Iowa House Democrats vowed to enact a handful of key legislative priorities, including repealing the state’s six-week abortion ban if they gain a legislative majority in November.

The House Democrats unveiled their legislative priorities for the next session during a press conference on Thursday as they seek to boost statehouse races to close in the Republican-held legislative trifecta.

The caucus plans to ride the coattails of Vice President Kamala Harris who has closed in on former President Donald Trump’s lead in the state, only trailing behind Trump by 4 percentage points according to the most recent Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll.

However, regaining control of the chamber is a tall order for Democrats who have lost seats in every election since 2018. To regain control, Democrats would have to retain all incumbents and flip 14 additional seats.

The Democrats have already regained one seat after Republicans failed to nominate a Republican for House District 81, which covers part of Davenport, after State Rep. Luana Stoltenberg, R-Davenport, decided to not run for reelection.

The House Democrats unveiled four key priorities for their legislative agenda: restore reproductive freedom, support public education, lower costs for Iowans, and legalize recreational marijuana.

Iowa Democrats say their legislative package conforms with the desires of more than 51 percent of Iowans, reflecting the issues they hear about when they knock doors.

“We think if we’re transparent with voters about the issues that we care about, that what we propose as policy reflects what they tell us they want, and that is in line with our values anyway,” Iowa House Democrat Leader Jeniffer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said. “We’re going to put pen to paper and propose the legislation to really do it because we think it’s important that Iowans feel heard and are represented.”

The House Democrats are looking to hold their current seats and flip a handful of seats they see as vulnerable in November, hoping their legislative agenda makes it clear where the caucus stands.

“In the next 40 days, we’ll be having these continued conversations with voters, and we hope when they go to the polls on November 5, they will make it clear that they want legislators who listen to them, not special interests,” Konfrst said.

Iowa House Republicans spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment on Thursday.

House Democrats laser in on reproductive freedom

House Democrats vowed to overturn the state’s six-week abortion ban if given the majority in the Iowa House this November.

The Democrats have criticized the near-total abortion ban passed by the Republican-controlled legislature and signed by Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for being out of touch with Iowan’s desires.

A recent Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll found that 64 percent of Iowans believe that abortion should be legal in most cases.

The near-total abortion ban was passed mostly along party lines in a July 2023 special session called by Reynolds after the Iowa Supreme Court was deadlocked on allowing a 2018 abortion ban to go into effect.

The ban prohibits abortions after fetal heart activity is detected with exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. However, reproductive healthcare advocates say the exceptions are too vague and can leave doctors indecisive.

House Democrats also vowed to introduce a constitutional amendment to add abortion rights to the Iowa Constitution.

House Democrats look to organize on education

House Democrats also vowed to fully fund Iowa’s public schools, repeal Area Education Reform, and raise teacher pay during a Thursday press conference.

House Democrats look to use the widely unpopular Area Education Agency reform passed by House Republicans earlier this year to give school districts more agency over special education funding.

A February Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll found that 56 percent of Iowans view Iowa’s Area Education Agencies favorably.

“We want every single kid in the state of Iowa to have their best chance at life, and so we want them to thrive in public schools,” Iowa House Democratic Whip Rep. Lindsay James, D-Dubuque, said Thursday. “What we’ve seen under Republican leadership is that the chronic underfunding of Public Schools has meant that we’ve gone from the top in the country [in education scores] to about the middle of the pack.”