Opinion: Agenda for 2025: People over politics

By Iowa House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst

Iowans are proud of our long history of strong public schools, vibrant communities where neighbors look out for each other, and the freedom to make decisions for our own families.

Lately, however, we’ve heard from more and more folks who hardly recognize the Iowa they grew up in. They’re tired of politics getting in the way of progress. Honestly, so are we.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Iowans are hopeful for change. They’re ready for leaders who listen to them, not special interests. They’re ready to see our state grow again and to have the freedoms we all deserve.

Iowa House Democrats have been listening to Iowans and we want to get to work on the issues important to them. It’s not about what special interests at the capitol demand from politicians - it’s about what Iowans deserve from their leaders. That’s what our People Over Politics effort is all about.

We believe it’s time to put politics aside, restore some balance to the legislature, and move forward again. That’s why we’ve developed an agenda for the 2025 legislative session that puts people over politics and is supported by a strong majority of Iowans.

Lowering Costs

Too many Iowans still need help to make ends meet today. Their wages simply aren’t keeping up with the rising costs of healthcare, food, child care, and utility bills.

While we recognize the state legislature cannot control the ups and downs of the national economy, we can help lower costs and reduce living expenses for Iowans by expanding access to affordable childcare, creating more affordable housing options, lowering taxes for working families instead of handouts to big corporations, and capping healthcare costs while expanding access to mental healthcare.

Supporting Iowa’s Public Schools

Iowans have counted on great public schools to educate our kids and be the heart of communities large and small. But we’ve lost ground because GOP lawmakers have underfunded public schools and shifted almost $400 million from public schools to private schools in the last two years alone.

Our state must renew its commitment to strong public schools by fully funding public schools to keep up with rising costs; guaranteeing every kid has access to a great education; raising pay for all educators; ending the Governor’s voucher scheme to keep public money in public schools; empowering local schools and AEAs to do what’s best for students; and ending book bans.

Restore Reproductive Freedom

Everyone deserves the right to make their own healthcare decisions, especially when it comes to reproductive care and abortion. Lawmakers have no place interfering in someone else’s decisions about when to start a family because private health care decisions belong between an individual, their family, and their doctor. While a strong majority of Iowans support reproductive freedom, Reynolds and GOP lawmakers passed a strict six-week ban on abortion that is now law in Iowa.

Democrats have been and will continue to fight for reproductive freedom for all. We can restore reproductive autonomy in Iowa by overturning the GOP’s six-week abortion ban, adding reproductive freedom protections to Iowa’s Constitution, expanding access to reproductive health care across Iowa (especially in rural areas), and passing legislation protecting access to infertility treatments (IVF) and birth control.

Legalize Marijuana

Another area of interest among Iowans is recreational marijuana. A majority of adult Iowans support legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Legalizing marijuana for adult use will keep Iowans safe, stop our tax dollars from going to neighboring states, improve the quality of life for Iowans suffering from chronic illnesses, and stop wasting state resources to unfairly punish Iowans.

We know Iowans are just exhausted with politics right now. But it’s not too late to work together on the issues that most Iowans agree on and stay focused on improving their lives.

That’s people over politics.

State Representative Jennifer Konfrst of Windsor Heights serves the 32nd District in the Iowa House and is the Iowa House Democratic Leader.