Renee Hardman

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

• ›Rights & public safety34 with · 1 against35 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
• ›Jobs & cost of living30 with · 2 against32 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

    Modifying the major economic growth attraction program, and including effective date provisions

    Lets the state give one business investing over $1 billion in a county of 50,000 people or fewer a tax credit of up to 10% of the investment, paid over ten years, instead of 5% credits for two businesses.

    Oct 2, 2026 · Failed 16–29 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All jobs & cost of living votes
• ›Education & families29 with · 1 against30 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
• ›Health & care15 with · 1 against16 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
• ›Transportation8 with · 3 against11 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 & energy10 with · 0 against10 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    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 ju risdiction

    On the version voted May 2, 2026: 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 pooled or exploratory sites; and limits local regulation of oil and gas.

    Apr 16, 2026 · Passed 32–15 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to wildlife, including the treatment of beaver dams, identification for traps, snares, and tree stands, maximum fur dealer license fees, and deer depredation, and making penalties applicable

    Requires deer hunting tree stands on public land to show the owner's ID number, with a $30 fine, lets landowners' agents and drainage districts breach beaver dams, caps fur dealer license fees at $50, and extends deer depredation permits to tenants with farm or forestry losses.

    May 2, 2026 · Passed 32–12 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to natural resources, including office locations of the director of natural resources, state park user fee pilot programs, the delegation of powers and duties concerning state preserves, and age requirements for hunting deer with pistols or revolvers

    Shifts authority over state nature preserves from the natural resources department to its commission, lets the director's office be near rather than at the capitol, and lets 18- to 20-year-olds hunt deer with a handgun without adult supervision.

    Mar 9, 2026 · Passed 31–14 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All climate & energy votes
• ›Housing & rent4 with · 0 against4 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 fire protection sprinkler systems in certain residential properties

    Requires the state building code to bar mandatory fire sprinkler systems in detached single-family homes of 6,500 square feet or less and in a series of attached single-family homes totaling 18,000 square feet or less, and bars local building rules from requiring them.

    Mar 2, 2026 · Passed 30–14 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    Relating to the ability of property owners to protest proposed changes in zoning districts

    Repeals the right of property owners to file a written protest against a proposed zoning district change, which currently requires a three-fourths council vote to override when filed by owners of 20 percent of nearby land.

    Apr 29, 2026 · Passed 34–12 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All housing & rent votes
• ›Technology & privacy2 with · 1 against3 votes

  Most contested

  • 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 & defense0 with · 1 against1 vote

  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 ↗

  All foreign affairs & defense votes

Where they stood out

Voted against most of their party on 6 of 93 party-divided votes on file.

Most often on: Jobs & cost of living (2), Transportation (1), Technology & privacy (1)

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

  What it does: 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,…

  Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 5–8, Republicans 26–1

  Apr 30, 2026Official record ↗

• Relating to the investment of public funds, and making penalties applicable

  What it does: Limits local governments to investing 25% of their funds in joint investment pools starting April 30, 2027, requires written acknowledgment that pool funds may be uninsured and can lose money, and lets placed public d…

  Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 6–9, Republicans 26–4

  Apr 8, 2026Official record ↗

• Relating to interest rates and charges on regulated loans, and consumer credit transaction service charges

  What it does: Replaces tiered interest caps on regulated consumer loans with a single maximum of 3% per month, and changes the cap on consumer credit service charges from the lesser of 10% or $30 to the lesser of 3% or $100.

  Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 4–11, Republicans 30–0

  Apr 7, 2026Official record ↗

• Eliminating a city’s ability to create a city board of health or a city health department, and including effective date provisions

  What it does: Bars cities from maintaining a city board of health or health department, with city public health services provided through the local board of health, and requires county boards of health to agree with county hospital…

  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 ↗

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 ↗