It’s Legislative Monday: Your weekly-ish wrap of what’s going on at the Iowa Capitol during the 2025 legislative session. In the fifth week of Iowa’s legislative session, lawmakers made progress on education policy, reviewed proposed changes to state IDs, and Gov. Kim Reynolds officially launched her DOGE task force. Let’s review.
K-12 education policy proposals at the Capitol
Lawmakers got set up to negotiate education funding with both chambers passing their own K-12 school funding proposals. Senate Republicans backed a 2% increase in per-pupil funding, aligning with Reynolds’ proposal. House Republicans approved a slightly higher 2.25% increase along with additional one-time funding to help public schools manage rising costs. Now, GOP leaders will need to negotiate a final agreement to vote on before sending it to the governor’s desk for her signature.
A bill is advancing in the House that would ban instruction on LGBTQ topics in grades 7-12. If passed, the legislation would expand a 2023 law that bans instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation through 6th grade. The 2023 law is the subject of an ongoing legal challenge, with debate over what it means in practice. Opponents say it’s led some schools to restrict certain student groups, while the state argues those restrictions are interpretations, not explicit requirements, of the law.
Another bill moving through the House would change the definition of bullying. Currently, Iowa Code defines bullying as an action toward a student based on actual or perceived traits or characteristics, including gender identity, race, creed and more. The proposed change would take out references to “perceived traits and characteristics.” Supporters say that would ensure all students receive the same level of protection and focus the definition of bullying and harassment on behavior, rather than identity. Opponents of the law say the current definition works to help school officials understand common reasons that kids might be bullied.
Higher education legislation
The new House Higher Education Committee advanced several bills last week. One would create a “School of Intellectual Freedom” at the University of Iowa. The program would have degree programs and classes based on the U.S. Constitution. Supporters, including a UI professor, say there are far more liberal professors than conservatives at the university and that the program would increase diversity of thought.
Citizenship status on Iowa IDs
A bill moving through the house would add citizenship status to state IDs. Republicans who support it say it would make it easier to verify citizenship status of voters on Election Day. Republican lawmakers say the change would help with election integrity, while critics say there are more questions than answers and that the bill could lead to discrimination.
Reynolds launches DOGE
The governor signed an executive order Feb. 10 to create an Iowa DOGE task force. She appointed Emily Schmitt, chief administrative officer and general counsel for Sukup Manufacturing, to lead the group.
Reynolds said the task force will have three broad goals: maximizing return on taxpayer investment, refining workforce and job training programs, and leveraging technology like artificial intelligence.
The governor says she sees the new task force as a continuation of her ongoing state government efficiency efforts. The main change is that the task force will also be looking for ways to increase efficiencies in local government, and in the state’s interactions with the federal government.
Looking ahead
Republican leaders are expected to work on reaching an agreement on K-12 funding for the next school year.
