Molly Donahue

Votes by issue

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 Democrats voted. How topics are assigned

• ›Jobs & cost of living62 with · 3 against65 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    Relating to state finances by modifying the taxes imposed on health maintenance organizations, making transfers from the taxpayer relief fund, making and supplementing appropriations to the department of health and human services, and i ncluding effective date, contingent effective date, and retroactive applicability provisions

    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 24, 2026 · Passed 26–19 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    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...

    Appropriates FY 2026-27 general fund money to administrative, financial, and regulatory agencies, including administrative services, the auditor, revenue, the secretary of state, and the utilities commission, and redirects certain fireworks, amusement device, and boxing fees to the licensing and regulation fund.

    Apr 28, 2026 · Passed 31–16 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • Yes

    Relating to unemployment insurance taxes on employers

    Cuts the wage base on which employers pay unemployment insurance taxes from two-thirds to one-third of the statewide average wage, replaces the tax rate tables with four tables of nine ranks topping out at 5.4 percent, and changes the ranks assigned to new employers.

    May 14, 2025 · Failed 16–31 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All jobs & cost of living votes
• ›Education & families56 with · 6 against63 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    Relating to school funding by establishing the state percent of growth and the categorical state percent of growth for the budget year beginning July 1, 2026, modifying provisions relating to property tax replacement payments, transportation equity aid fun ding, funding for school district budget adjustments, and school district enrollment, establishing an education support personnel salary supplement, making appropriations, and including effective date and applicability provisions

    Sets the school funding growth percent at 2 percent for the budget year starting July 1, 2026, caps transportation equity aid at $1 million per district, appropriates $7 million for education support personnel pay, and adds a January adjusted-enrollment count.

    Feb 23, 2026 · Passed 27–20 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to certain sincerely held religious or moral beliefs of certain entities for purposes of child foster care and adoption

    Bars the state from requiring foster-parent or adoption applicants to accept sexual-orientation or gender-identity policies that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs, or rejecting them over those beliefs; religious agencies under state contract need not provide services contrary to their beliefs.

    Apr 21, 2026 · Passed 28–16 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the protected speech and expression rights of students, modifying provisions related to the duties of the department of education, and modifying eligibility and participation requirements for certain education programs, preschool programs, and tax provisions, providing civil penalties, and including retroactive applicability provisions

    Bars schools from penalizing students for religious, political or ideological speech, allowing lawsuits with penalties of at least $5,000; requires schools to follow federal religious-expression guidance; removes religious exclusions from several education programs and tax credits; and requires districts to partner with requesting community-based preschools.

    Apr 20, 2026 · Passed 28–16 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All education & families votes
• ›Rights & public safety52 with · 6 against60 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    Relating to public assistance programs under the purview of the department of health and human services, including the supplemental nutrition assistance program, Medicaid, and the Iowa health and wellness plan, and including effective date provisions

    Adds the federal SAVE system to the sources used to verify public assistance eligibility, limits retroactive Medicaid eligibility to two months for pregnant women, children, and nursing facility residents, and requires legislative approval for Medicaid waivers that raise costs or expand coverage.

    Apr 30, 2026 · Passed 27–16 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to certain sincerely held religious or moral beliefs of certain entities for purposes of child foster care and adoption

    Bars the state from requiring foster-parent or adoption applicants to accept sexual-orientation or gender-identity policies that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs, or rejecting them over those beliefs; religious agencies under state contract need not provide services contrary to their beliefs.

    Apr 21, 2026 · Passed 28–16 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to the commission on uniform state laws

    Restructures the commission on uniform state laws into three members appointed by the governor, House speaker, and Senate president, sets two-year terms, and requires the commission to report its expenses and recommended legislation.

    Mar 9, 2026 · Passed 28–17 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All rights & public safety votes
• ›Health & care31 with · 0 against31 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    Relating to public assistance programs under the purview of the department of health and human services, including the supplemental nutrition assistance program, Medicaid, and the Iowa health and wellness plan, and including effective date provisions

    Adds the federal SAVE system to the sources used to verify public assistance eligibility, limits retroactive Medicaid eligibility to two months for pregnant women, children, and nursing facility residents, and requires legislative approval for Medicaid waivers that raise costs or expand coverage.

    Apr 30, 2026 · Passed 27–16 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to subacute mental health care facilities and services, and including effective date provisions

    On the version voted Apr 13, 2026: Removes the 10-day limit on subacute mental health care stays, requires treatment plans within 24 hours of admission, sets deadlines for Medicaid prior-authorization decisions, creates a bed-tracking system for children's psychiatric institutions, and directs a review of adding services at the Independence mental health institute.

