In the end, Iowa Democrats can only stand by and watch as the session came to a close in Iowa and a summertime of adventures.

Are you willing to help out in The Cities?

[lively music] [music ends] It took 12 extra days for Iowa lawmakers to finish their session and call an end to the 2026 session.

That's a sticking point, a promised property tax relief bill that had Republicans in the majority strugglin to find a majority of support.

But in the end, they did.

Capping local government property tax increases to 2% a year.

They also reached agreement on a $9.6 billion budget, but once again failed to find a compromis when it came to eminent domain.

Last week we talked to a Republican, Gary Mohr of Bettendorf.

This week, we're talking to Democrat, Senator Cindy Winckler about what Democrats can do now that the session is over.

Senator, tell me, what did you think of this ending up as such a marathon session on almost an entire weekend?

It's something don't want to experience again.

And it's unfortunate that, the public was lef out of the process completely.

How do you.

How do you mean by that?

Well, so many things were happening so fast, and bills that, were no longer eligible were brought up and voted on.

And, there really wasn't any opportunity for, the public to weigh in at all.

Well, tell me a little bit, because I know in the state of Illinois, with the Democrats having a supermajority, Republicans are always saying, hey, we've been iced out.

Well, we had no say in this.

Tell me about it from the Democratic viewpoint in Iowa.

When it comes down to the last week of the session, how can you go two weeks that you went 12 days beyon the end of the normal session?

Right.

What is the input of the Democratic Party with the Republicans?

Very little.

And and we wait, we just wait to figure out what the next step is.

The communication is very poor.

We, and and part of the the issue they had, completely overwhelme our Legislative Service Agency.

So they were having difficulty keeping up as well.

This just was not the way to end a session.

And we should explain the LSA, Legislative Service Agency... Thank you.

...is kind of the non partisan group that really kind of weigh in the impact of, of such bills.

And the biggest bill, of course, is the property tax bill.

That was that was a top priority of Governor Reynolds, who has succeeded in pretty much getting what she wanted.

What did you dislike about this property bill?

Well, I think that, because it was put together just two hours before we adjourned.

I think that it will be, some unexpected, unintended circumstances.

The one thing that concerns me the most is how all the pieces work together.

And how, home owners who will be potentially paying less, that was the intent, that their service won't be cut as a result of it.

When you're talking about services being cut, you're talking about the fact that municipalities and school district depend so much on the property tax, if they're capped on how much that they can raise each year, it's going to have a trickle down effect on services.

Is that what you're.

Is that what you're inferring?

Yes.

Yes.

And and, the bill, although it did mention the school districts, they do not have a cap.

The cities, have a cap.

The counties have a cap.

We've done some work on the homestead and in raising, potentially, potentially raising, and I say all of this because, we didn't, as we mentioned, the Legislative Service Agency, there was no fiscal note.

They didn't even have tim to put a fiscal note together.

They were working on getting the language, correct as far as the, majority party was concerned.

But there is no fiscal note on that bill.

And and there was no bill previously that reflected what we ended up with, on, uh, in the bill.

Republicans have told me time and again that what they have heard whenever they're meeting with constituents is that people are concerned about property taxes and and that property taxes have increased dramatically in the state of Iowa over the last few years.

I'm curious about you constituents, among, Democrats who support you was property tax not a major concern for them?

Certainly property tax comes up when you mention it.

Not necessarily, is it always on the top of their agenda when they are coming up with the, with the list.

Public schools are a huge piece that I hear about all the time.

And the the fact that our publi schools are being underfunded.

City services are also part of it.

And you explain, you know, the division of government.

But but our health insurance, we we will see the cost of healt insurance going up as a result of the charging of, tax on, health insurance companies.

Are you worried for municipalities, and their tax base?

If we're getting to this 2% cap?

I mean, what have you been hearing from cities both large and small?

Well, cities have been paying very close attention.

Just like like we were we were paying attention as well.

But at the end of the day, we're not quit sure what all was in the bill.

The, the, although there were pieces that we could all find that we would support.

The cities are terribly concerned about a cap.

The one thing I will say with all of this is that in this particular bill, the impact of the bill will be, 18 months out.

We won't see that this bill being in effect for this next property tax cycle.

What we will see in the next cycle, of course, is the impac of the budget that was passed.

It was a $9.6 billion budget agreement that was passed.

As you well know, the March Revenue Estimating Conference was expecting $8.5 billion in revenues, which is basically $1 billion difference.

Republicans are saying it's going to be coming out of the cash reserves that the state has, that that that the state is already flush with money.

And we need to to to diminish that amount.

That is their explanation of why this is still a good, budget bill and revenue bill.

Democrats are saying that's not the case.

