Iowa General Assembly
| Iowa General Assembly | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type: | State legislature |
| Term limits: | None |
| Session start: | January 8, 2024 |
| Website: | Official Legislature Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Amy Sinclair |
| House Speaker: | Pat Grassley (R) |
| Majority Leader: | Senate: Jack Whitver (R) House: Matt Windschitl (R) |
| Minority Leader: | Senate: Pam Jochum (D) House: Jennifer Konfrst (D) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 50 (Senate), 100 (House) |
| Length of term: | 4 years (Senate), 2 years (House) |
| Authority: | Legislative Department, Iowa Constitution, Sec 3 |
| Salary: | $25,000/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Next election: | November 5, 2024 |
| Redistricting: | Iowa Board of Apportionment |
The Iowa General Assembly (or IGA) is the state legislature of Iowa. The General Assembly convenes within the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines. It is a bicameral legislature composed of an upper house, the Iowa State Senate, and a lower house, the Iowa House of Representatives.
Iowa has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.
Senate
The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 members of the Senate, representing fifty single-member districts across the state.
As of the 2020 Census, Iowa state senators represented an average of 63,848 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 61,076 residents.
The Senate meets at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.
Unlike the lower house, the Iowa House of Representatives, Senators serve four-year terms and half of the chamber is up for re-election every two years. There are no term limits.
| Party | As of November 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 16 | |
| Republican Party | 33 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 50 | |
Click here for a list of members of this chamber.
Republicans won control of the Iowa State Senate in 2016. In 2022, they won a 34-16 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Iowa Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Iowa State Senate election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 26 | 27 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 25* | 30 | 32 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
| Republicans | 24 | 23 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 25* | 20 | 18 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 34 |
Before 1992
The Iowa State Senate switched partisan control 10 times from 1900 to 2022.
House of Representatives
The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 100 members of the House of Representatives.
As of the 2020 Census, Iowa state representatives represented an average of 31,924 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 30,538 residents.
Unlike the upper house, the Iowa Senate, state representatives serve two-year terms with the whole chamber up for re-election in even-numbered years. There are no term limits.
| Party | As of November 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 36 | |
| Republican Party | 64 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Click here for a list of members of this chamber.
Republicans won control of the Iowa House of Representatives in 2010. In 2022, they won a 64-36 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Iowa House following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Iowa House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 49 | 36 | 46 | 44 | 44 | 46 | 49 | 54 | 56 | 42 | 47 | 43 | 41 | 46 | 41 | 36 |
| Republicans | 51 | 64 | 54 | 56 | 56 | 54 | 51 | 46 | 44 | 58 | 53 | 57 | 59 | 54 | 59 | 64 |
Before 1992
The Iowa House of Representatives switched partisan control 10 times from 1900 to 2022.
Elections
2026
Elections for the Iowa State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.
Elections for the Iowa House of Representatives will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.
2024
Elections for the Iowa State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was June 4, 2024. The filing deadline was March 15, 2024.
Elections for the Iowa House of Representatives took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was June 4, 2024. The filing deadline was March 15, 2024.
2022
Elections for the Iowa State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for June 7, 2022. The filing deadline was March 18, 2022.
Elections for the Iowa House of Representatives took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for June 7, 2022. The filing deadline was March 18, 2022.
2020
Elections for the office of Iowa State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 2, 2020. The filing deadline was March 13, 2020.
Elections for the office of Iowa House of Representatives took place in 2020. All 100 seats were up for election. Forty-seven were held by Democrats and 53 were held by Republicans.
The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 2, 2020. The filing deadline was March 13, 2020.
In the 2020 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Iowa House from 53-47 to 59-41.
| Iowa House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 47 | 41 | |
| Republican Party | 53 | 59 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
2018
Elections for the Iowa State Senate took place in 2018. A closed primary election took place on June 5, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 16, 2018.
Elections for the Iowa House of Representatives took place in 2018. A closed primary election took place on June 5, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 16, 2018.
2016
Elections for the Iowa State Senate were held in 2016. The primary election took place on June 7, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 18, 2016.
Elections for the Iowa House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 7, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 18, 2016.
2014
Elections for the Iowa State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 14, 2014.
Elections for the Iowa House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 14, 2014.
2012
Elections for the office of Iowa State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on June 5, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was March 16, 2012.
Elections for the office of Iowa House of Representatives took place in 2012. The primary election was held on June 5, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was March 16, 2012.
2010
Elections for the office of Iowa State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on June 8, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was March 19, 2010.
