IA · Officeholder
RState Representative · District 88
On the ballot Nov 3, 2026: Iowa House District 88
Helena Hayes is a Republican state representative for Iowa House District 88 and has served in the Iowa House since 2023.[1][2]
The Iowa Legislature's 2023 biography lists Hayes as self-employed with a bachelor's degree in environmental science and biology from Simpson College, born in 1973 in Harrison County, raised in Persia and living in New Sharon.[2] It lists Hayes as a Mahaska County Conservation Board naturalist and a Mahaska County 4-H leader.[2]
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-19. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Helena Hayes is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Iowa House District 88 as R. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Republicans voted. How topics are assigned
Most contested
Allows school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to employ chaplains, or engage unpaid chaplains, to support students without a state license; bars requiring students to use them or using a chaplain instead of a school counselor.
Mar 26, 2025 · Passed 57–39 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Establishing a center for intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa
Establishes a center for intellectual freedom at the University of Iowa to teach and research ideas shaping the American constitutional order, offer free speech and civil discourse programming, and offer an American history and civil government course.
Mar 18, 2025 · Passed 60–37 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Requires regents universities to set general education requirements totaling at most 37 credit hours, including western and American heritage, and bars those courses from distorting historical events or teaching identity politics or that systemic racism or privilege is inherent in U.S. or Iowa institutions.
Mar 18, 2025 · Passed 61–36 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Directs the state to seek federal approval to limit food stamp (SNAP) purchases to healthy foods, and, once approved, provides $1 million in grants for the Double Up Food Bucks program, which helps SNAP recipients buy fruits and vegetables.
Mar 26, 2025 · Passed 56–40 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Bars licensing boards from requiring continuing education unrelated to the licensed profession, and directs the Iowa Supreme Court to do the same for attorneys and to drop the requirement of an ABA-accredited law school to sit for the bar exam.
Feb 24, 2026 · Passed 53–38 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
On the version voted Mar 24, 2026: Replaces the premium tax on health maintenance organizations with a new health care-related tax, transfers about $347 million from the taxpayer relief fund to the general fund, and adds $89 million to Medicaid for the fiscal year ending June 2026.
Mar 19, 2026 · Passed 53–40 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Designating kratom as a schedule I controlled substance, and making penalties applicable
Adds kratom, including its plant parts, synthetic equivalents and compounds such as mitragynine, to the state's list of schedule I controlled substances, making possession a serious misdemeanor for a first offense, with harsher penalties for repeat offenses.
Mar 17, 2026 · Failed 44–51 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Changes how criminal fines are divided, from 91% for the state court administrator and 9% for counties to 85% and 8%, sending the remaining 7% to a new victim restitution fund run by the Department of Justice.
Apr 23, 2025 · Failed 35–58 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Concerning the duties of county commissioners and county auditors
Raises from $1,000 to $50,000 the cost above which county election commissioners must take bids, allows informal bidding at or below that amount, and removes many county auditor duties and a bond-indexing requirement.
Mar 27, 2025 · Passed 61–32 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Designating kratom as a schedule I controlled substance, and making penalties applicable
Adds kratom, including its plant parts, synthetic equivalents and compounds such as mitragynine, to the state's list of schedule I controlled substances, making possession a serious misdemeanor for a first offense, with harsher penalties for repeat offenses.
Mar 17, 2026 · Failed 44–51 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Directs the state to seek federal approval to limit food stamp (SNAP) purchases to healthy foods, and, once approved, provides $1 million in grants for the Double Up Food Bucks program, which helps SNAP recipients buy fruits and vegetables.
Mar 26, 2025 · Passed 56–40 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
On the version voted Mar 24, 2026: Replaces the premium tax on health maintenance organizations with a new health care-related tax, transfers about $347 million from the taxpayer relief fund to the general fund, and adds $89 million to Medicaid for the fiscal year ending June 2026.
Mar 19, 2026 · Passed 53–40 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Creates Gadsden flag "Don't Tread on Me" license plates with a $50 issuance fee and $50 annual fee, sending proceeds to state grants for firearm safety and right-to-bear-arms education, and drops the requirement that plate frames leave the county name visible.
May 12, 2025 · Failed 31–58 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
On the version voted Apr 15, 2026: Requires commercial driver's license applicants to pass a state English proficiency test starting by March 2027, makes driving a commercial vehicle without sufficient English a serious misdemeanor with a $1,000 fine, and fines carriers $10,000 per such driver they use.
Mar 31, 2026 · Passed 63–28 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Prohibiting the use of a language other than English for driver’s license examinations
Bars the Department of Transportation and third-party testers from using any language other than English to examine driver's license applicants, and removes driver's license examinations from the exceptions to Iowa's English-only rule for official documents.
Feb 26, 2026 · Passed 58–30 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Sets state rules for on-farm anaerobic digesters tied to livestock feeding operations, requiring Department of Natural Resources construction permits with fees up to $250, design standards, separation distances, and plans for spreading digestate on cropland, with violations subject to existing penalties.
