Senate Democrats have a better deal for Iowans in 2024

As a state legislator, you must always remember who you work for. For me, it’s the folks I see up and down Jackson Street at home in Dubuque.

Out my front door, I see my neighbors catching the bus for work in the morning and coming home bone-tired in the evening. When I’m out gardening or taking a walk, they stop and tell me how they’re doing. They tell me how $13 an hour sure doesn’t go very far anymore, how hard it is to find child care for their children, how they’re concerned about Iowa schools and worried about losing their health care.

That’s what I hear about in my neighborhood, and it’s what Senate Democrats are hearing all across Iowa as we head into the 2024 legislative session. As the Senate Democratic leader, I’ve put 16,000 miles on my Chevy over the last few months, attending events from Villisca to La Motte to Fort Madison and beyond to meet Iowans and hear their concerns.

Whether it’s on a sidewalk in Dubuque, at a union hall in Keokuk, or in the library in Osage, Iowans are all saying the same thing: they’re fed up with culture wars and special interest giveaways. They’re tired of petty politics that divide us and deny our rights. And they’re worried about the future — for themselves and their children.

Iowans want a better deal from their state government, and that’s exactly what Senate Democrats are fighting for in 2024.

As the new session opens Monday, Senate Democrats pledge to lead with our shared values and advance an agenda that lifts all of us up together. And we’re challenging the governor and our colleagues across the aisle to join us in that effort.

Senate Democrats are committed to expanding and ensuring opportunity for every family, every child, and every worker in Iowa.

Every family in every community deserves a fair shot at success, comfort, and an opportunity to get ahead. Every child should have access to a high-quality public education that prepares them for the life they want. And every worker deserves a chance to earn a paycheck that supports their family and respects their work. Costs are too high — especially for essentials like housing and child care — and Iowans are hungry for solutions.

Senate Democrats also will stand strong for the freedom of all Iowans to make their own choices and live their own lives without interference from the government. Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain. Iowans believe in our state motto.

We know a strong majority of Iowans support safe, legal access to reproductive health, including abortion. Extreme bans like the one the Republican majority forced into law last year attack fundamental freedoms and endanger the health of Iowans.

Senate Democrats are also committed to accountability for politicians, government, and big business.

Our state government belongs to the people, and it should work for middle-class and working Iowans — not self-serving politicians, influential interest groups, and out-of-state corporations. Senate Democrats will enforce checks and balances and resist efforts to silence the voices of average Iowans.

Opportunity, freedom and accountability. I’m hopeful that Republicans will join us on this agenda, and that together we can govern in the best interest of every single Iowan.

Iowans want a better deal, and in 2024 Democrats are committed to delivering.

Iowa state Sen. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, is the Democratic leader in the Senate.