2024 IA Legislative Scorecard

HF2319 bans Iowa counties and cities from creating or maintaining guaranteed income programs that give regular cash payments without work or training requirements. Existing programs may continue until January 1, 2025, or they expire. Violations can lead to cease-and-desist orders and legal action by the attorney general.

The Iowa State Senate passed HF2319 on April 16, 2024 by a vote of 35 to 13. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because the concept of a “guaranteed income” (i.e., ‘universal basic income’) relies on the immoral and anti-constitutional act of government-imposed theft disguised as taxation, which takes from citizens the wages they have rightfully earned. This manifestly socialist wealth-redistribution scheme violates both the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment, which were intended to protect against undue deprivation or disparagement of a person’s “property” and provide “equal protection of the laws” for all Americans.

SF2096 repeals a 1987 law mandating gender balance, political diversity, and racial representation in appointments to state boards and commissions, rolling back these "woke" requirements.

The Iowa State Senate passed SF2096 on February 20, 2024 by a vote of 32 to 15. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because repealing this law promotes true equality by treating all individuals the same, regardless of gender, race, or political affiliation. As stated in the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." This bill helps ensure that everyone is treated equally under the law.

SF2308 updates Iowa's disaster response by allowing the Governor to accept federal grants for expenses local or state funds can't cover. The state will contribute up to 25% for disaster aid and 10% for hazard mitigation, with the rest funded by applicants or federal support. Iowa can also request federal advances, to be repaid later.

The Iowa State Senate passed SF2308 on April 3, 2024 by a vote of 48 to 0. We have assigned pluses to the nays because, as President Grover Cleveland stated in his 1887 veto message for the Texas Seed Bill, "I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution, and I do not believe that the power and duty of the General Government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering…. Though the people support the Government the, Government should not support the people." Both that bill and SF2304 intended to secure government assistance for local disasters. However, it is not the government's role to solve every problem; these issues should be addressed by the private sector, the generosity of our friends and neighbors, and the principles of individualism.

SF2340 criminalizes illegal reentry, with penalties based on prior offenses, allows deportation orders, and grants immunity to officials enforcing the law, except for misconduct. It also bans deferred or suspended sentences for these convictions.

The Iowa State Senate passed SF2340 on March 5, 2024 by a vote of 34 to 16. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because this bill takes a strong stance against illegal reentry, reinforcing immigration laws that protect American sovereignty. By imposing penalties and curbing unlawful migration, SF2340 helps counter policies that facilitate mass migration and undermine our Republic’s constitutional foundations. It also safeguards the rule of law by ensuring that immigration-law violations are met with consequences, rather than leniency, which would further erode border security and national integrity.

SF2095 protects people's religious rights by preventing the government from imposing burdens on their religious practices. If someone's religious freedom is violated, they can seek legal action and potentially receive damages. The law applies to all state and local government actions.

The Iowa State Senate passed SF2095 on February 20, 2024 by a vote of 31 to 16. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because no law shall prohibit free exercise of religion and the right to peacefully assemble. These rights are protected by both the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and the government is not permitted under any instance or situation to suspend these God-given rights.