State legislature convenes

January 15, 2025

Iowa Catholic Conference

by Tom Chapman, executive director of the Iowa Catholic Conference

The 91st Iowa General Assembly convened Monday, Jan. 13.

Leaders addressed the chambers about their plans for the session. On Jan. 14 at 6 p.m., Gov. Kim Reynolds was set to 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 were also scheduled.

Iowa Catholic Conference 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.

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.

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
  • and 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.

Praying for life

Starting Jan. 16, Catholics are invited to pray “9 Days for Life,” a novena for the protection of human life. In the Catholic Church, a ‘novena’ consists of prayers over nine successive days. Each day’s intention is accompanied by a short reflection and suggested actions to help build a culture of life.

The annual Prayer for Life event at the State Capitol is scheduled in the rotunda for Monday, Jan. 27. A rally begins at noon.

Help for wildfires in Los Angeles

We’ve all seen the pictures of the devastating fires in Los Angeles. Catholic Charities USA has created a wildfire relief fund to help.