Progress Iowa Executive Director Mazie Stilwell issued the following statement in response to the end of the 2025 legislative session:
“The GOP supermajority with near-complete control over our state government has failed to make life better for everyday Iowans. They had the chance to lower costs for families, but they chose corporations and culture wars. Iowans remember when our public schools were the best in the nation and freedom meant minding your own business. Instead of investing in public schools, feeding hungry kids, or making workers safer on the job, Gov. Reynolds and the GOP rushed bills over the finish line that took rights away from Iowans and made life harder for Iowa families. Iowa is now the first state in the nation to take civil rights protections away from their residents, students will now be shown dangerous disinformation in politicized classrooms, and, once again, the majority party reduced workers’ unemployment benefits in favor of big corporate tax breaks. Bottom line, the Iowa GOP is drunk on their power and have completely lost sight of making Iowans’ lives easier. Reynolds’ decision to retire is a blessing for Iowans. Not only is she out of touch with what Iowans need, she’s only made life in Iowa more difficult, more divisive, and more expensive.”
