03/31/2026
IOWA HOUSE DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS SUCCEED IN ADVANCEMENT OF THEIR BILLS TO HELP WORKING FAMILIES
Des Moines, Iowa — Today, Iowa House Democrats succeeded in advancing solutions for working families by voting to pull parts of their Working Families and Affordability Plan out of committee and place them on the House Calendar.
“At a time when Iowans are dealing with rising costs and economic uncertainty, the Legislature should be focused on helping working families get ahead,” said House Democratic Leader State Rep. State Representative Brian Meyer. “Meanwhile, their caucus has been busy raising taxes, ignoring the fiscal death spiral, and has yet to do anything to help working families this session.”
Our Working Families and Affordability Plan includes a package of bills to strengthen economic security for working Iowans, including:
-Increasing Iowa’s minimum wage to $15/an hour (HF 2378)
-Restoring collective bargaining rights for Iowa workers (HJR 2008)
-Cracking down on wage theft to ensure workers are paid what they earn (HF 2380)
-Strengthening unemployment insurance protections for workers who lose their jobs (HF 2384)
-Establishing paid family leave so Iowans don’t have to choose between a paycheck and caring for their family (HF 2631)
-Addressing worker misclassification that denies employees benefits and workplace protections (HF 2385)
Democrats said their package reflects policies that directly address the financial pressures many Iowa families are facing, including layoffs in manufacturing, protections for Iowa workers, and wage increases for thousands of Iowa families.
“Iowans expect their elected officials to focus on protecting workers and helping families make ends meet,” Leader Meyer added. "With our bills now on the House Calendar, Iowa Republicans have the opportunity to move forward with our policies that would do exactly that, and we look forward to ensuring these bills get a vote on the floor.”
Iowa House Democrats say they will continue pushing for policies that strengthen wages and protect workers.