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See which Iowa lawmakers voted to hike private health insurance taxes

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See which Iowa lawmakers voted to hike private health insurance taxes


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Some Iowa health insurance plans will see a tax hike under a bill headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds to be signed into law.

House File 2739 raises taxes on health insurance providers known as health maintenance organizations, or HMOs, to bring in millions of dollars to fill a shortfall in the state’s Medicaid budget.

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That group includes companies that offer some of the state’s largest private insurance plans, like Wellmark, Sanford, Wellpoint and Aetna.

Fourteen Republicans across both chambers broke from their party to join Democrats and oppose the proposal, which put the GOP majority in the rare position of being at odds with business groups lobbying against tax hikes. But Republicans in each chamber had enough votes to pass the measure.

How much will health insurance taxes increase?

The taxes will increase from the current rate of 0.925% up to 3.5% between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, 2026. Beginning Oct. 1, 2026, the tax would drop to 0.95%.

The tax increase would allow the state to access federal matching funds and is expected to bring in $123 million to shore up Iowa’s growing Medicaid budget deficit, which is expected to climb to $167.6 million in fiscal year 2027.

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The bill also appropriates $89 million to cover the state’s current-year Medicaid budget deficit of $90.6 million.

Democrats warned Iowans will face higher insurance costs as a result of the bill.

Scott Sundstrom, a lobbyist for Wellmark, said at a March 18 public hearing that Wellmark estimates that its customers who are covered by the company’s plan will see a $115 tax increase per person. The company expects to pay $24.2 million more in taxes this year because of the increase.

Why are Iowa Republicans raising taxes?

Republicans have pointed to insurance companies’ profit margins and said health insurers — who have been highly critical of the bill — do not need to raise premiums to cover the cost of the tax increase.

GOP legislative leaders have said there’s a limited window to bring in matching federal funds because of Republicans’ sprawling tax and spending package dubbed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.”

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“This bill will bring investments that benefit our neighbors on Medicaid and those providing the services to them,” said Sen. Mark Costello, R-Imogene.

Here’s how every Iowa lawmaker voted.

How every Iowa House lawmaker voted on health care tax increase

The Iowa House voted 53-40 to pass the measure on March 19.

Ten Republicans joined every Democrat in voting against the bill: Reps. David Blom, R-Marshalltown; Mark Cisneros, R-Muscatine; Bill Gustoff, R-Des Moines; Thomas Jeneary, R-Le Mars; Judd Lawler, R-Oxford; Norlin Mommsen, R-De Witt; Jennifer Smith, R-Dubuque; Ray Sorensen, R-Greenfield; Ryan Weldon, R-Ankeny; and David Young, R-Van Meter.

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Representatives voting yes

Andrews (R), Barker (R), Behn (R), Bergan (R), Bloomingdale (R), Boden (R), Bossman (R), Bradley (R), Collins (R), Determann (R), Dunwell (R), Fett (R), Fisher (R), Gearhart (R), Gehlbach (R), Grassley (R), Harris (R), Hayes (R), Henderson (R), Hermanson (R), Holt (R), Hora (R), Ingels (R), Johnson, C. (R), Jones (R), Kaufmann (R), Kniff McCulla (R), Larson (R), Latham (R), Lohse (R), Lundgren (R), Meggers (R), Meyer, A. (R), Mohr, G. (R), Moore, T. (R), Nordman (R), Rinker (R), Shipley, (R) Sieck (R), Siegrist (R), Sitzmann (R), Stone, (R), Thompson, M. (R), Thomson, C. (R), Vondran (R), Watkins (R), Wengryn (R), Wheeler (R), Williams (R), Wills, J. (R) , Wilz, H. (R), Wood (R), Wulf (R)

Representatives voting no

Baeth (D), Bagniewski (D), Blom (R), Brown-Powers (D), Cisneros (R), Cooling (D), Croken (D), Ehlert (D), Gjerde (D), Gosa (D), Gustoff (R), Jacoby (D), James (D), Jeneary (R), Johnson, R. (D), Judge (D), Konfrst (D), Kressig (D), Kurth (D), Lawler (R), Levin (D), Madison (D), Matson (D), McBurney (D), Meyer, B. (D), Mommsen (R), Nielsen (D), Olson (D), Ramirez (D), Scholten (D), Smith (R), Sorensen (R), Srinivas (D), Turek (D), Weldon (R), Wichtendahl (D), Wilburn (D), Wilson (D), Young (R), Zabner (D)

Representatives absent or not voting

Amos Jr. (D), Dieken (R), Gaines (D), Gerhold (R), Golding (R), Wessel-Kroeschell (D), Windschitl (R)

How every Iowa Senate lawmaker voted on health care tax increase

The Iowa Senate voted 26-19 to pass the bill on Tuesday, March 24, sending it to Reynolds.