Elections for the office of Iowa House of Representatives took place in 2010. The primary election was held on June 8, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was March 19, 2010.
Sessions
The Legislative Department of the Iowa Constitution establishes when the General Assembly is to be in session. Section 2 of the article states that the General Assembly is to convene its regular session on the second Monday of January of each year. The General Assembly can also be called into special session by a proclamation of the Governor of Iowa or by a written request of two-thirds of both houses of the General Assembly.
Bills may be pre-filed for the senate between odd year and even year sessions.[1]
2024
In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 8, 2024, and adjourn on April 20, 2024.
2023
In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 9, 2023, and adjourn on May 4, 2023.
| Click [show] for past years' session dates. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
2022In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 10, 2022, and adjourn on May 24, 2022. 2021In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 11, 2021, and adjourn on May 19, 2021. 2020In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 13, 2020, and adjourn on June 14, 2020.
Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. The Iowa State Legislature suspended its session, effective March 16, 2020, through June 3, 2020. The suspension was initially scheduled to last through April 15, 2020. It was subsequently extended further, first to April 30, 2020, then to May 15, 2020, and then to June 3, 2020. The legislature adjourned on June 14, 2020.[2][3] 2019In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 14, 2019, through April 27, 2019. 2018In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 8, 2018, through May 5, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here. 2017
In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 9, 2017, through April 22, 2017. 2016
In 2016, the legislature was in session from January 11 through April 29. 2015
In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 12 through June 5 (extended session). Major issues in 2015Major issues during the 2015 legislative session included road funding, state budget, income tax cuts, broadband expansion, school calendars, local option sales taxes, medical marijuana, eminent domain, banning traffic cameras, and a sales tax increase.[4] 2014
In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 13 through May 2. Major issues in 2014Major issues during the 2014 legislative session included cutting the state income tax, increasing the gas tax, and a minimum wage increase.[5] 2013
In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 14 to May 23. Major issues in 2013Major issues during the 2013 legislative session included education reform, providing healthcare for low-income and other uninsured residents, and a tax relief package that sought to lower property taxes.[6] 2012
In 2012, the General Assembly was in session from January 9 to May 9. 2011
In 2011, the General Assembly was in session from January 10 through July 1. The legislature had an extended session due to concerns on how to reduce commercial property taxes. House Republicans favored a 25 percent reduction in commercial property tax rates, while Senate Democrats proposed a tax credit that would be paid directly to the owners of the commercial properties.[7] During the extended session, legislators did not receive per diem. Iowa legislative rules allow lawmakers to receive per diem for a maximum of 100 days in even numbered years, and 110 days in odd numbered years. The 110th calendar day of the 2011 session was April 30. The rules may be amended at any time to extend the legislative session. Session highlightsBudgetIowa ended its 2011 fiscal year with $54.5 million in revenue collections above estimated figures, an increase of six percent over fiscal 2010. The six percent increase was one percent higher than expected.[8] As a whole, Iowa collected $329.3 million more in revenue than it did in 2010.[8] School fundingA disagreement over state spending on public schools ended in compromise, with Democrats agreeing to a Republican-proposed two percent increase in spending (equivalent to about $60 million) for FY 2012. The Senate approved the plan by a vote of 26-19 and the House by 56-39. Though Democrats had originally asked for a three percent overall increase in funding, they secured an extra $24 million for preschool programs in exchange for their support for the Republican plan.[9] No property tax reformLawmakers failed to agree on reforms to the state's property tax system. House Republicans called for across-the-board property tax cuts, while Democrats sought to limit tax concessions to small businesses.[10] At the time, Iowa collected commercial property taxes based on 100 percent of a property's assessed value, a considerably higher level than in neighboring states; in Missouri, for instance, taxes were only calculated based on 33.3% of a property's value. 2010
In 2010, the General Assembly was in session from January 11th to March 30th. |
Role in state budget
- See also: Iowa state budget and finances
Iowa on 
|
The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[11]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies between June and July.
- Agency requests are submitted to the governor by October 1.
- Public hearings are held in December.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the Iowa State Legislature by February 1.
- The legislature adopts a budget in April or May.
- The fiscal year begins in July.
