The following is a legislative update from GOP Rep. Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake, Speaker of the Iowa House:
The second half of the Eighty-Eighth General Assembly convened on Monday, January 13th, and we are all excited to get back to work. This year will be a change in pace for me.
Serving as Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives was a tremendous honor and I am incredibly proud of the work the Iowa House accomplished during my tenure. We have seen great progress and achieved many positive things for the people of Iowa.
As the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Iowa House, I hope that my time at the Iowa State Capitol has inspired girls and young women. When you dream big and work hard, nothing is unattainable.
With deep respect for the Iowa House of Representatives and everyone who has supported me along the way, I have officially resigned as Speaker and will serve out the remainder of my term as State Representative for the people of House District 54.
Below are some of the Iowa House Republican priorities for 2020
Continued Budget Leadership
Ten years ago, the State of Iowa was in a much different position than it is today. The state budget was facing a billion-dollar deficit, K-12 schools and other critical programs were seeing their funding slashed, and Democrats were dragging the state deep into debt.
When House Republicans regained the majority in 2011, one of the first orders of business was getting the state’s fiscal house back in order. Since then, House Republicans have changed the culture of budgeting in Des Moines from one of debt and deficits to one that fulfills commitments and values taxpayers.
Today Iowans are seeing the benefits… The state budget has a healthy surplus, our reserve accounts are full, we are making smart investments, and taxes are being reduced on families and small businesses.
Iowans have come to expect strong budget leadership from House Republicans. This session, the Legislature will once again pass a responsible budget that funds priorities while keeping the hard-working taxpayers in mind.
Addressing Iowa’s Worker Shortage
Over the last several sessions, House Republicans have worked to help Iowans access the skills training they need to land good-paying careers in high demand fields. Future Ready Iowa is already attacking the skills gap with the help of the Last Dollar Scholarship by making job training programs more affordable to Iowans.
House Republicans want to further help Iowans enter the workforce and make it easier for them to climb the ladder towards a rewarding and fulfilling career. In addition, we also want to ensure that Iowa’s businesses have a pipeline of skilled, talented workers to fill open jobs.
This session, House Republicans want to take the next step and address some of the additional challenges that are holding workers and employers back from reaching their full potential.
Making Iowa’s Schools First
Since 2011, investment in Iowa’s K-12 system has increased by $863 million to an all-time record of nearly $3.3 billion per year. Most importantly, schools have been able to consistently depend on these resources without fear of seeing their budgets cut halfway through the school year like Democrats have done in the past.
School boards need time to set their budgets for the 2020-21 school year which is why House Republicans will make Iowa schools first and work to set Supplemental State Aid (SSA) as early as possible this session.
In addition to SSA, House Republicans have also made it a priority to reduce inequities that different school districts face. We have heard tremendous feedback from school board members and administrators about funding that has been provided to rural school districts that reduce higher than average transportation costs to bus students to and from school. Additionally, schools across the state are glad to see the Legislature addressing the long-standing property tax inequity that exists in our school funding formula.
House Republicans are committed to developing a K-12 funding package this session that supports schools of different sizes, makeups, and locations across the state.
I would once again like to thank all of my constituents back home who have allowed me the privilege and honor to serve as their voice in the Iowa House.
