DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature adjourned Saturday after using their majorities to push through a conservative agenda that included the nation’s strictest abortion restriction and a large tax cut. Some bill still await Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signature.
Here’s some highlights:
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TAX CUTS
Republicans approved significant changes to Iowa’s tax system that would reduce personal income taxes and phase in some cuts to corporate tax rates. It’s expected to cost roughly $362 million over the next two years. That total would climb to more than $2.1 billion by 2024 if economic conditions are met.
Most taxpayers will pay less in income taxes, though the Iowa Department of Revenue estimates high-income Iowans will see substantially more savings.
Democrats argue savings for working-class families would be lost to increases in sales taxes, which would be expanded to include digital purchases like e-books and streaming video services like Netflix.
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SOCIAL ISSUES
Legislation aimed at restricting abortion and enforcing immigration were key issues this session.
Reynolds signed into law a ban on most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, or at around six weeks of pregnancy. It’s considered the strictest abortion regulation in the nation. It’s also expected to be challenged in court prior to taking effect July 1, which could place the law on hold.
A new immigration law targets “sanctuary cities,” a catch-all label for jurisdictions that limit local involvement in federal immigration enforcement. Iowa doesn’t have any sanctuary cities. The measure requires law enforcement to follow requests from federal agents to hold a jailed person suspected of being in the country illegally. Attorneys say that could lead to lawsuits.
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BUDGET ISSUES
A roughly $7.4 billion state budget, which goes into effect on July 1, will pay for a large swath of state government.
The Legislature has been forced to make mid-year spending cuts the past two years, and Republican leaders pledged this session to save enough money to avoid returning to the chopping block. However, negotiations are still pending on contracts for the state’s privatized Medicaid system, leaving some costs uncertain for the upcoming budget year.
Republicans considered phasing out so-called “backfill” payments to local governments that help cover lost revenue from earlier commercial and industrial property tax cuts. Legislation wasn’t approved, but the issue is expected to be taken up next year.
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HEALTH CARE
Bills to expand mental health services for adults and to address the opioid epidemic received bipartisan support.
The mental health legislation creates access centers to provide short-term care for people in crisis and seeks to improve the availability of hospital beds for psychiatric patients. Reynolds later issued an executive order to look at expanding mental health services for children and teens.
The opioid bill will expand participation in Iowa’s prescription monitoring program and seeks to reduce opioid prescriptions. It also establishes a good Samaritan law for anyone seeking treatment for an overdose patient.
Legislators passed legislation aimed at addressing issues with Medicaid. It requires the private companies overseeing the program to provide written notice for claim denials, though Democrats said penalties aren’t established. A new law will allow Iowa Farm Bureau to offer limited health care coverage that doesn’t meet federal requirements under the Affordable Care Act.
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SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
The topic of sexual misconduct influenced the session.
Lawmakers returned in January just months after the state agreed to pay $1.75 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a former staffer for Senate Republicans. The ex-employee, Kirsten Anderson, said she was fired after reporting verbal abuse in the workplace. A jury sided with Anderson, whose case led to an internal report that indicated Senate GOP staffers fear retaliation if they report misconduct. A human resources director was later hired for the Legislature.
Bill Dix, the former Senate majority leader who disputed Anderson’s lawsuit, resigned in March after video showed the married Republican kissing a lobbyist who wasn’t his wife. The Senate later adopted new ethic rules and employee policies to address sexual misconduct.
Separately, Reynolds received criticism over her handling of the abrupt dismissal of Dave Jamison. The former state housing agency director, who was a close political ally of the governor, was fired in March over “credible allegations of sexual harassment.” Records obtained by The Associated Press showed Jamison was accused of harassing female subordinates for years by making crude sexual comments. Reynolds has since ordered an independent investigation into the agency.
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Associated Press writer Barbara Rodriguez contributed to this report.
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