Iowa is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[11][12]
The governor is statutorily required to submit a balanced budget. In turn, the legislature is statutorily required to adopt a balanced budget.[11]
Legislators
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[13] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $25,000/year | $178/day for legislators who live outside of Polk County. $133.50/day for legislators who live within Polk County. |
Swearing in dates
Iowa state representatives always assume office the first day of January after their election.[14] Iowa state senators assume office on the first day of January which is not a Sunday or legal holiday.[15][16]
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Iowa
The Legislative Services Agency prepares redistricting plans for approval by the Iowa State Legislature. According to All About Redistricting, the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) consists of "civil servants committed to nonpartisanship and otherwise charged with tasks like legal and fiscal analysis of state legislation and state government oversight." The LSA is assisted by a commission, which consists of the following members:[17]
- one member selected by the majority leader of the Iowa State Senate
- one member selected by the majority leader of the Iowa House of Representatives
- one member selected by the minority leader of the Iowa State Senate
- one member selected by the minority leader of the Iowa House of Representatives
- one member selected by the first four members
The members of this commission cannot "hold partisan public office or an office in a political party, and none may be a relative or employee of a federal or state legislator (or the legislature as a whole)."[17]
Working with this commission, the LSA drafts congressional and state legislative district lines. The maps are presented as a single bill to the state legislature, which may approve or reject the bill without altering it (the legislature can provide feedback). If the legislature rejects the plan, the LSA must draft a second proposal. If the legislature rejects the second proposal, the LSA must draft a third, and final, set of maps. If the legislature rejects this plan, it may then approve its own maps. Since the implementation of this process in 1980, the state legislature has never chosen not to approve an LSA proposal. Redistricting plans are also subject to gubernatorial veto. In addition, the legislature may repeal or revise the maps at any time, though it has never done so.[17]
State law establishes the following criteria for both congressional and state legislative districts:[17]
- Districts must be "convenient and contiguous."
- Districts must "preserve the integrity of political subdivisions like counties and cities."
- Districts must "to the extent consistent with other requirements, [be] reasonably compact–defined in terms of regular polygons, comparisons of length and width, and overall boundary perimeter."
In addition, state House districts are required to be contained within state Senate districts "where possible, and where not in conflict with the criteria above." It is explicit in state law that district lines cannot be drawn "to favor a political party, incumbent, or other person or group."[17]
2020
On November 4, 2021, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed new congressional and state legislative maps into law after the state's Legislative Services Agency had proposed them on October 21, 2021. The Iowa legislature approved the maps on October 28, 2021, by a vote of 48-1 in the state Senate and 93-2 in the state House.[18] The legislature could only vote to approve or reject the maps and could not make any amendments. These maps took effect for Iowa's 2022 congressional and legislative elections.
2010
Iowa's population grew 4.1 percent between 2000 and 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Iowa's population was 2.93 million in 2000, and rose to 3.05 million in 2010. This rate was less than half of the national growth rate of roughly 10 percent between 2000 and 2010.[19] Due to this slow growth, the U.S. Census Bureau determined that Iowa would only be represented by four members of the U.S. House of Representatives, rather than the five seats Iowa had during the 2000-2010 decade.[20] Most of Iowa's growth occurred in the urban and suburban areas of the state, while most of the rural counties grew slowly or lost population.[21]
On March 31, 2011, the Iowa Legislative Service Agency released its first map. This map paired two incumbent Republicans together in one U.S. House district and two incumbent Democrats together in another U.S. House district. The map also created 7 potential incumbent versus incumbent matchups in the State Senate elections as well as seven districts without incumbents. The State House map created 14 vacant districts and 14 more potential incumbent versus incumbent races.[22]
The Iowa State Senate passed the plan 48 to 1. The House of Representatives approved the plan 90 to 7.[23]
The new State House districts varied from the ideal population count by no more than 1.93 percent, or less than a 300-resident deviation from the target for the least accurate district.[24]
District maps
State Senate
State House
Veto overrides
- See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures
State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Iowa are listed below.
How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.
| Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 67 of the 100 members in the Iowa House of Representatives and 34 of the 50 members in the Iowa State Senate. Iowa is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto. |
How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?
| Vetoes can be overridden in a special session called by the legislature.[25] Two-thirds of members in both chambers must agree to call for a special session.[26] |
Authority: Legislative Department, Section 16 of the Iowa Constitution.
| "Every bill which shall have passed the general assembly, shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the governor. If he approve, he shall sign it; but if not, he shall return it with his objections, to the house in which it originated, which shall enter the same upon their journal, and proceed to reconsider it; if, after such reconsideration, it again pass both houses, by yeas and nays, by a majority of two thirds of the members of each house, it shall become a law, notwithstanding the governor's objections." |
History
Partisan balance 1992-2013
Iowa State Senate: From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Iowa State Senate for 12 years while the Republican Party was the majority for 8 years. During the final seven years, the senate was controlled by the Democrats.
