It’s Legislative Monday: Your weekly-ish wrap of what’s going on at the Iowa Capitol during the 2025 legislative session.
Pesticide Lawsuit Bill Faces Renewed Debate
A bill to prevent lawsuits against pesticide manufacturers for failing to warn consumers of health risks is back in the Legislature. The proposal was introduced by Bayer, the maker of Roundup, which has been the subject of more than 100,000 lawsuits.
The bill would prohibit lawsuits alleging pesticide manufacturers failed to warn consumers of health risks, as long as the manufacturer follows federal labeling requirements. A similar measure failed to pass last year but is seeing renewed support from Iowa agriculture and business groups.
Bayer argues that since federal regulations do not require a cancer warning on Roundup labels, they should not face lawsuits for omitting such warnings. Supporters claim that without this bill, access to Roundup could be restricted, though it remains a widely used herbicide.
Several environmental groups and the Iowa Association for Justice, which represents trial lawyers, have come out against the bill. They say the bill would cut off the only viable legal path for people seeking compensation for pesticide-related illnesses at a time when Iowa stands out for its high cancer rates. Critics also warn that the bill broadly applies to all pesticides registered with the EPA, not just Roundup.
Education update: Funding, cellphones and revisiting absenteeism
Lawmakers are still working to determine the K-12 education funding increase for the next school year, which is supposed to be finalized within the first month of each legislative session. Senate Republicans are moving forward with Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal for a 2% increase, while House Republicans are advocating for a 2.25% boost. Democrats are pushing for a more significant increase of 5%.
Reynolds’ proposal to ban cellphones in classrooms is moving forward, though it’s receiving some pushback from Democrats who say the decision should be left up to individual districts. Supporters of the bill contend that it still allows flexibility for schools to decide how to implement the ban.
Lawmakers are also revisiting a chronic absenteeism law passed at the end of the 2024 session. Proposed changes would require attendance meetings only if a student’s missed days are harming their academic progress. The new law would also expand the list of excusable absences and eliminate the requirement that schools send attendance-related notices via certified mail, which many districts have criticized for being too costly.
Eminent domain and carbon pipelines
A group of Republican lawmakers has introduced a set of bills aimed at strengthening landowner rights when faced with the use of eminent domain. This is in response to the potential use of eminent domain for a carbon capture pipeline in the state. The Iowa House has worked to pass similar legislation in the past, and there’s little indication that top Republicans in the Senate will give the legislation the support it would need to pass.
Looking Ahead
The House is planning to advance its school funding proposal, while lawmakers and activists will closely watch developments on the pesticide lawsuit bill. Additionally, more details are expected to emerge about Gov. Reynolds’ Iowa DOGE task force.