It was a quieter week at the Iowa State Capitol as we reach the final stretch of the 2025 legislative session. As the first year of a general assembly, session is scheduled for 110 days, and this year, that day falls on Friday, May 2. While legislators may continue working beyond this date, their per diem payments end, providing an incentive to finish their work for the year. In Iowa, it is not uncommon for the legislature to continue to convene beyond this date, and the legislature will likely continue beyond that May 2 date this year.
The Senate debated Monday through Wednesday but sent members home without debating on Thursday. The chamber passed 20 bills, sending eight to Governor Reynolds and 12 to the House. Meanwhile, the House debated all four days and passed 44 bills, sending 15 to the Governor and 29 to the Senate. Bills seeing action this week include:
There are still several large outstanding bills the legislature is still considering, such as ones relating to property taxes, tax credits, and energy. However, it is becoming increasingly likely that the legislature may choose to pull back on comprehensive policy reform and wait to address the outstanding issues until next session. Leadership continues to strategize how to prioritize legislative work in the remaining days of session and coordinate with members to determine what can be passed this year.
Budget Update
Annually, the legislature is required to approve the state budget for the upcoming fiscal year. In Week 13, Governor Kim Reynolds introduced several budget bills adjusted to reflect the reduction in the March Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) numbers. As anticipated, the Governor has issued a mostly status quo budget.
The legislature is not required to adopt the Governor’s budget bills. Rather, both the House and the Senate are working on developing their budget language based on internal targets. No numbers have been shared publicly, but the lack of major floor action indicates serious work is being done behind the scenes.
Governor Signs Series of Bills
At the end of Week 14, Governor Reynolds signed a series of bills into law.
The full list of bills signed in 2025 can be viewed here.
Soil Temperature Update
According to Iowa State University Soil Monitoring, the current soil temperatures around the state range from the mid-40s to above 60 degrees, with temperatures continuing to rise. There is only one week left until the legislative per diem runs out, so non-farming legislators are likely to join their farmer colleagues in pushing for adjournment.
What’s next?
Next week marks the 110th day of session. If the chambers wish to adjourn on time, or close to it, they will need to publicly release their budgets and begin immediate work on the passage of those bills. However, legislators may also attempt to pass bills related to energy, property taxes, unemployment taxes, and tax credits yet this year.
The full 2025 Session Timetable can be found here.