Apr 17, 2025 · Failed 32–60 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Sets fiscal 2026 budgets for the state agriculture and natural resources departments and related programs from the general fund and other state funds, including animal disease preparedness, water quality and state park upkeep, and keeps money from selling state park land for that park.
May 13, 2025 · Failed 29–62 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Prohibits releasing chemicals, substances, or apparatus into the atmosphere to affect temperature, weather, climate, or sunlight, or for any purpose not otherwise regulated by law. Makes it a class D felony, each day a separate offense, and exempts licensed aerial application of agricultural inputs.
Mar 5, 2026 · Passed 59–26 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Appropriates FY 2026-27 money to the Economic Development Authority, Finance Authority, Workforce Development, and regents universities, and codifies the housing renewal program, with repayments retained by the nonprofit Iowa affiliate for new awards.
Apr 28, 2026 · Passed 57–32 · against most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Establishing drug-free homeless service zones, and providing penalties
Creates a crime of selling or transferring controlled substances within 300 feet of a homeless shelter or housing facility, adding a year to the sentence and barring probation. Makes it an aggravated misdemeanor for an operator to knowingly allow drug possession or use there.
Feb 25, 2026 · Passed 70–21 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
As introduced, repeals the Iowa smart planning principles and the requirement that cities and counties consider them when developing or amending comprehensive plans and land development regulations.
Mar 4, 2026 · Passed 72–25 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Lets members of Congress, statewide elected officials and state legislators ask county assessors and recorders to redact their names from public documents, and directs the secretary of state to recommend by November 1, 2026, how to protect candidates' home addresses.
Feb 26, 2026 · Failed 30–56 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
On the version voted Apr 30, 2026: Requires a local ordinance before automatic license plate readers are used, limits use to state-approved readers, bans facial recognition with them, requires logged searches tied to a case number, limits data sharing, and requires deleting images within 30 days unless relevant to a criminal case.
Apr 16, 2026 · Passed 77–11 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
On the version voted Apr 28, 2025: Changes the ban on flying drones over others' farms to cover flights, without the owner's consent, within 400 feet of farm animals, equipment or structures on farmsteads outside city limits with at least $15,000 in farm sales the prior year, and broadens what counts as drone surveillance.
Apr 8, 2025 · Passed 89–7 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Requires community college boards and the Board of Regents to adopt policies barring, and bars other Iowa degree-granting colleges from, new employment contracts starting July 1, 2026, with H-1B visa holders who are citizens of federally designated foreign adversary nations or state sponsors of terrorism.
Mar 3, 2026 · Failed 29–65 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Modifying provisions related to the national guard service scholarship program
On the version voted Apr 9, 2025: Caps National Guard service scholarships at the member's tuition minus federal military tuition aid received, and removes the rule that awards cannot depend on a member's unit, drill location or Army versus Air Guard branch.
Jan 30, 2025 · Failed 31–68 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Relating to the applicability of actions of certain international organizations
Declares that actions of the United Nations, its agencies and the World Economic Forum are not binding in Iowa, bars state and local governments from enforcing them, and requires the attorney general to seek court orders against violations.
May 12, 2025 · Passed 89–1 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Voted against most of their party on 7 of 318 party-divided votes on file.
Most often on: Jobs & cost of living (4), Climate & energy (2), Rights & public safety (2)
Relating to oil and gas production, including filing requirements, the authority of the department of natural resources, confidential information, pooling orders, negotiation of surface damage, imposition and distribution of a tax, and jurisdiction, and providing civil penalties
What it does: Imposes a 6% severance tax on oil and gas extracted in Iowa, mostly for the taxpayer relief fund and partly for counties, roads and water quality; requires surface owners' written permission before operators enter poo…
Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 10–15, Republicans 55–6
May 2, 2026Official record ↗
Relating to and making appropriations to the justice system, providing fees, and including applicability provisions
What it does: Funds justice, corrections, public defense, public safety and homeland security agencies for the year starting July 1, 2026, raises court-appointed lawyers' pay by $4 an hour, creates up to $10,000-a-year loan repayme…
Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 1–26, Republicans 53–5
May 2, 2026Official record ↗
Relating to and making appropriations for the economic development of the state, including to the economic development authority, Iowa finance authority, department of workforce development, and state board of regents and certain regents institutions, and codifying the housing renewal program
What it does: Appropriates FY 2026-27 money to the Economic Development Authority, Finance Authority, Workforce Development, and regents universities, and codifies the housing renewal program, with repayments retained by the nonpro…
Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 0–26, Republicans 57–6
Apr 28, 2026Official record ↗
Relating to and making appropriations for state government administration and regulation, including the department of administrative services, auditor of state, ethics and campaign disclosure board, offices of governor and lieutenant governor, department of inspections, appeals, and licensing, department of insurance and financial services, department of management, Iowa public employees’ retirement system, public information board, department of revenue, secretary of state, treasurer of stat...
