Highlights in this edition:

• January Revenue Remains Strong as Tax Cuts Go Into Effect
  • Through the first seven months of the fiscal year, state revenue is 4.2 percent higher than in Fiscal Year 2022
• House Passes increase of $106.8 Million for Schools
  • The State Cost Per Pupil (SCPP) amount on which the school aid formula is based increases from $7413 to $7635, a $222 increase 
• House Republicans Continue to Prioritize Access to Child Care
  • HSB 50 creates a two-year pilot program making child care workers eligible for child care assistance for their own children
• Age-Appropriate Material in Classrooms Topic of Oversight Meeting
  • Comments from parents cited the graphic sexual images, explicit sexual content and disturbing accounts of violent sexual assault, rape and pedophilia as not age appropriate

House File 138 - Updating Protection Occupations Covered in IPERS

House Joint Resolution 3 - Gubernatorial Line of Succession

House File 128 - Controlled Substances

House File 137 - Mobile Cosmetology/Barbering

House File 35 - Updating Definitions for Recreational Public Use of Private Land

House File 142 - Veterans Trust Fund - Commission Allocation

House File 133 - GAP Coverage

House File 112 - Domestic Abuse Assault

House File 113 - Public Defender Pilot Project Extension

House File 111 - Real Estate Transfer Tax Exemption

House File 150 - Condemnation - Reduction of Damages

House File 158 - Alcoholic Product Placement Rules

House File 143 - Ransomware

• Education Committee passes Regent Teacher Preparation Program Review and Parental Rights Bills
  • House File 7 prohibits a school district from hiding information about students from that student’s parents or guardians
• House Judiciary Passes Common Sense Bills
  • HF 112 allows county attorneys to look at previous convictions of domestic abuse in order to increase the penalty for an abuser
• AG Bird and 24 other Attorneys General Sue Biden Administration Over ESG Rule
  • The lawsuit joined by the state of Iowa intends to protect employees’ pension plans by keeping politically motivated investment policies in check

House File 94 - Movie Prop Money

House File 68 - Students First Act

House Resolution 3 - House Rules

House File 93 - Mental Health Providers Non-Competes

• House Republicans Commitment to Fiscal Discipline Ensures Financial Viability of Students First Act
  • After full implementation of the program, the state’s ending balance at the end of FY 2029 is expected to be $3.5 billion while the Taxpayer Relief Fund grows to $3.7 billion
• School Choice Bill is Pro-Parent, Pro-Student
  • At the end of the day, parents — not schools — are responsible for raising their children. Put simply, parents parent and teachers teach
• Rural Emergency Hospital Legislation Advances
  • Iowa House Republicans to ensure access to emergency care in rural areas
• No More Withholding…Pensions are Exempt!
  • The 2022 tax cut (House File 2317) excludes retirement income from Iowa taxable income starting January 1, 2023

Highlights in this edition:

• December’s Revenue Figures Continue to Show State Revenue Growth
  • State tax collections for the month amounted to nearly $900 million, helping to push overall revenue growth for the year to 4.8 percent
• School Choice: Myths and Facts on Affordability and Other Topics
  • The Governor’s school choice proposal fits within long-term budget parameters
• Four Million Granted for Housing Projects
  • The projects awarded funding are leveraging an additional $3.3 million in additional funding
• Prohibiting Non-Competes for Mental Health Providers
  • This bill will allow mental health providers to continue to see their patients without wasting time and money battling with an employer in court

Highlights in this edition:

• Governor Releases FY 2024 Budget Proposal
  • Many line items are proposed to be moved to different agencies
• Governor Reynolds Outlines Education Savings Accounts
  • For parents who choose to enroll their children in private school, they will have access to $7,598, which is the same amount of state funding per public school student, to use for tuition, fees
• What are ESG Policies?
  • ESG ratings demand more adherence to diversity quotas, social justice messaging, and critical race training for employees
• House File 1—Property Tax Reform
  • HF 1 shifts the narrative on property tax reform from providing certainty to government budgets to providing certainty to the taxpayer’s budget

Highlights in this edition:

• Revenue Estimating Conference Makes Slight Adjustments to Forecasts for Fiscal Year 2023 & 2024
  • While inflation has started to slightly cool off, so has consumer spending
• Open Enrollment—What Changed?
  • One form of parental choice in education has already been enacted over the last two sessions
• Medicaid Public Health Emergency – Is There No End in Sight?
  • For the last two and a half years, the federal government has prevented states from disenrolling ineligible Medicaid members which has resulted in an estimated 100,000 ineligible Iowans receiving free health insurance
• Iowa Top Job Postings
  • With 4,664 openings, registered nurses are the most in demand profession
• Happy New Year and Happy Tax Cuts

Iowans will see lower income tax rates and tax free retirement income in 2023 thanks to Republicans

• Taxpayer Relief Fund – Why Iowa is not Kansas
  • What is the Taxpayer Relief Fund and how does work?
• Iowa Leads Entire Nation in New Apprenticeships
  • The number of Iowans taking part in Aprrencships has never been higher
• Massive 2A Victory on Election Night
• • Turns out Iowans like their constitutional rights
• Midterm Election Continues Iowa’s Streak of High Voter Turnout
  • High turnout, strong security, reliable election results

Highlights in this edition:

• October Revenue – Strong
  • Overall, state revenue continues to run ahead of projections
• Democrat’s Energy Policies Continue to Hurt Consumers
  • Thanks to the Biden Administration, U.S. household spending is expected to increase for all heating fuels this winter including natural gas (28%), heating oil (27%), electricity (10%) and propane (5%)
• Iowa Department of Education Releases New School Performance Results
  • This is an important tool for parents, educators and other stakeholders to understand how their schools are performing
• Where Do They Come Up With My Property Tax Bill?
  • Iowa limits the amount property assessments can increase year over year