Across the country, there were 541 Democratic and 517 Republican state senates from 1992 to 2013.
Iowa State House of Representatives: From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Iowa State House of Representatives for five years while the Republicans were the majority for 17 years.
Across the country, there were 577 Democratic and 483 Republican State Houses of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Iowa, the Iowa State Senate and the Iowa House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
.PNG)
SQLI and partisanship
- To read the full report on the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI) in PDF form, click here.
The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Iowa state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Iowa had a nine-year period in the top-10 of the SQLI ranking between 2003 and 2012, under both divided government and a Democratic trifecta. During the period of the study, Iowa was in the top-10 of the SQLI ranking for twelve out of twenty years. Iowa claimed the top spot in the SQLI ranking twice, once in 2009 and again in 2012. The state’s lowest SQLI ranking came in 1995 (14th) under divided government.
- SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 3.50
- SQLI average with Republican trifecta: 12.00
- SQLI average with divided government: 8.87
Constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods in which the Iowa Constitution can be amended:
The Iowa Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution— a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. Iowa requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.
Legislature
A simple majority vote is required during two successive legislative sessions with an election for state legislators in between for the Iowa State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 51 votes in the Iowa House of Representatives and 26 votes in the Iowa State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Convention
According to Section 3 of Article X of the Iowa Constitution, a question about whether to hold a state constitutional convention is to automatically appear on the state's ballot every 10 years starting in 1970. Iowa is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question.
The table below shows the last and next constitutional convention question election years:
| State | Interval | Last question on the ballot | Next question on the ballot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 10 years | 2020 | 2030 |
2025 measures:
- See also: 2025 ballot measures
Certified:
- The following measures were certified for the ballot.
No measures to list
2024 measures:
Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature.
- See also: Iowa 2024 ballot measures
Certified:
- The following measures were certified for the ballot.
- Iowa Amendment 2, Gubernatorial Succession Amendment (2024)
- Iowa Amendment 1, Require Citizenship to Vote in Elections and Allow 17-Year-Olds to Vote in Primaries Amendment (2024)
See also
| Elections | Iowa State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Iowa Legislature, "Chamber Rules (Senate Rule 28, House Rule 29)," accessed February 9, 2021
- ↑ WHOtv.com, "Iowa Legislature to Suspend Session for 30 Days," March 15, 2020
- ↑ Des Moines Register, "Iowa Legislature to extend suspension of session through April 30 as coronavirus spreads," April 2, 2020
- ↑ Des Moines Register, "10 key issues facing Iowa Legislature in 2015," January 12, 2015
- ↑ theiowarepublican.com, "The Iowa 2014 Legislative Session: A Preview," January 13, 2014
- ↑ Des Moines Register, "Breaking News: Iowa Legislature could adjourn 2013 session Wednesday; progress made on key issues," May 21, 2013
- ↑ RadioIowa, Property tax reduction still holding up close of legislature, June 15, 2011
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 DesMoinesRegister.com, Iowa ends fiscal year with better-than-expected revenues, July 14, 2011
- ↑ The Courier, "Iowa’s school funding debate, by the numbers," June 29, 2011
- ↑ The Gazette, "Iowa Legislature taking 'bold' steps on property tax reform," May 11, 2011
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Iowa Constitution, "Article III, Legislative Department, Section 3," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ JUSTIA US Law, "Iowa Code, Section 39.8 - Term of office," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ Iowa Secretary of State, "Terms of Offices for Elected Officials," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 All About Redistricting, "Iowa," accessed April 21, 2015
- ↑ Des Moines Register, "Iowa lawmakers accept second redistricting plan, setting up next decade of politics," October 28, 2021
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "2010 Census: Iowa Profile," accessed February 9, 2021
- ↑ The Courier, "It's official: Iowa to lose Congressional seat," December 21, 2010
- ↑ Radio Iowa, "Detailed 2010 Census data for Iowa released," February 10, 2011
- ↑ The Iowa Independent, "Proposed redistricting plan brings minor legislative shifts," March 31, 2011
- ↑ Reuters, "Iowa legislature approves redistricting plan," April 14, 2011
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Redistricting Deviation Table," accessed February 9, 2021
- ↑ NewsOK, "Iowa lawmakers ponder a special session," May 19, 2013
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Special Sessions," May 6, 2009
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