The Iowa Senate passed House File 2694 on Wednesday in a 30-15 vote, advancing a bill that combines restrictions on gubernatorial powers with a continuing appropriation mechanism intended to prevent state government shutdowns. The measure now returns to the House for consideration of amendments made during Senate floor debate.
Senate Republicans framed the legislation as protective of taxpayers and modeled on concerns raised by federal budget gridlock. The bill establishes automatic funding based on the previous fiscal year's budget if no new appropriations are enacted before July 1, the start of the next fiscal year. Under the amendment added Wednesday, these continuing appropriations would only activate if the Legislature has passed and presented a budget to the governor that remains unsigned.
Sen. Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia, said the change "puts the onus on the Legislature to still work to pass a budget on time, but also protects taxpayers if it's not enacted by July 1." Sen. Ken Rozenboom, R-Oskaloosa, tied the measure to responses to executive actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that "many of the most egregious infringements of the rights of people were not helpful at all, in some cases, were counterproductive." He pointed to ongoing federal budget disputes as a cautionary example Iowa should avoid.
Democrats characterized the bill as a partisan maneuver targeting a potential Democratic governor. Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner noted that "our government has never shut down" and questioned why the Legislature would introduce such protections after a decade of Republican control. "The prospect of having to work and negotiate across the aisle for the benefit of Iowans is just too scary," she said, suggesting the timing reflected concern about the 2026 gubernatorial race.
Sen. Matt Blake, D-Urbandale, argued the measure subverts the democratic process. "There's a pretty good chance that the governor is different next year, and the governor from my party," Blake said. "And you don't want to work with the governor from my party."
The House version of the bill had already proposed restricting gubernatorial authority during public health emergencies, preventing governors from ordering worship closures or restricting business operations, mandating vaccines, or changing election policy without legislative approval. Republican leaders have denied that concerns about state auditor Rob Sand, the lone Democrat currently running for the gubernatorial nomination, influenced the bill's design.
