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Iowa lawmakers gavel in for 2023 legislative session

Top Iowa Republicans say their top priorities are school choice and property tax reform. Top Iowa Democrats say they're committed to funding public schools and protecting abortion access.

Iowa lawmakers gavel in for 2023 legislative session

Top Iowa Republicans say their top priorities are school choice and property tax reform. Top Iowa Democrats say they're committed to funding public schools and protecting abortion access.

TEAM’S PLAYOFF RUN. WORK HAS BEGUN AT THE IOWA STATE HOUSE AS THE 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION GETS UNDERWAY. vlog CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER IS TRACKING THE ACTION AT THE STATE HOUSE TODAY. SHE JOINS US WITH WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE FOR THIS SESSION. AMANDA. WELL, STACEY, LAWMAKERS FOR MONTHS HAVE BEEN ACTUALLY OUT OF THE STATE HOUSE. THEY’VE BEEN OUT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL TO TALKING TO IOWANS AHEAD OF THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS. BUT NOW THAT THEY’RE BACK AT THE STATE HOUSE, IT’S TIME TO TURN THOSE CAMPAIGN PLATFORMS INTO REALITY. AND LAWMAKERS SAY THEY HOPE TO START WITH ACTION ON EDUCATION AND TAXES. WITH THE FALL OF A GAVEL AND THE BUZZ OF LAWMAKERS FILLING THE CHAMBER, THE STATE HOUSE IS BACK IN SESSION. WE’RE ALL HERE FOR THE SAME REASONS TO TRY TO MAKE IOWA THE BEST PLACE TO WORK, LIVE AND RAISE A FAMILY WITH AN EXPANDED MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE. REPUBLICANS ARE LAUNCHING A THIRD ATTEMPT TO TRY AND PASS THEIR SCHOOL CHOICE PROPOSAL. THE PLAN WOULD USE TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO HELP SOME IOWANS PAY FOR THINGS LIKE HOMESCHOOLING OR PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION. PARENTAL CHOICE AND EDUCATION. AND FINDING THOSE ALTERNATIVES FOR ALL STUDENTS, NOT JUST THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD IT. FINDING THOSE THOSE PLACES WHERE WHERE KIDS CAN THRIVE TO THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL. HOUSE MINORITY LEADER JENNIFER CONOVER SAYS DEMOCRATS WILL KEEP PUSHING BACK AGAINST THAT PLAN. THIS PROGRAM, THE SCHEME WOULD DECIMATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE AISLE KNOW THERE’S A SMALL SCHOOL IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT COULD SHUT ITS DOORS IF THIS PLAN GOES FORWARD. ALTHOUGH DEMOCRATS WILL LIKELY HAVE A TOUGHER ROAD WITH AN EVEN SMALLER MINORITY THAN LAST SESSION, SAYS THEY’RE STILL EAGER TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING. IT’S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE LOWER COSTS FOR IOWA FAMILIES AND THAT MEANS REALLY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT CHILD CARE, REALLY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ACTUALLY TACKLING THOSE ISSUES AND RAISING WAGES FOR EVERYDAY IOWANS AND ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE. LAWMAKERS SAY IOWANS WILL LIKELY SEE CHANGES TO THEIR PROPERTY TAXES THIS YEAR. WE AGAIN ARE GOING TO PUSH HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT PROPERTY TAXES, ANY REDUCTION IN PROPERTY TAXES GOES TO HELP MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES FIRST. WHAT THE GOAL SHOULD BE, WHETHER THAT’S WHERE WE LAND IN THE END, WHAT THE GOAL SHOULD BE IS TO SIMPLIFY THAT PROCESS. SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY’RE PAYING FOR. THEY KNOW HOW THEY’RE PAYING FOR IT, AND THEY KNOW HOW THAT RELATES TO THE VALUE OF THEIR HOME. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF BILLS SURROUNDING EDUCATION THAT WERE LEFT ON THE TABLE LAST YEAR THAT REPUBLICANS ARE LOOKING TO REVIVE THAT INCLUDE BILLS ON SCHOOL TRANSPARENCY, HELPING PARENTS KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON IN THEIR CHILDREN’S CLASSROOM. ALSO TRYING TO REDUCE PHYSICAL VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS AND TRYING TO RECRUIT MORE TEACHERS TO HELP SOLVE IOWA’S TEACHER SHORTAGE. WE’LL HAVE MORE ON THOSE ISSUES AS WELL AS OTHER ISSUES THAT LAWMAKERS ARE LOOKING TO TACKLE. COMING UP TONIGHT AT SIX LIVE FROM THE STA
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Iowa lawmakers gavel in for 2023 legislative session