    Apr 1, 2026 · Passed 29–16 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to state finances by modifying the taxes imposed on health maintenance organizations, making transfers from the taxpayer relief fund, making and supplementing appropriations to the department of health and human services, and i ncluding effective date, contingent effective date, and retroactive applicability provisions

    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 24, 2026 · Passed 26–19 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All health & care votes
• ›Transportation12 with · 2 against14 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    Relating to the use of personal flotation devices on personal watercraft

    Requires everyone aboard a personal watercraft to wear a life jacket while under way, except passengers 18 or older when the craft is going 10 miles per hour or slower or is in a no-wake zone; violations carry a $30 fine.

    Mar 9, 2026 · Passed 29–17 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to project design standards and specifications, including by providing for a statewide urban design and specifications board and requiring certain reports to city councils regarding noncompliant projects

    Creates a statewide urban design and specifications board, coordinated by the Department of Transportation and Iowa State University, to publish design and specifications manuals. Requires a report on added costs before a city council approves a street project that departs from state standards.

    Mar 31, 2026 · Passed 28–18 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to the use of automated systems that detect traffic violations or registration plate information, and making penalties applicable

    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.

    Mar 10, 2026 · Passed 30–15 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All transportation votes
• ›Climate & energy13 with · 0 against13 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    Relating to pesticides, by providing for tort liability

    Provides that an EPA-approved pesticide label, or one consistent with EPA health or cancer assessments, satisfies state-law warning and labeling duties, including common-law failure-to-warn claims, without barring other state-law claims.

    Mar 26, 2025 · Passed 26–21 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to forest and fruit-tree reservations by establishing a program fee and including contingent effective date provisions

    Creates an annual per-acre fee, starting in 2026, on property tax-exempt forest and fruit-tree reservations: $2 in the owner's home county, $3 in an adjacent county, and a rate based on local farmland taxes elsewhere, paid to the county.

    May 13, 2025 · Passed 31–14 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to and making appropriations involving state government entities associated with agriculture, natural resources, and environmental protection

    On the version voted May 13, 2025: 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 12, 2025 · Passed 34–14 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All climate & energy votes
• ›Housing & rent7 with · 0 against7 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    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

    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 30–16 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to county zoning ordinances governing residential buildings

    Bars county boards of supervisors from restricting construction or development of residential buildings through zoning, allowing only regulations necessary for the safety of life or property.

    Mar 3, 2026 · Passed 28–16 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to property law, including rent, rental agreements, notice requirements, and possession of property

    Changes rental and eviction law: allows notices by door posting plus email with the recipient's written consent, extends the peaceable-possession bar on eviction suits from 30 to 60 days, and requires sealing eviction court records in set cases.

    May 12, 2025 · Passed 34–16 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All housing & rent votes
• ›Technology & privacy5 with · 0 against6 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    Relating to the Iowa communications network, and including effective date provisions

    Directs the Department of Management to sell the Iowa Communications Network as soon as feasible, keeping service to current contracted users for at least 10 years, and ends limits on which entities the network may serve starting July 1, 2027.

    Mar 3, 2026 · Passed 30–14 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to the use of automated systems that detect traffic violations or registration plate information, and making penalties applicable

    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.

    Mar 10, 2026 · Passed 30–15 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to the sales tax exemption for the purchase of central office equipment or transmission equipment used by certain entities primarily in the furnishing of telecommunications services on a commercial basis

    On the version voted Apr 22, 2026: Extends the sales tax exemption on central office and transmission equipment bought by phone, cable, wireless and similar providers to equipment used to provide internet access, and drops the requirement that the equipment be used primarily for telecommunications.

    Apr 20, 2026 · Passed 33–11 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All technology & privacy votes
• ›Foreign affairs & defense1 with · 1 against2 votes

  Most contested

  • Yes

    Relating to veterans services and making appropriations

    As introduced, lets recognized veterans service organizations represent veterans in VA claims, ties county veterans-office grants to performance after the first year, requires a statewide electronic claims system, and raises the veterans trust fund threshold for sharing lottery money with counties from $50 million to $75 million.

    Mar 10, 2026 · Passed 34–12 · against most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • Yes

    Prohibiting the licensure of certain entities of the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to establish, conduct, or maintain a hospital or health care facility

    On the version voted Mar 23, 2026: Bars state licensing of hospitals and other health care facilities owned by the governments or citizens of China, Russia or North Korea, or by companies majority-owned by those governments or their citizens.

    Mar 25, 2025 · Passed 47–1 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All foreign affairs & defense votes

Where they stood out

Voted against most of their party on 5 of 177 party-divided votes on file.