Four Republican senators joined Democrats in voting against the bill: Sens. Mike Bousselot, R-Ankeny; Doug Campbell, R-Mason City; Charlie McClintock, R-Alburnett; and David Sires, R-Cedar Falls.

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Senators voting yes

Alons (R), Gruenhagen (R), Costello (R), Dawson (R), Dickey (R), Driscoll (R), Evans (R), Green (R), Guth (R), Klimesh (R), Koelker (R), Kraayenbrink (R), Pike (R), Reichman (R), Rozenboom (R), Salmon (R), Schultz (R), Shipley (R), Sinclair (R), Sweeney (R), Taylor (R), Warme (R), Webster (R), Westrich (R), Whitver (R), Zumbach (R)

Senators voting no

Bennett (D), Bisignano (D), Blake (D), Bousselot (R), Campbell (R), Donahue (D), Dotzler (D), Drey (D), Hardman (D), Knox (D), McClintock (R), Petersen (D), Sires (R), Staed (D), Townsend (D), Quirmbach (D), Weiner (D), Winckler (D), Zimmer (D)

Senators absent or not voting

Garrett (R), Lofgren (R), Rowley (R), Trone Garriott (D), Wahls (D)

Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X at @marissajpayne.

Tim Webber is a data visualization specialist for the Register. Reach him at twebber@registermedia.com and on Twitter at @HelloTimWebber.

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Iowa High School Girls State Soccer Champions Crowned In Thrilling Finishes

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Iowa High School Girls State Soccer Champions Crowned In Thrilling Finishes


Three incredible games took place Saturday on the final day of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union State Soccer Tournament.

The event concluded from the Cyclone Sports Complex in Ames, Iowa, battling severe weather that rolled through the area during the tournament.

Waukee Northwest captured the Class 3A title, North Polk won gold in Class 2A and Hudson was crowned the Class 1A champions.

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Here are recaps from the championship games of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union State Soccer Tournament.

Class 3A Final: Waukee Northwest 2, West Des Moines Valley 1

Two first half goals by Cora Sundet off assists from Natalie Elliott were enough to carry Waukee Northwest to the Class 3A championship over West Des Moines Valley, 2-1.

Sundet found the back of the net in the 29th minute to make it 1-0 off a pass from Elliott, as the two connected just 73 seconds later to make it 2-0. The Tigers would get on the board just over two minutes later when Bryn Kenworthy scored.

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Waukee Northwest concluded the season unbeaten, going 13-0-3. Elliott was named the captain of the all-tournament team, as teammates Grace Hummel, Izzy Simonini and Grace Thomason joined her.

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From West Des Moines Valley, Sabrina Rogers and Olivia Rotich made the team. Ankeny Centennial’s Josie Ehlinger, Evie Boyle and Kayle Pezzetti, along with Linn-Mar’s Dreya Kern and Bettendorf’s Alivia Snow completed the squad.

Class 2A Final: North Polk 1, North Scott 0

A Madelyn Cory goal in the fifth minute was all that North Polk needed to take home the Class 2A championship, besting North Scott, 1-0.

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Cory scored off an assist from Addison Finn, as the Comet defense silenced the Lancers for the rest of the match.

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Earning captain status of the all-tournament team was Blythe Knight of North Polk, as Campbell Schulz, Finn and Cory joined her. North Scott’s Reese Barnett, Paige Coon and Camryn Jones also made the team.

Norwalk’s Pearl Brown and Olivia Welch, along with Rylee Renz from Dallas Center-Grimes and Anaka Ott of Waverly-Shell Rock rounded out the all-tournament squad.

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Class 1A Final: Hudson 1, Denver 0

Regulation and two overtime sessions were not enough to determine the Class 1A state championship between Hudson and Denver.

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But on penalty kicks, it was all Hudson, as they made four to secure the title.

Gia Baldiviezo, Taylor Davis, Charlee Austin and Taylor Junker were all successful, as Denver’s loan made penalty kick came from Bailey Mullihan.

Baldiviezo was the all-tournament team captain, with Taylor Davis and Callie Stickfort joining her. From Denver, Grace Mullihan and Addyson Shepard made the team.

Council Bluffs St. Albert’s Elanor Coughlin and Ellie Larmie, Emma Haan and Shelby Arkulari of Aplington-Parkersburg, Addy Oetker of Des Moines Christian and Stella Sornson of Treynor completed the team.

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Eastern Iowa EMS crews train on motorcycle crash response

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Eastern Iowa EMS crews train on motorcycle crash response


DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – Eastern Iowa EMS crews received specialized training Saturday on how to treat motorcyclists after a crash.

