Sen. Liz Bennett

Maddy summaryThis resolution honors Staff Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard and Staff Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, Iowa National Guard members killed in action during a December 2025 attack in Syria. It recognizes their military service, posthumous promotions, and sacrifices, while also acknowledging three wounded Iowa Guard soldiers from the same incident. The resolution directs that a copy be sent to the families of the two fallen soldiers as a formal tribute. As a ceremonial resolution, it has no policy or legal effect but serves to memorialize their service.

Maddy summaryThis Iowa bill requires employers to prove wage deductions are lawful and mandates written notices about pay schedules, wage calculation methods, and changes affecting pay. It demands detailed pay statements showing hours worked, sales, miles, or other metrics for each pay period. Employers face penalties including liquidated damages for intentional nonpayment of wages, and the law prohibits retaliation against employees who file wage complaints. The bill directly affects Iowa employers and employees by strengthening wage transparency and enforcement.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes increasing Iowa's state minimum hourly wage to $15.00 starting July 1, 2026, for most workers, with a lower rate of $14.10 for employees in their first 90 days of employment. It requires annual wage adjustments beginning July 1, 2027, tied directly to the federal Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) from the previous year. The bill ensures wages can only increase, never decrease, and applies to all covered workers in Iowa. This affects low-wage employees and employers across the state, with the first major increase set for 2026.

Maddy summarySF 505 codifies Iowa's existing Firsthome program under the Iowa Finance Authority, providing financial assistance to eligible first-time homebuyers. The program offers down payment/closing cost grants (capped at $10,000), second loans (repayable upon home sale or refinance), and free title certificates. To qualify, applicants must be first-time homebuyers (including military members with specific service requirements), meet income/price limits, maintain a 640+ credit score, have ≤45% debt-to-income ratio, and occupy the home as a primary residence within 60 days.

Maddy summarySF 463 amends Iowa's drug paraphernalia law to expand exemptions. It explicitly states that hypodermic needles or syringes sold or possessed for any lawful purpose (not just medical use) are no longer considered drug paraphernalia. The bill also adds a new exemption for equipment used to test for fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, or drug adulterants in controlled substances. These changes directly affect individuals using needles lawfully (e.g., for medical treatment or harm reduction programs) and organizations testing for dangerous substances. The bill does not change penalties for other drug paraphernalia uses.

Maddy summarySF 485 requires nonpublic schools receiving tuition payments through Iowa's education savings account program to meet specific standards. These schools must follow public school board accountability rules, submit required data reports, maintain accreditation like public schools, and comply with teacher licensing requirements. The bill modifies the definition of "qualified educational expenses" to include these new requirements for participating nonpublic schools. It also removes a previous provision that prevented the state from requiring schools to adjust their educational programs to receive payments.

Maddy summarySF 452 amends Iowa's public employee collective bargaining laws, directly affecting state and local government workers (including educators) and their unions. Key provisions include requiring written member consent for dues checkoff, specifying negotiable topics like health and safety (while excluding retirement systems), and revising election rules to prevent frequent union representation changes. The bill updates procedures for union certification, decertification, and collective bargaining agreements, with new rules limiting election petitions for one year after a certification or decertification. It also clarifies that public employers must negotiate in good faith on agreed-upon topics without forcing concessions.

Maddy summaryThis Iowa bill (SF 437) restricts former state officials and employees from certain private-sector activities for two years after leaving public service. It prohibits them from becoming lobbyists, authorizing others to lobby, or using inside knowledge for private employment involving cases they handled while in office. The bill also bans them from benefiting from state contracts they influenced during their tenure and requires state agencies to avoid contracts over $1,000 with businesses represented by recently departed officials (like legislators or agency heads). Violations are punishable as serious misdemeanors, with fines up to $2,560 and potential job sanctions.

Maddy summarySF 441 allows candidates for state office in Iowa to use campaign funds for dependent care expenses (like childcare or elder care) under strict conditions: the care must be directly tied to campaign activities or official duties if elected, the candidate wouldn't need it without running, payments must be reasonable, and the provider can't be a spouse or dependent child. Candidates must maintain detailed logs of each expense, including dates, purpose, cost, and provider, and preserve these records for five years. Violations may result in civil penalties up to $2,000 or, for willful violations, a serious misdemeanor punishable by fines up to $2,560. The bill directly affects candidates and their campaign committees who seek to cover dependent care costs using election funds.

Maddy summarySF 401 removes the legal defenses of "justification" and "diminished capacity" for individuals convicted of violent crimes (as defined in Iowa Code 915.10) or assaults (as defined in 915.10 and 708.1) committed due to a victim's sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Specifically, these defenses are unavailable when the crime results from a nonviolent sexual advance or the defendant's discovery, knowledge, or potential disclosure of the victim's identity. The bill does not alter the definitions of violent crime or assault but restricts certain legal defenses in these specific circumstances. It applies directly to defendants in such cases, limiting their ability to argue these defenses in court.