That's true.

And and the problem is that we are spending more than we are taking in.

And although there are reserves, that's one time money.

And so we're using $1.15 billion for this, $9.5 billion budget, $1.15 billion for, that our one time dollars.

That that can't fill holes for full time expenditures As a Democrat, I mean, with this large amount of revenu that is basically sitting there.

What would you like to see done?

Would you like to see i as as a return to the taxpayers?

Would you like to see i as it's being used right now, or or should it be used on programs that are existin and underfunded, in your view?

Well, one of the things that they continue to show, while they use the Taxpaye Trust fund, which is the money that, that they're calling, the reserves, as they're using it, that they also have a surplus we need to spend from the surplus, which is left over from the federal dollars.

And that surplus is not one time money.

It is sitting there that we can use to support the programs.

But as we look at the change that have come about in regard to our revenue stream, the flat tax rate that was set is not generating enough revenue for the expenditures.

And that is the big concern, because one time money will run out and there's no way to replace that.

One area that the legislature was not able to find agreement was eminent domain.

The House had sent, a bill basicall to the Senate back in January.

They acted very quickly.

The Senate could not come up with an agreement.

Why could the Senate not reac an agreement on eminent domain?

And what is your position on that?

Well, the eminent domain, is very important as we protect property rights for private gain.

That is the whole crux of the eminent domain bill.

And, the bill that we had in the Senate last year, I supported.

There was some negotiation.

There were some, some ways in which, the company was willing to come to the table to make sure that they would get the support of the property owners.

But that bill never came forward.

And I know that, our, our, building trades were looking for, the jobs that would come from from the, building of the pipeline.

But we have to make sure the very, fundamenta is the fact that property rights are maintained.

And, we have a situation where there is private gain.

The the Summit pipeline is private.

And, to take to take property away for that is not anything that I can support because eminent domain usually is a government issue is that it's for building a highway or building infrastructure that benefits many people.

And that's kind of the basis of eminent domain.

So you believe that ther should be greater protections, so that, it's not necessarily used for private industry.

Right.

And, and it is it is interestin that the utility board are and and they've now changed their name to utility Commission.

But, that, that those thing were happening in the background at the same time that we were trying to pass legislatio to protect the property rights.

You also know that there was, changes in the criminal justice system as far as a three strikes law that now exists.

Is that something that you support or are you worried that it hamstrings the justice system and perhaps judges as well?

Well, that I I'm concerned about hamstringing the, the judges.

I think that they are there, they, to make those decisions.

On the other hand the bill changed significantly.

It the three strikes are.

See for C and D felonies only.

And I'm saying that from memory.

That's what I recall.

The situation was, all of this, in the 36 hours that we spent at the Capitol, went the, we waited.

But then once we got the bill, everything was was pushed forward.

And so, it' one of those things that that, our staff hasn' even had the opportunity to weed through everything to, to help us in making sure that what we thought we voted on was exactly what we voted on.

Well, and also, of course, in some cases, we still need the governor's signature, or veto on certain things.

Yes.

One thing that that probably isn't going to happen as far as a veto is concerned has to do with the, restrictions on abortion access once again, that the Republican legislature, pass, particularly when I'm talking about is the abortion drugs and the availability for women to get that, by mail from out of state.

Republicans argue that you don't know where these pills come from.

It's a matter of, safety.

Why, why do you not buy that argument?

Well, because the access to health care is so, significantly diminished.

We are, we are last in the nation, with ObGyn, practicing in Iowa.

We, and many of the services, are done remotely.

And so, they talked about the mail system, but that really isn't what they were doing.

They were just limiting access.

We have a three, six wee abortion ban already in place.

And so timing matters, and, it, it was it was a political move.

It in no way, met their, their, messages.

What grade would you give the 2026 session?

Being in the minority party being unable to really advance a lot of, the issues that you may want advance playing defensive almost all the time.

How would you rate this, this legislative session?

But, at this point, it was it would probably be a D-minus to an F in regard to just the the fact that, the leadership and the management of this session all through this session was, one of those things they they continue to kind of make up the rules as they went along.

And so that what you could count on as being a part of a process really wasn't.

And that might that might seem really immaterial.

But if if we are not following the processes that are set up before us, it's har for us to initiate legislation that requires everyone else to follow what we pass.

And thereby, what do you think will be the campaign that the Democrats will run in order to advance their agenda, for the November election?

Because all that happened in this session, of course, will be made into politic in the weeks and months ahead.

Well, first of all, I would say we deserve better and Iowans deserve better.

And and we would would do our very best to make sure that every day we're thinking of Iowans and not the political spin.

Our thanks to State Senator Cindy Winckler, Democrat from Davenport.

