Iowa lawmakers share intentions for new legislative session

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – On Monday, the ninetieth Iowa Normal Meeting will get underway in Des Moines. KCRG-TV9 spoke with a number of lawmakers forward of the 2023 session to study what Iowans ought to count on to come back out of the Capitol.

“Training is crucial subject of the session,” Rep.-Elect Jeff Shipley, R-Home District 87, mentioned. “Clearly that’s the majority of the funds and the place individuals depend on the state essentially the most.”

Sen.-Elect Molly Donahue, D-Senate District 37, agreed. “As an educator, I would like to ensure that we shield our public colleges and the five hundred,000 children that go to public colleges.”

The 2 lawmakers disagreed, nevertheless, when it got here to high school vouchers. A plan to maneuver public {dollars} to personal colleges didn’t advance final yr. The proposal was backed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, and opposed by Democrats and a few Republicans. This challenge is predicted to return to lawmakers’ desks rapidly with the brand new session.

“We’ve got identified that that was going to be one in every of [Reynolds’] high priorities. And actually, we’ve heard [it] will likely be within the first week. So the Senate ought to see that laws instantly,” Donahue mentioned.

Donahue was in opposition to the voucher plan, whereas Shipley supported it.

“I believe the satan goes to be within the particulars, as all the time. I believe lots of people are eagerly awaiting to see what the Governor goes to suggest. However it doesn’t matter what the Governor places ahead, I believe it’s going to take pleasure in a number of assist,” Shipley mentioned.

Different points lawmakers introduced up as matters to observe throughout the coming session: inflation, reproductive rights, and property taxes.

Shipley mentioned in regards to the property tax dialogue, “there’s a number of curiosity in lowering property taxes that, despite the fact that possibly the property tax charges themselves have stayed the identical, the assessed values are going up.”

Rep.-Elect Sami Scheetz, D-Home District 78, mentioned it wasn’t unimaginable for property taxes to come back down, however he mentioned warning in slashing budgets wanted to be a part of the equation.

“We have to be actually cautious once we discuss property taxes. How’s that going to affect your infrastructure, roads and bridges?” Scheetz mentioned.

As for reproductive rights, each Democratic lawmakers TV9 spoke with mentioned they anticipated Republicans to make strikes to additional prohibit these rights.

“The intense group, I ought to say, in Iowa undoubtedly wish to get to that six-week, if not altogether, banning abortion,“ Donahue mentioned. “We as a Democratic caucus will do every thing we will to affect change on that, to ensure that we will shield ladies’s proper, select shield healthcare, and folks’s freedoms.”

Republicans maintain important majorities in each the Home and Senate. Scheetz mentioned the variety of new lawmakers on the Capitol this session, in each events, might imply new partnerships.

“It’s going to be a very contemporary group on either side of the aisle that hopefully will carry contemporary concepts and alternatives for collaboration in actually constructive methods,” Scheetz mentioned. “I’m 26, there’s a few different Republican legislators which might be of their 20s. So I’m hoping, too, that once we discuss issues which might be like essential to my age cohort, about having individuals keep in Iowa and never go away and ensure that they select to boost their households right here…I believe it is going to be actually efficient and essential to have, even on the opposite facet of the aisle, individuals who perceive that.”

Copyright 2023 KCRG. All rights reserved.