Sen. Sweeney.

Our second legislative deadline for this year’s legislative session is getting closer. The eighth week of the session focused on debate, as well as starting our work on the bills we’ve received from the House of Representatives.

Enforcing our founding principle

A founding principle of this nation is the ability of Americans to buy land and improve their lot in life. This week the Senate passed SF 2324 to protect that opportunity for future generations. It prevents the state government from bidding against farmers to purchase land. This bill does not eliminate the ability of landowners to sell or donate land to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) if they wish. However, it does prevent the state government from bidding on land in an auction and using farmers’ tax dollars to compete against them to purchase land.

Last week, the Senate passed Senate File 2204, making Iowa’s land protection laws even stronger and ensuring we know who is buying land in our state. The House passed the bill this week, and it is one of the first pieces of legislation this session to be sent to the governor’s desk for her signature. Amid the international uncertainty and the security threats we are constantly experiencing, this bill is one way Iowa can protect our greatest resource from bad actors. SF 2204 and SF 2324 are both pieces of legislation to make sure Iowa is protecting one of its most treasured resources. The best stewards of Iowa’s farmland are its farmers.

Unemployment Insurance Program

In 2021, the Iowa Legislature reformed Iowa’s unemployment insurance program to get Iowans who lost their jobs back to work faster. Part of the implementation of that reform, as with many state policies, has been the adoption of rules at the agency level.

This week the Senate passed SF 2106 to put those rules into law. Data released last fall show this reform has been extraordinarily successful. The number of Iowans filing for unemployment fell almost in half, as did the time people spent on unemployment. Getting Iowans back to work faster helps address the workforce shortage and improves the lives of Iowans who lost their job. Since fewer people are on the program for a shorter amount of time, the unemployment trust fund has grown. Unemployment taxes paid by small businesses to fill the fund can now be reduced to their lowest level possible. Lower business taxes mean Iowa employers all across the state have more money to reward the work of their employees and expand their businesses, creating more career opportunities for all.

E-Verify passes Iowa Senate

The Iowa Senate passed a requirement this week for Iowa businesses to utilize an employment verification system commonly referred to as E-Verify. E-Verify is a federal database employers may use to verify the immigration status of a potential employee. The database is very accurate, easy to use, provides immediate results, and is free to the employer. More than 5,000 businesses in the state of Iowa already voluntarily use this program to ensure they are only hiring citizens and legal residents.

Senate File 108 would require businesses in Iowa to use this system to ensure they are not knowingly employing people in America illegally. On the first offense, a business would be required to terminate the employee and confirm to law enforcement the employee has been terminated. A second offense during the probationary period would cause the business to lose its license.

Illegal immigration has engulfed the southern border and precipitated chaos across the country. As with other state-level policies to address illegal immigration, SF 108 single-handedly cannot solve this problem. However, it is one policy implemented at the state level to reduce incentives to cross the border illegally, begin to restore order and stabilize the illegal immigration crisis.

State Senator Annette Sweeney represents Iowa Senate District 27 which covers Grundy, Tama, Hardin, and Poweshiek counties. Contact Sen. Sweeney at annette.sweeney@legis.iowa.gov.