Top Iowa Republicans say their top priorities are school choice and property tax reform. Top Iowa Democrats say they're committed to funding public schools and protecting abortion access.

The 2023 Legislature is in session at the Iowa Statehouse. Lawmakers gaveled in at 10 a.m. Monday. State Republicans and Democrats laid out their visions for what they hope to accomplish this year. Most lawmakers are coming off the heels of a midterm election. After months of knocking on doors and making campaign promises to Iowans, legislators said they're eager to get to work on the issues they campaigned on. Republicans say their constituents want lower property taxes and expanded rights for parents in their children's education. Among other education reforms, lawmakers are likely to take immediate action on school choice. The plan would send taxpayer dollars to some Iowans to pay for private school tuition. School choice bills have failed the past two years at the statehouse and faced opposition on both sides of the aisle. However, after touting school choice as a central part of her re-election campaign, Governor Kim Reynolds and other key Republicans have expressed support to get the plan across the finish line this year."We’re digging deep into the issues that are oftentimes deemed too complicated to address like property taxes," Republican and Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley said in his opening remarks. "And we’re acting on the concerns we hear consistently from our constituents and are pushing back against the radical social agenda being forced upon us and our children by the left."Democrats will have a tougher road this session with a smaller minority than they had last year. But top Iowa Democrats say they remain focused on putting people over politics, fighting back against the school choice plan, expanding childcare, fixing the workforce shortage and protecting abortion access in Iowa."Let's remember that freedom includes the ability of people to make their own decisions about their own bodies," Democrat and House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst said in her opening remarks. "And let’s remember that our foundation of strong public schools is what got most of us here today."Watch: vlog's Amanda Rooker reports from the Statehouse as Iowa legislature begins

The 2023 Legislature is in session at the Iowa Statehouse. Lawmakers gaveled in at 10 a.m. Monday.

State Republicans and Democrats laid out their visions for what they hope to accomplish this year.

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Most lawmakers are coming off the heels of a midterm election. After months of knocking on doors and making campaign promises to Iowans, legislators said they're eager to get to work on the issues they campaigned on.

Republicans say their constituents want lower property taxes and expanded rights for parents in their children's education. Among other education reforms, lawmakers are likely to take immediate action on school choice.

The plan would send taxpayer dollars to some Iowans to pay for private school tuition. School choice bills have failed the past two years at the statehouse and faced opposition on both sides of the aisle.

However, after touting school choice as a central part of her re-election campaign, Governor Kim Reynolds and other key Republicans have expressed support to get the plan across the finish line this year.

"We’re digging deep into the issues that are oftentimes deemed too complicated to address like property taxes," Republican and Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley said in his opening remarks. "And we’re acting on the concerns we hear consistently from our constituents and are pushing back against the radical social agenda being forced upon us and our children by the left."

Democrats will have a tougher road this session with a smaller minority than they had last year. But top Iowa Democrats say they remain focused on putting people over politics, fighting back against the school choice plan, expanding childcare, fixing the workforce shortage and protecting abortion access in Iowa.

"Let's remember that freedom includes the ability of people to make their own decisions about their own bodies," Democrat and House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst said in her opening remarks. "And let’s remember that our foundation of strong public schools is what got most of us here today."

Watch: vlog's Amanda Rooker reports from the Statehouse as Iowa legislature begins