizing marijuana for leisure use.

The proposal, dubbed the “folks over politics” agenda, would be the framework for Democratic coverage proposals within the subsequent legislative session, Home Minority Chief Jennifer Konfrst of Windsor Heights mentioned this week.

Home Minority Chief Jennifer Konfrst delivers remarks Jan. 10 on the opening day of the Iowa Legislature. She launched the Home Democrats’ coverage agenda this week for the upcoming legislative session. (Charlie Neibergall/Related Press)

To decrease prices, Konfrst mentioned Home Democrats would move laws that expands entry to reasonably priced housing and youngster care, lowers taxes for working households whereas stopping tax decreases for big companies, and develop renewable power use.

Republicans within the Legislature have handed payments in previous years addressing reasonably priced housing and youngster care, however Konfrst mentioned these efforts haven’t solved the problems Democrats are attempting to handle.

“The way in which our plan is completely different is that we’re going to truly do the issues as a substitute of placing Band-Aids on them and make folks suppose the issue is solved,” Konfrst mentioned.

On public colleges, Konfrst mentioned Home Democrats wish to increase funding to maintain up with rising prices and provides academics larger pay. The plan additionally contains stopping Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal to commit public tax {dollars} to personal college vouchers for some Iowa college students.

Abortion rights

The reproductive freedom a part of the agenda contains including abortion rights to the Iowa Structure.

Whereas the Iowa Supreme Courtroom discovered the state’s structure gives a elementary proper to an abortion in 2018, the court docket in June reversed that call and mentioned the Iowa Structure doesn’t assure a proper to an abortion. The U.S. Supreme Courtroom quickly after reversed the decades-old Roe v. Wade, eradicating the federal proper to an abortion.

To be able to move an modification defending abortion rights, Democrats would doubtless want to realize a majority in each chambers of the Legislature and move a decision calling for the modification in two separate Normal Assemblies. The proposed modification would then go to voters.

Republicans in 2021 handed a decision for an modification that does the alternative, stating the state’s structure doesn’t embody abortion protections. The measure would go to a vote on an election poll if Republicans move the modification — with the identical language — in 2023 or 2024.

Konfrst acknowledged that passing such a pro-choice modification could be a troublesome job for minority Democrats however mentioned the celebration would work towards smaller targets.

“If we are able to cease a complete ban and permit some exemptions, that’s a pleasant beginning place, however our objective is to guard and defend reproductive freedom on this state,” Konfrst mentioned.

Marijuana

The proposal to legalize marijuana for leisure use is predicated on nearly all of Iowans approving of the concept, rising security across the substance and conserving tax {dollars} within the state, Konfrst mentioned.

Home Democrats weren’t publicly in favor of legalizing marijuana over the past legislative session, however Konfrst mentioned the group has been capable of unite round sure proposals.

The celebration’s gubernatorial candidate, Deidre DeJear, additionally helps marijuana legalization, her operating mate Eric Van Lancker mentioned on Thursday.

“What we’re discovering is that if there are alternatives to maintain it secure, and to manage what Iowans are utilizing, if there are alternatives to leverage tax {dollars} to our priorities like training, we’re discovering that we are able to discover consensus on these points,” Konfrst mentioned.

Republicans presently management each the Home and the Senate in Iowa. Democrats would wish to flip 11 seats within the Home and eight seats within the Senate within the November election to realize a majority.

GOP response

Home Republican spokesperson Melissa Deatsch mentioned in an e-mail that Home Democrats’ numbers have fallen as a result of their agenda will not be in keeping with Iowans. Democrats, she mentioned, voted to “hold colleges closed, taxes larger and significant race concept within the classroom.”

“In the meantime, the Republicans are the celebration of reducing your taxes, rising your native economic system, and defending your freedoms,” Deatsch mentioned. “Home Republicans will proceed to work on an agenda that’s constructed on listening to Iowans and performing on their priorities.”