It has been just over two weeks since the 2023 Iowa Legislative Session adjourned, allowing District 6 Senator Jason Schultz of Schleswig to fully reflect on the whirlwind of activity at the statehouse this year. The Students First Act, which created Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) for Iowa students attending an accredited private school, was expected to be a hot-button issue for legislators, but the bill passed relatively quickly early in the session. The bill’s detractors argued public funds should be allocated to public schools, but Schultz, who supported the bill, says that is not the case for nearly all taxpayer-funded programs.
Schultz believes an education program that funds students instead of systems will create an environment where schools compete for students, leading to improved educational outcomes for Iowa’s families. Property tax reform was another significant bill that narrowly made it into law this year. Schultz says the existing system had become too cumbersome for Iowans, including some elected officials, to grasp fully.
The bill automatically lowers school, city, and county levies in correlation with assessment increases. Schultz says the change requires elected officials to vote on any tax increases.
Schultz says another hotly contested bill was long-overdue updates to the state’s child labor laws. The new bill expands optional work hours for juvenile workers and broadens the tasks they can complete.
The recent session also included a major government realignment that cut the number of cabinet-level departments from 37 to 16, a ban on gender transition treatment for minors in the state, and tort reform, to name just a few. Schultz says not all of what he considers high-priority legislation made it through both chambers this year. His priorities for next year include a pro-2A bill that will expand Iowans’ gun rights and restrictions on how and when utilities can utilize the state’s eminent domain laws. The full interview with Senator Schultz from Tuesday morning on KCIM is included below.
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