Week eleven update

Iowa House Republicans have been active this past week, advancing legislation to bolster election integrity, safeguard landowners, enhance road safety, improve healthcare access, and refine public assistance programs.

For election security, House File 928 standardizes recounts with vote margin thresholds and entrusts county auditors — rather than campaigns — with oversight. House File 954 ensures only U.S. citizens vote by cleaning voter rolls, addressing the 35 noncitizen votes counted in 2024.

Protecting landowners from eminent domain misuse by CO2 pipeline projects, House File 943 bars taking agricultural land for such purposes. House File 639 requires pipeline companies to carry insurance, cover landowners’ added costs, and meet stricter public use standards for eminent domain.

Senate File 22 promotes safer roads by expanding Iowa’s texting-while-driving ban to all handheld device use, allowing hands-free options and imposing a $100 fine starting in 2026 after a warning phase.

Healthcare initiatives include House File 972, which consolidates loan repayment programs, funds 115 new medical residencies annually, and enhances rural care coordination. House File 887 removes regulatory hurdles for birth centers, and House File 919 designates ChildServe as a specialty children’s hospital for federal support.

House File 970 shifts SNAP toward healthier choices, seeking a federal waiver to redirect taxpayer funds from items like soda and candy — 20 percent of SNAP spending per a 2016 USDA study — to combat Iowa’s high obesity rates, while adding $1 million to Double Up Food Bucks.

Senate File 615 introduces work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients, broadly defined to include education or caregiving, with exemptions for the disabled, elderly, pregnant, and others, aiming to foster self-reliance.

These efforts highlight Iowa House Republicans’ commitment to practical solutions: securing elections, defending property, boosting safety and health, and promoting independence. While some might see measures like SNAP or Medicaid changes as challenging for certain groups, supporters view them as empowering steps toward better outcomes for all Iowans. As of March 27, this agenda reflects a forward-looking vision for the state.

Let’s keep the conversation going.