News from the Iowa Catholic Conference

 

The 91st Iowa General Assembly is scheduled to convene today, Monday, Jan. 13. Leaders will address the chambers about their plans for the session. Tomorrow night at 6 p.m., Gov. Kim Reynolds will present the “Condition of the State” message to the Legislature with live coverage from Iowa PBS. The Condition of the Judiciary and Condition of the National Guard speeches are also scheduled for this week.

ICC staff anticipates advocating for several key issues at the Capitol, including preschool funding, maternal health care, immigration, conscience rights for medical professionals, probation reform, and addressing the online black market for abortion pills.

Here are some lobbying basics for helping you make your views known to your legislators. 

Stay informed about the 2025 legislative session

The Iowa Catholic Conference is hosting a webinar on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. called “Advocating for Justice 2025.” Diocesan and ICC staff will update participants on current issues of interest and help participants find ways to advocate for justice. Register here. Don't miss this opportunity to learn and engage.

Enrollment in Catholic schools increases

Enrollment in Iowa’s Catholic schools increased in the 2024-25 school year. As of October 2024, there were 25,265 students enrolled in Catholic schools, up about 4% from the previous year.

About two-thirds of those students – 16,714 - received an Education Savings Account from the state, which means their family income was 400% or less of the federal poverty level. The number of students eligible for a free or reduced price lunch increased by 4.5% to 5,182. In addition:

• the number of non-White students was 5,835, a 4.6% increase
• there were 1,580 English Language Learner students, a 28% increase
• the number of students with IEPs increased by 15% to 834

Finally, there was a 77% increase in the number of Catholic school grade levels which have a waiting list to 96 statewide.

Let your friends know they can join the Iowa Alliance for Choice in Education and the National School Choice Awareness Foundation for a school fair at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 1 to 3 p.m. This event is free with family entertainment and will showcase different school and education options including public schools, private schools, microschools, and more.