Most often on: Education & families (2), Transportation (2), Rights & public safety (1)

• Relating to state regulatory compliance and eligibility requirements, including by modifying provisions related to the verification of the identity and employment eligibility of individuals by the board of educational examiners, school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools; the provision of a false social security number to an employer, prospective employer, or a potential employee; qualifications for employment, professional licensure, voter re...

  What it does: On the version voted Apr 29, 2026: Requires state agencies, schools, universities, cities and counties to use E-Verify for new hires, bars professional licenses for people not verified as lawfully present, fines emplo…

  Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 6–10, Republicans 31–0

  Apr 28, 2026Official record ↗

• Relating to speed limits, including the speed limit range for which certain excessive speed violations cannot be considered for certain purposes and the default speed limit for all vehicular traffic, and making penalties applicable

  What it does: Raises the default speed limit from 55 to 60 mph and extends to zones up to 60 mph the rule that a driver's first two speeding violations of 10 mph or less in 12 months are not counted against them.

  Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 3–13, Republicans 25–3

  Apr 22, 2026Official record ↗

• Requiring the department of education to develop and administer a pilot program that requires certain specified school districts to establish attendance centers for students requiring special education and students with behavioral issues

  What it does: Requires a pilot in which one rural and one urban school district set up attendance centers for students with special education or behavioral needs; a district takes part only if it agrees and can fund it, or if the s…

  Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 3–13, Republicans 29–0

  Mar 10, 2026Official record ↗

• Relating to veterans services and making appropriations

  What it does: As introduced, lets recognized veterans service organizations represent veterans in VA claims, ties county veterans-office grants to performance after the first year, requires a statewide electronic claims system, and…

  Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 7–10, Republicans 27–2

  Mar 10, 2026Official record ↗

• Relating to the default speed limit for all vehicular traffic, and making penalties applicable

  What it does: On the version voted Apr 22, 2026: Raises the default speed limit from 55 to 60 mph and extends to zones up to 60 mph the rule that a driver's first two speeding violations of 10 mph or less in 12 months are not count…

  Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 3–11, Republicans 33–1

  Mar 18, 2025Official record ↗

How this is counted

Their votes on the most contested roll calls

The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank

• No

  Relating to school funding by establishing the state percent of growth and the categorical state percent of growth for the budget year beginning July 1, 2026, modifying provisions relating to property tax replacement payments, transportation equity aid fun ding, funding for school district budget adjustments, and school district enrollment, establishing an education support personnel salary supplement, making appropriations, and including effective date and applicability provisions

  With most of their party · Passed 27–20 · Yes 27–No 20 · Democrats 0–17, Republicans 27–3

  Feb 23, 2026Official record ↗

• No

  Relating to public assistance programs under the purview of the department of health and human services, including the supplemental nutrition assistance program, Medicaid, and the Iowa health and wellness plan, and including effective date provisions

  With most of their party · Passed 27–16 · Yes 27–No 16 · Democrats 0–16, Republicans 27–0

  Apr 30, 2026Official record ↗

• No

  Relating to the approval and publication of meeting minutes of county boards of supervisors

  With most of their party · Passed 29–17 · Yes 29–No 17 · Democrats 0–17, Republicans 29–0

  Mar 10, 2026Official record ↗

• No

  Relating to the use of personal flotation devices on personal watercraft

  With most of their party · Passed 29–17 · Yes 29–No 17 · Democrats 0–17, Republicans 29–0

  Mar 9, 2026Official record ↗

• No

  Relating to certain sincerely held religious or moral beliefs of certain entities for purposes of child foster care and adoption

  With most of their party · Passed 28–16 · Yes 28–No 16 · Democrats 0–16, Republicans 28–0

  Apr 21, 2026Official record ↗

• No

  Relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the protected speech and expression rights of students, modifying provisions related to the duties of the department of education, and modifying eligibility and participation requirements for certain education programs, preschool programs, and tax provisions, providing civil penalties, and including retroactive applicability provisions

  With most of their party · Passed 28–16 · Yes 28–No 16 · Democrats 0–16, Republicans 28–0

  Apr 20, 2026Official record ↗

• No

  Relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to summative testing in schools and the educational program provided to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade twelve, and including applicability provisions

  With most of their party · Passed 30–17 · Yes 30–No 17 · Democrats 0–17, Republicans 30–0

  Apr 14, 2026Official record ↗

• No

  Repealing certain programs and other matters relating to higher education

  With most of their party · Passed 30–17 · Yes 30–No 17 · Democrats 0–17, Republicans 30–0

  Apr 14, 2026Official record ↗