Rep. Christian Hermanson of Mason City bids farewell to Kim Reynolds, “a steady, principled leader for Iowa”

The following is a legislative update from State Representative Christian Hermanson (R–Mason City), representing District 59 – the eastern half of Cerro Gordo county – in the Iowa Legislature:

Week 13 of session is in the books – AT-EASE North Iowa!

As the dust settles from another week at the Capitol, and work ramps up in the budget subcommittees, Iowa House Republicans advanced key legislation to the Governor’s desk that builds on our strong, consistent record of investing in K-12 education. While headlines have almost exclusively focused on the 2% increase in Supplemental State Aid (SSA), that’s just one part of the broader education funding picture.

Here’s what this year’s school funding plan includes:

Raises the per-student funding formula to $7,988, an increase of $2.89 million

Increases the cap on Operational Sharing agreements by $940,000, helping rural schools share staff and reduce costs.

Boosts transportation equity funding by an additional $1.55 million, providing more support to districts with high transportation costs.

SSA: Increases from $3.79 billion to $3.89 billion, a $106 million increase.

Property Tax Relief Payment: Increased to $136.7 million, a $9.9 million gain.

These increases reflect a conservative, balanced approach, one that aims to keep taxes under control while prioritizing classroom needs. Iowa schools don’t rely solely on SSA. When you factor in funding from local property taxes, and other tax revenue streams, total public school funding in Iowa exceeds $8 billion annually.

Since gaining the majority in 2016, Iowa House Republicans and Governor Reynolds have consistently increased education funding every year, all while maintaining a strong commitment to responsible budgeting. In fact, the last time Iowa schools faced a funding cut was in 2009, when Democrat Governor Chet Culver and Democrat controlled House implemented a 10% reduction. While we pushed for a higher SSA rate in our discussions with the Governor and Senate colleagues, we successfully secured significant new investments in other key areas by negotiating thoughtfully and keeping long-term sustainability at the forefront.

While some states are being forced to make cuts, Iowa continues to invest in our students, support our teachers, and strengthen our schools, while also protecting taxpayers and maintaining local control. We don’t have to look far to see the outcomes from poor fiscal policy, our neighbors in Minnesota under a Democrat trifecta are facing a $6 billion budget shortfall and plan to cut more than $350 million from their education budget over the next two budget years. That’s the difference strong conservative leadership makes, it keeps our budget balanced, our priorities funded, and our future secure.

LEGISLATIVE WORK:

Tuesday, the 8th

Floor Debate

• HF 651 / SF 588 as amended – A bill for an act concerning local government notice requirements on certain actions.
  • Pass: Yes: 86 | No: 8 | Excused: 6
• HF 771 / SF 275 – A bill for an act requiring the director of the department of education to develop and administer a purple star school initiative.
  • Pass: Yes: 96 | No: 0 | Excused: 4
• HF 835 as amended – A bill for an act relating to school personnel training, emergency care planning, authorizations for assisting, and limitations of liability concerning students with epilepsy or a seizer disorder.
  • Pass: Yes: 94 | No: 2 | Excused: 4
• HF 947 / SF 592 – A bill for an act relating to county and city regulation of accessory dwelling units.
  • Pass: Yes: 89 | No: 7 | Excused: 4
• SF 460 – A bill for an act relating to home inspections, including persons authorized to perform home inspections and requirements for independent home inspection reports, providing penalties, and making penalties applicable.
  • Pass: Yes: 96 | No: 0 | Excused: 4
• SF 491 – A bill for an act prohibiting the use of remotely piloted aircraft flying over farm property, and making penalties applicable.
  • Pass: Yes: 88 | No: 7 | Excused: 5
• HF 782 as amended – A bill for an act relating to electronic devices in schools, including student access during instructional hours and school safety plans, and including effective date provisions.
  • Pass: Yes: 92 | No: 4 | Excused: 4
• HF SF 167 – A bill for an act relating to school funding by establishing the state percent of growth for the budget year beginning, July 1, 2025, modifying provisions relating to the property tax replacement payments, and including effective date provisions.
  • Pass: Yes: 59 | No: 36 | Excused: 5

Wednesday, the 9th

Ways & Means Committee

• HF 982 – A bill for an act relating to the natural hazard mitigation financing program, the disaster recovery housing assistance program, the disaster recovery new housing program, post-loss assignment of benefits, the licensing and regulation of adjusters, appraisers, and umpires, and the Iowa economic emergency fund, and providing penalties, making appropriations, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.(Formerly HF 957, HSB 246.)
  • Pass: Yes: 24 | No: 0 | Excused: 1

• HF 28 – A bill for an act relating to the creation of land redevelopment trusts.
  • Pass: Yes: 24 | No: 0 | Excused: 1
• HF 179 – A bill for an act providing for the licensing of food processing plants, including certain operations located on the premises of farms or private residences, and providing fees.(Formerly HF 32.)
  • Pass: Yes: 24 | No: 0 | Excused: 1
• HF 247 – A bill for an act exempting the sales price of honeybees from the state sales and use tax.
  • Pass: Yes: 24 | No: 0 | Excused: 1

• HF 565 – A bill for an act establishing a partial exemption on property taxes for certain residential properties sold in disaster areas.
  • Pass: Yes: 24 | No: 0 | Excused: 1

• HF 762 – A bill for an act requiring persons twelve years of age or older to pass a written test and obtain an education certificate prior to operating an all ­terrain vehicle or off ­road utility vehicle on streets, highways, certain land, ice, and trails, providing fees, and making penalties applicable.(Formerly HF 73.)
  • Pass: Yes: 23 | No: 1 | Excused: 1
• HF 772 – A bill for an act providing for an annual authorization fee to be collected by the college student aid commission from certain postsecondary educational institutions not subject to registration with the commission.(Formerly HSB 48.)
  • Pass: Yes: 24 | No: 0 | Excused: 1
• HF 831 – A bill for an act relating to human trafficking, including the establishment of human trafficking prosecution units and the remittance of wire transmission fees to the office to combat human trafficking.(Formerly HF 463.)
  • Pass: Yes: 24 | No: 0 | Excused: 1
• HSB 311 – A bill for an act authorizing the use of revenues from the district management levy to pay costs related to school safety and security and including applicability provisions.
  • Pass: Yes: 24 | No: 0 | Excused: 1
• HSB 319 – A bill for an act relating to the disposition of collected criminal case fines and establishing a victim restitution fund.
  • Pass: Yes: 24 | No: 0 | Excused: 1