Course instructor Frank Prowant teaches the course, called Two-Wheel Trauma through nonprofit ABATE of Iowa, because EMS providers typically receive no specific training in motorcycle trauma.

“The motorcyclist is the one taking all the impact of an accident, all the force. There’s no airbags, no steering wheel that’s preventing further injury to them,” Prowant said.

Two-Wheel Trauma has been teaching first responders since 1986.

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Prowant said ridership has grown over the years, and so have the crashes.

“We’ve went from just motorcycles to now we’re seeing e-bikes. We’re seeing electric scooters. We’re seeing all kinds of different motorcycles that are out there. And a lot of different injuries,” Prowant said.

Another instructor, Dick “Slider” Gilmore, said Iowa’s large riding community makes the training critical.

He said the Dubuque area draws heavy riding traffic.

“With the Mississippi River and all the cool places. We’re all drawn to this in the summertime. So, this area is maybe more important than most other places in Iowa because it’s where we gravitate to on our bikes,” Gilmore said.

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Organizers plan to make the Dubuque training an annual event.

Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.



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Out of the spotlight, democracy keeps working for betterment | Opinion

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Out of the spotlight, democracy keeps working for betterment | Opinion



The basic machinery of democracy, for all its flaws, can still produce good decisions when used in good faith.

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  • Kelcey Patrick-Ferree and Shannon Patrick live in Iowa City and write at www.ourlibertiesweprize.com.

The news has felt best to avoid lately. It ranges from “discouraging” to “somehow real life, not the Onion.” And political news is the worst. Washington seems to be drawing from the movie “Idiocracy.” The Iowa Statehouse is no better. More voting restrictions. Less access to healthcare. Required propaganda at the University of Iowa. Another year of failing our schools and our youth. State finances aptly described as “a time bomb.”

These hot messes are real. They are also not the whole story. They are the sexy topics that stir controversy, satisfy donors, and get views. But underneath all the bold type, a shocking amount of work is happening with bipartisan support and following the “regular [legislative] order” that produces good decisions.

To give you a break from the daily doomscroll, here are some good things that happened this session. They remind us that the system can work outside big money and wedge issues.

Let’s start with slavery, euphemistically referred to as “human trafficking” these days. It’s second only to drug dealing in scale, but it’s rarely in the news. Iowa probably has a few hundred people enslaved at any given time. This year, Iowa passed several different bills addressing trafficking. Commercial drivers and child-protective services will be trained to recognize it. Victims now have a bill of rights and will be treated as victims, not as prostitutes, and Iowa is funding services for them. Prosecuting traffickers will be easier, and conviction will have more serious consequences. These are significant improvements.

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There are bright spots on civics and government, too. Despite going backward on voting, the Legislature significantly improved our open records and open meetings laws. These changes include much-needed modernization, such as requiring notices to be online and not just on a physical bulletin board. They also crack down on bad-faith practices that have been used to block requests, such as unreasonable fees or labeling reporters as “vexatious requesters.” This is a win for Iowans.

Iowa also moved to shore up our citizens’ lamentable lack of civics knowledge, recognizing a Civics Seal of Excellence for high school graduates and reasonable requirements for graduates of Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa to have a basic understanding of America’s history and government. (Their requirements of the UI were not reasonable, but that is a topic for another time.) If only they had funded their mandates.

There are even rays of sunshine amid the gloom of reproductive rights and healthcare laws; minors can now consent to their own care before, during, and after giving birth, and miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies are clearly separated from abortions.

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This session had numerous other, solidly positive bills, from modest water quality improvements to making animal torture a felony. The unifying theme among these bills is that they are either boring or address indefensible problems. No one campaigns in favor of nitrate-necessitated water rationing or animal torture. Elected officials want Iowans to know how the government works. Even some anti-choice politicians recognize the need for miscarriage care.

Unfortunately, this practicality breaks down in the face of partisan dogma and wealthy donors. More unfortunately, those partisan issues backed by wealthy donors are often the biggest issues of the day, and Iowa Republicans outdid themselves this year in passing inept and/or vindictive bills to campaign on.

But they aren’t the whole story, and it’s important to focus on the good things, too. They show that the basic machinery of democracy, for all its flaws, can still produce good decisions when used in good faith. It also reminds us that even the people passing the most atrocious, politicized bills aren’t always puppy-kicking cartoon villains. They’re often just people without the moral fiber to resist perverse incentives. And that understanding frames the challenge for us and those we elect in November: how do we change the system so that decency and good work matter more than wealthy donors and partisanship?

Kelcey Patrick-Ferree and Shannon Patrick live in Iowa City and write at www.ourlibertiesweprize.com. And biannual time changes must be abolished.



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