Barker

This is the week after the 2nd legislative funnel deadline, which means that the picture is starting to become more clear about which bills are still alive. I continue to champion the Maternity Home / Strong Families Tax Credit, which continues to be eligible in the Ways & Means Committee. Property tax reform and landowner protections remain two large items that I am hopeful are resolved this session.

Iowa is #1 in affordability

Although Iowans have seen a rise in inflation like everyone else across the country, we’re winning when it comes to affordability. Recently, the nonpartisan Common Sense Institute released its report on affordability in America.The report examines how states have been affected by the post-pandemic rise in inflation. It compares household incomes to a list of essential expenses to compare people’s purchasing power.

This report ranks Iowa and the #1 state for affordability. Iowa households spent $9,000 more on basic expenses (housing, utilities, groceries, health and car insurance, gas, and childcare) in 2025 than in 2019. While that’s a big increase, that’s significantly less than the $15,400 increase seen on average across the country. While income grew by 30% between 2019 and 2025, expenses grew by 22% during that time. That 22% increase is the fourth slowest in the nation.

Even though prices have risen, households in Iowa have seen their spending power increase. After covering the basics, Iowans are holding onto 4% more of their paycheck. Also worth noting from the report – Iowa’s child care costs are the 4th lowest in the nation relative to income. In the House, we’ve passed many bills to expand access to quality, affordable child care, and it’s paying off.

This is what conservative leadership gets you. We’ve made smart decisions when handling our state budget and been innovative in our legislative solutions to help Iowans through the years of soaring inflation.

We’ve ensured that Iowa remains the most affordable and stable place to live, work, and raise a family. And you can count on Republicans to continue to lead Iowa down this prosperous path.

Improving education for advanced learners

This week, we passed SF 2220 through the Iowa House. This bill aims to improve how Iowa identifies and supports high-achieving students. Some of the main provisions include:

School districts must use multiple data sources–including standardized tests, student achievement, cognitive and creative ability, and parent/teacher input–to identify gifted students.

It also ensures that schools are identifying students across all populations, including special education and English language learners.

School boards must develop an advanced mathematics pathway designed to increase the number of students who complete higher-level math courses in grades 9-12 and enable students to be prepared for algebra I as early as middle school and complete it no later than the end of 9th grade.

Students who score at an advanced level on the statewide math assessment, or meet other indicators, are automatically enrolled in advanced courses.

In Iowa, we want to maximize the potential of our students by removing barriers to advanced coursework and ensuring that high achievers are challenged.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to work hard on your behalf in Des Moines! Follow “Barker for Iowa” on social media channels to stay up to date on my work. Please reach out to me about any questions, concerns, or suggestions at brett.barker@legis.iowa.gov.

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Brett Barker, a Republican from Nevada, represents District 51 in the Iowa House.