Iowa Senate lawmakers approved a bill to increase state funding to public schools by 2 percent, conflicting with an increase of 2.25 percent bill advancing in the House.
The Senate bill, Senate File 167, would add an additional $157 per student and $148.9 million total increase in state funding to public schools, according to a fiscal analysis of the bill by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency.
The bill would also put 159 Iowa school districts, nearly half of the state’s 302 school districts, on budget guarantees.
Iowa code guarantees a school’s budget will increase by at least 1 percent over the previous year, and if that increase isn’t funded by state funds, it is funded by a general property tax levy — meaning those districts would have to increase property taxes to fund their fiscal year 2026 budgets.
The bill was approved mostly down party lines, 29-18, with two Republicans joining all Democrats in voting against the measures. Sens. Dawn Driscoll, R-Washington, and Charlie McClintock, R-Alburnett, voted against the bill, breaking with their party.
Senate Democrats said the bill would shortchange Iowa school districts that have had to deal with small increases in funding while inflation has wrecked their budgets and purchasing power.
“Public school funding is decreasing as school district expenses increase and private school vouchers explode, and now this year, this bill is only a 2 percent increase,” Sen. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, said.
Winckler introduced an amendment that was shot down on party lines to increase the funding by 5 percent.
A number of advocates said the legislation would start to help schools with catching up to inflation.
“We are going the wrong direction, senators, this is not just an education issue, it’s an economic issue, a workforce issue, a moral issue,” Winckler said. “When we invest in public education, we see real, measurable results.”
Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia, said the Democrats’ amendment was irresponsible and made promises the state’s budget couldn’t keep.
The state’s revenues are estimated to decline by almost $1 billion between fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2026, according to the state Revenue Estimating Conference, in large part due to income tax cuts passed by Republicans.
Evans said the Republican proposal invests in education, pointing to the more than $3 billion was spent on state supplemental aid alone.
Evans also said the proposal would give districts proper notice on how much they can expect from the state, unlike last year when the state aid funding was not signed into law until mid-March. The deadline for schools to set public hearings on their budgets is March 15.
The delay in passing a school funding number came during disagreement between both chambers and consideration of an increase in teacher pay.
Iowa law requires lawmakers to pass a school funding amount in the first 30 days of the legislative session.
“This bill makes a promise to local school districts that can be kept,” Evans said. “We believe it’s important to be honest with our school districts about the state’s finances and not over-promise.”
The bill, Evans said, demonstrates Republicans’ dedication to reliably funding public education.
“This bill continues our focus on funding students over systems, continues to demonstrate our commitment to educating, funding to help students in the educational setting that is best for them and will prepare them for success,” Evans said.
The bill would also increase the amount of funding for students who receive educational savings accounts, or state-funded accounts, to equal the state per pupil funding for private school expenses.
The program is expected to receive an additional $96 million in funding in fiscal 2026 as it expands eligibility to all students who attend accredited private schools in Iowa.
Iowa Senate unanimously passes bill to prohibit “bad blood” ticket bots
Iowa Senate lawmakers unanimously approved a bill to prohibit a person from creating a bot or creating multiple email addresses to buy more tickets than the allotted limit for any one online ticket purchase.
The bill, Senate File 146, passed the Iowa Senate unanimously 47-0 on Tuesday with both Democrats and Republicans voting for the measure.
The bill would also prohibit creating a bot to get around online queues, waiting periods, presale codes, or other sales limiting systems. The bill would require ticket sellers to report to the Iowa Attorney General for prosecution.
The bill would initially fine violators $10,000 and those who violate an injunction ordered under the bill a fine of $100,000.
The bill comes after widespread issues obtaining tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in 2023; Swift’s fans say bots and resellers are to blame. The Iowa Senate also passed a bill last year to prohibit the purchase of more than eight tickets by an individual. The bill never made it out of the House Economic Growth committee.
Iowa Sen. Kerry Gruenhagen, R-Walcott, said the bill intends to ensure Iowans can have an opportunity to get the tickets they want instead of having to pay exorbitant prices on resale tickets obtained by bots.
“Far too often, it is nearly impossible for regular citizens to purchase event tickets online because of the utilization and creation of bots,” Gruehagen said. “These bots flood websites selling event tickets, clog up the servers, and gobble up all the tickets.”
Iowa Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-Windsor Heights, said the bill would help Iowans who want to see live shows, including those who want to see Swift’s Eras tour.
“Iowans have some bad blood with ticket bots and price gouging,” Trone Garriott said. “In the past, ticket bots have run rampant and the consumer — you’re on your own, kid. Battling presale codes and grueling online cues is like fighting the great war. You could spend a fortnight trying to navigate the process, forcing Iowans to pay exorbitant costs and fees anytime they want to see a live show.”