Competitive wages play an important role in recruiting and retaining a talented workforce.

There is still plenty of time to take our 2026 legislative priorities survey and tell us what you want the Legislature to focus on during the upcoming session! Click here to submit your response: bit.ly/2026Priorities

IPERS is a solvent system that works, and we must protect it for the one in ten Iowans who rely on it.

Every Iowan deserves affordable, reliable healthcare, but many working families in our rural communities are suffering with shrinking access to critical, and sometimes lifesaving, resources.

Kids need food. Full stop. But as costs rise on budget items like housing, utilities, and medical care, parents can be forced to make impossible choices that contribute to rising school lunch debt around the state.

Despite skyrocketing costs, Iowa is nearing 20 years with the same, stagnant minimum wage. Our Midwestern neighbors are leaving us behind.

Today, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we honor and remember the thousands of brave souls lost on December 7, 1941.

Take our 2026 issues survey and tell us what you want the Legislature to focus on in the upcoming legislative session: bit.ly/2026Priorities

Kitchen table issues like rising costs, education, and affordable housing will be front and center for legislative Democrats in 2026. Read Sen. Weiner and Rep. Meyer's column here: bit.ly/3Y77RiK

Don't let scammers ruin your holiday season!

We don't need to follow Alaska's missteps. IPERS is stable, reliable, and one of our most effective tools for worker recruitment and retention.

A new AARP study on caregiving shows the complex needs many working families face without access to reliable nursing facilities or affordable health care services. You can read the full study here: bit.ly/4pkRBqt

We'll always have working Iowans' backs.

2026 is almost here, and it's time to start looking ahead to the next legislative session! Take our brief issues survey and tell us your legislative priorities for the upcoming year: bit.ly/2026Priorities

Iowa's patient-to-physician ration ranks 44th nationally, and our ongoing doctor shortages threaten health care access in every corner of our state. Read more here: bit.ly/44EKbFZ

Iowans deserve the reassurance of a proper unemployment safety net as they work through job loss, especially during the holiday season. That's why Senate Democrats continue to fight to restore Iowans’ earned unemployment benefits.

Giving Tuesday is built on the idea of supporting your local community, by donating time, resources, or even something as small as an act of kindness toward a stranger. Celebrate #GivingTuesday in your community today!

One thing is clear — and it's not our water. The status quo isn't working when it comes to water quality and Iowans are begging for change. Lawmakers must come together to explore real solutions.

A HUGE shout-out to all the snowplow drivers across the state who worked late hours this holiday to keep our roads clear and our communities safe. Thank you! 👏

Take the opportunity to shop local today in celebration of Small Business Saturday!

Happy Thanksgiving, from our families to yours!

Tomorrow, Corbin Shuckahosee, a teen from South Tama, and his mom, Kathy, will join Native Pride Productions and seven other Native American dancers from reservations all across the U.S. and Canada to perform at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Congratulations, Corbin!

We're thankful every day for the working Iowans who power our state!

A reminder as we await a new update on our shrinking revenues: Republican lawmakers plan to pass deficit spending budgets for the foreseeable future.

From healthcare to housing, and many things in between, affordability is at the heart of the issues Iowans face today. Sen. Drey visited with WCPT to talk affordability and more as we head into the 2026 session. You can listen to her full interview here: bit.ly/WCPTDrey

It's beginning to look like the holidays at the Capitol...

The Iowa State Board of Education is seeking public comment on the rules for implementing two new laws passed in 2025. You can read more about the laws involved and how to comment here: bit.ly/4phgfaQ

Have you ever been interested in serving on a state board or commission? Information about the various openings and the application process are now available here: bit.ly/IAppoint

Every kid deserves an education. But some students shoulder an additional, heavy burden. As winter nears, please consider visiting your local school district's website to find info and resources for families experiencing homelessness or ways for community members to help.

Iowans, and especially the children we're meant to serve and protect, deserve oversight and accountability from the state's child welfare system. State departments like HHS must provide transparency so lawmakers can work to prevent future cases like Sabrina Ray's.

Expanding equal employment access to the trades for all Iowans is just smart business.

Comparatively low wage growth can have a negative effect on both worker recruitment and retention and economic expansion. We need to be able to entice workers to stay in Iowa, but the numbers show we're not stacking up well enough.

Over 180 researchers, scientists, and educators from universities across Iowa warn that rising temperatures and increasing weather disasters are driving an increase in insurance premiums. It's a vicious cycle that creates growing costs for Iowans.

A new study from The Commonwealth Fund goes in depth on the state of primary care in rural America, where the supply of doctors is not enough to keep up with the demand for care. You can read the study here: bit.ly/4p9Udqs

The medical professionals in Iowa's correctional facilities do hard, thankless work, and while the failure of this privatization effort is a big win for those workers, it shouldn't have been necessary. Working Iowans deserve respect and support, not threats to their livelihoods.

There are ripple effects for underfunding Iowa's public schools.

We work for Iowa workers. In 2026 and beyond, Senate Democrats will fight to make life more affordable so working Iowans can keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets.

People are more than numbers on a spreadsheet. Their names, their faces, their stories, their histories are part of the fabric of the community. If you want to understand what a plant closure means to a town like Burlington, hear it straight from them: bit.ly/4p3QCKw

Iowans deserve a government that works for them. Senate Democrats are focused on lowering costs for ALL Iowans, from our big cities to our small towns. Our communities prosper when daily life is more affordable.

"We know what happens when plants close. Families are hurt. Communities are devastated." Read about how workers at Case's plant in Burlington are fighting for their jobs, their families, and their community here: bit.ly/3K1k7xS

Read Sen. Weiner's full statement and the letter urging Case New Holland to remain in Burlington here: bit.ly/CNHletter

Iowa's legislative Democrats are urging Case New Holland to reconsider its decision to close Burlington's manufacturing plant. Read the full statement and letter to Case here: bit.ly/CNHletter

The Burlington community has powered Case New Holland's success for nearly 100 years. Generations of local workers proudly built and maintained a legacy of excellence.

Some of our senators snapped these cool photos from districts across the state as our Iowa skies lit up last night with beautiful northern lights! Forecasts show you might have another chance to see them tonight!

To the thousands of Iowans who have bravely served in the United States Armed Forces: Thank you.

Understaffed, overworked, and spread too thin: OB-GYNs are looking to Iowa's neighboring states for a more stable and supportive environment, leaving many Iowa communities struggling fulfill the need here at home.

The longer the federal shutdown continues, the more Iowa Head Start programs could be affected. 139 kids have already lost care and 45 workers have already been laid off. Read more here: bit.ly/47IZzlx

Experts warn of a loosening labor market as laid off workers – whose numbers soared in October – are now finding it more difficult to quickly secure new jobs.

Healthcare restrictions have ripple effects that worsen health outcomes for all Iowans. Attracting fewer medical students results in fewer doctors staying in Iowa. Fewer doctors means understaffed clinics and hospitals, especially in areas where options are already sparse.

You can read Sen. Donahue's full op-ed on protecting IPERS and fulfilling our promise to public workers here: bit.ly/3WLP2kB