2026 legislative agenda

Prioritize legislation promoting widespread opportunity for all Iowans — not legislation that divides us and further privileges wealthy households and corporations over everyone else.
Adequately fund the services that help make Iowa a great place to live, work and raise a family.
Protect state revenue and preserve the autonomy of future state lawmakers to respond to revenue challenges with the full set of policy tools.
Acknowledge that local officials are elected to address community needs and protect their authority to advance local priorities without undue state interference.

Reject new broad-based cuts to individual or corporate income taxes.
Reject constitutional amendments that would tie the hands of future legislators. The constitution should not mandate a flat personal income tax or allow a legislative minority to overrule their colleagues on income tax increases.
Recapture lost revenue by uncoupling the Iowa tax code from tax provisions of the 2025 federal megabill that overwhelmingly benefit the rich, like the Qualified Small Business Stock deduction that shields large investors from paying taxes on gains from startups.
Limit property tax cuts to relief for lower-income households — a targeted approach that addresses housing affordability as it protects local governments’ ability to adequately fund services that make their communities good places to live, including recreation, public works and public safety.

Protect access to Medicaid, a critical source of revenue for hospitals and nursing homes and a critical source of coverage for children, low-wage workers and people with disabilities.
Preserve the long-term viability of SNAP by funding increased administrative costs as required by the federal government and investing in technology and staffing to reduce payment error rates.

Make permanent the pilot project providing categorical Child Care Assistance eligibility to child-care workers, who are among the lowest paid in any profession.
Strengthen Child Care Assistance by increasing provider reimbursement rates to the 100th percentile of the market rate and increasing the entrance income eligibility limit for families to at least 185% of the federal poverty level.
Offer more children all-day Pre-K by increasing funding for the state’s 4-year-old preschool program.
Expand access to paid family leave that improves family well-being and helps Iowa parents remain in the workforce.

Properly fund and staff the state’s wage, child labor and misclassification teams to increase enforcement and hold a higher standard for Iowa workers.
Reinstate the use of child labor permits for the employment of minors and realign Iowa’s child labor law to adhere to at least federal minimums.
Reform the Wage Payment Collection Law to require stronger protection and more efficient enforcement of wage rights.
Require contractor registration for labor brokers who often evade employer responsibility as they find workers for construction jobs.

Bold policy for families and communities