What it does: On the version voted Apr 28, 2026: Appropriates FY 2026-27 general fund money to administrative, financial, and regulatory agencies, including administrative services, the auditor, revenue, the secretary of state, and…
Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 0–25, Republicans 56–8
Apr 27, 2026Official record ↗
Relating to agriculture, including by providing for the powers and duties of the department of agriculture and land stewardship, including the promotion and regulation of commodities and products; the regulation of the transportation of agricultural commodities; the use of agricultural land; and taxation, including property taxes, excise and sales taxes, and income taxes; making penalties applicable; and including effective date and applicability provisions
Amends the bill to add rules for proprietary onsite wastewater treatment systems: maintenance contracts with certified technicians renewed annually or biannually, annual or twice-yearly inspections, reports to the DNR with a public database, and a DNR study with a report due January 10, 2028. (AI-written)
What it does: Makes broad changes to agriculture law: creates dollar-for-dollar matching funds for schools buying Iowa farm products and grants for small meat processors, allows permitted milk trucks up to 136,000 pounds, repeals t…
Voted no · most Republicans voted yes · Democrats 5–19, Republicans 36–29
Apr 8, 2026Official record ↗
The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank
Designating kratom as a schedule I controlled substance, and making penalties applicable
With most of their party · Failed 44–51 · Yes 44–No 51 · Democrats 30–0, Republicans 14–51
Mar 17, 2026Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed 56–40 · Yes 56–No 40 · Democrats 0–32, Republicans 56–8
Mar 26, 2025Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed 53–38 · Yes 53–No 38 · Democrats 0–30, Republicans 53–8
Feb 24, 2026Official record ↗
With most of their party · Failed 35–58 · Yes 35–No 58 · Democrats 32–0, Republicans 3–58
Apr 23, 2025Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed 57–39 · Yes 57–No 39 · Democrats 0–32, Republicans 57–7
Mar 26, 2025Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed 53–40 · Yes 53–No 40 · Democrats 0–30, Republicans 53–10
Mar 19, 2026Official record ↗
Establishing a center for intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa
With most of their party · Passed 60–37 · Yes 60–No 37 · Democrats 0–33, Republicans 60–4
Mar 18, 2025Official record ↗
With most of their party · Failed 31–58 · Yes 31–No 58 · Democrats 31–0, Republicans 0–58
Apr 24, 2025Official record ↗
Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.
Motion: Shall the bill pass?
Lets the state award one business a tax credit of up to 10% of its investment, paid over ten years, for a major project in a county of 50,000 people or fewer, instead of up to 5% credits for two businesses; credits are refundable and transferable.
Motion: Shall the bill pass?
On the version voted May 3, 2026: Replaces most homeowners' homestead property tax credit with an exemption of 10% of taxable value, from $5,500 to $20,000, starting in 2026, limits county and city general levies and other rate-limited levies to 2% yearly growth, and creates FirstHome Iowa savings accounts.
Motion: Shall the bill pass?
On the version voted May 3, 2026: Makes wide-ranging changes to state law and budgets, including corrections to 2026 acts, limits on standing appropriations, an insurer tax credit for health care access, a civil litigation abuse lawsuit, required American history and government courses at state universities, and judicial salary changes.
Motion: Shall amendment H–8494, to amendment H–8491, be adopted?
Amends the bill to remove its division that changes the 2023 National Electrical Code for Iowa homes (such as dropping arc-fault interrupter requirements) and bars local electrical codes stricter than the national code. (AI-written)
On the version voted May 3, 2026: Makes wide-ranging changes to state law and budgets, including corrections to 2026 acts, limits on standing appropriations, an insurer tax credit for health care access, a civil litigation abuse lawsuit, required American history and government courses at state universities, and judicial salary changes.
Motion: Shall amendment H–8490 be adopted?
On the version voted Apr 15, 2025: Proposes a state constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of each legislative chamber to raise income tax rates or create a new state income-based tax; it goes to voters in November 2026.
Motion: Shall the rules be suspended to consider amendment H–8488?
On the version voted Apr 15, 2025: Proposes a state constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of each legislative chamber to raise income tax rates or create a new state income-based tax; it goes to voters in November 2026.
Motion: Shall amendment H–8487 be adopted?
On the version voted Apr 15, 2025: Proposes a state constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of each legislative chamber to raise income tax rates or create a new state income-based tax; it goes to voters in November 2026.
Motion: Shall the rules be suspended to consider amendment H–8486?
On the version voted Apr 15, 2025: Proposes a state constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of each legislative chamber to raise income tax rates or create a new state income-based tax; it goes to voters in November 2026.
Motion: Shall the rules be suspended to consider amendment H–8485?
On the version voted Apr 15, 2025: Proposes a state constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of each legislative chamber to raise income tax rates or create a new state income-based tax; it goes to voters in November 2026.
Motion: Shall the rules be suspended to consider amendment H–8484?
On the version voted Apr 15, 2025: Proposes a state constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of each legislative chamber to raise income tax rates or create a new state income-based tax; it goes to voters in November 2026.
Showing 10 of 531 votes in this collection. Coverage may be incomplete; each entry links to the official record.