Proposed Budget Highlights
The governor said that over the past six years the state has been working together to set it on a course that promotes prosperity for all. The governor added her strategic plan is to get back to the basics. Additionally, her vision for Iowa includes: elevating education for every student; preparing the next-gen workforce; cutting taxes; supporting health and well-being; holding government accountable; and protecting Iowa’s farmland. Specific proposals include:
Elevating Education for Every Student
- Giving teachers a much-deserved raise by increasing the existing statutory minimum salary, establishing a statutory minimum for experienced teachers, and creating the Merit Teacher Incentive Fund.
- Implementing a standard, evidence-based literacy training program for teachers statewide to support reading proficiency by third grade.
- Supporting public charter schools in Iowa to provide more educational options for students and families.
- Reforming Iowa’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs) to focus on improving the delivery of high-quality special education services and supports for children and students with disabilities.
Preparing Iowa’s Next-Gen Workforce
- Reinvesting $30 million in existing funds to create the Workforce Opportunity Fund for sustaining critical work-based learning (WBL) programs.
- Allowing students to earn core credit for competency-based WBL programs and defining “WBL” in code to ensure consistent training.
- Refocusing the Last Dollar Scholar program to reward WBL experience and high demand career paths.
- Updating student teaching requirements to allow on-the-job experience.
Cutting Taxes for Iowans
- Accelerating and further reducing the flat tax transition from the current top rate of 5.7 percent to a 3.65 percent flat rate in tax year 2024, and then to 3.5 percent in 2025.
- Simplifying the unemployment insurance system to make Iowa’s business climate
- more competitive.
- Creating property tax parity between commercial childcare centers and in-home
- providers.
Supporting the Health and Well-being of Iowans
- Establishing Thrive Iowa to immediately connect Iowans in need to resources, followed by ongoing support while they work to achieve self-sustainability and long-term independence.
- Aligning Iowa’s mental health and disability services regions to improve services and outcomes.
- Investing Iowa’s opioid settlement funds in drug prevention, treatment, and recovery.
- Extending postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months.
- Providing paid paternal leave for state employees.
- Improving access to hormonal contraceptives.
- Protecting minors from online pornography.
Holding Government Accountable to Iowans
- Implementing the recommendations of the Boards and Commissions Review Committee.
- Updating Iowa code to include a regular review process for administrative rules and regulations.
Protecting Iowa’s Farmland
- Strengthening Iowa’s laws regarding foreign ownership of land.