Just ahead, a summer of adventure.

Thank you, WQPT.

But first, let's look at some of the events you can enjoy in our area.

Thanks to Visit Quad Cities.

[soft music] Check out the things to do this week in the Quad Cities.

Start your week by visiting the Davenport Civil Rights Traveling Exhibit located in our Union Station destination center.

Then enjoy appetizers, cocktails, and live music while watching the sun set on the rooftop of Up Sky bar.

Next, get ready for QC Craft Beer Week.

Breweries will invite both residents and visitors to experience the Quad Cities craft beer scene.

Then celebrate ten year of Quad Cities Chalk Art Fest.

This is a free two day outdoor festival the whole family will enjoy.

Finally, get ready to visit 70 plus vendors at the Iowa Vintage Fest.

For more events like these, check out our events calendar at VisitQuadCities.com [music ends] It's time for an adventure.

Each year, WQPT hosts its Summer of Adventure, a chance to spark creativity and learning during the summer months.

It's held at libraries throughout western Illinois and eastern Iowa in the weeks ahead.

And I talked with WQPT Educational Outreach Director, Melissa Gravert, about what we can expect.

Summer of adventure is kicking off.

You really partner with a bunch of libraries in the area for for the summertime.

Why is that?

We love supporting what the libraries are doing here in our community and our viewing area.

So we travel, to, of course, our Quad City libraries and then regional libraries beyond that.

In Illinois and in Iowa.

The key thing for WQPTs educational outreach really does seem to be reading because reading is so important for, for the very young but also older children.

So so explain to me how you're kind of marrying summer, adventure, education and fun.

Right.

Because we want to give kid and their and their, grown ups, you know, opportunities to learn together even into the summer, right when school is out.

So we do some partnerships, like you said, with local libraries where, we're supporting their Plant a Seed Read, theme at many places.

So we're doing crafts and activities and, you know, read aloud that are all around that theme.

So just celebrating books and stories.

I love Curious George.

Yeah.

So, we happen to have some stories that feature him as well.

So again at the local libraries, we're doing that.

And then we, also are bringing one o our favorite characters, Eleanor from Eleanor Wonders Why, to some of those libraries, to, give, activitie related to that show, which is, of course, about nature and exploring.

Once again, to find out the schedule o when the events are going to be at various libraries, you just go to wqpt.org.

Yeah.

They're all listed there.

And it's great ide because parents and grandparents are always looking for somethin for the kids to do.

Of course.

Yes.

So this is totally free.

It is free?

Yes.

Why is that important, This outreach that you have?

Why is this so important?

It's part of our bigger outreach initiative, which we d all throughout the school year.

And then we just want to continue engaging with students and their families in the summer.

So, like we mentioned, the local libraries, we join, you know, city, parks programs and some of their, neighborhood parties and things like that.

We visit Mercado, the Butterworth Center.

We also visit local, school, excuse me, summer school programs.

So, you know, the teachers that are working throughout the summer directly with students, we get to work with them as well.

And you kind of have a theme going on as well, because, I mean, as you mentioned, you've got the planting going on.

Uh, huh.

Tell me a little bit about that.

So that comes from the Illinois State Library Association.

They have a yearly summer theme.

And so we try to, support that whenever possible, because we know that that's what the students and, and their families are already doing in the library.

Not every library does that but that ties in to, you know, like I said, one of our popular shows, Eleanor wonder why, which is all about nature.

But yeah, we just try to make those connections to whatever the students are interested in and learning about.

And support that with stories and activities.

What age groups are you looking at?

A lot of times the library events are, schedule during their regular storytimes, which is usually early childhood.

But, during the summer they bring along their older siblings, which is really nice.

So really, it's it's for the whole family.

And you know, the invitations out there.

I mean, if you just go to the website, you'll see you want this place packed, you want you want these places crowded because you're ready to meet the needs of the kids, right now.

Yeah.

And like I said, we'll have activities, things that you can take home to continue the learning.

But yeah, right on our website as well as our Facebook page, all those events are listed.

What are the other things that WQPT has going on during the summers is the Ambassador program.

And I always love at some point you show a picture of all the Ambassadors which are usually, older kids.

Young adults.

Yup.

And really, it's kind of a training for their future as well, but I just I just the face of the people, and they're just so happy and so proud.

Tell me about the ambassador program and what you're looking for.

Sure, so as a former Ambassador myself... I didnt know that.

...Yeah, yeah.

When I was a college student, so... Youre a big deal.

That's great.

...so, so, yeah, we invite loca high school students, colleges students who are interested i really a wide range of skills.

So it could be marketing, it could be outreach, it could be, education.

Just learning about all the things we do in the summer in order to do these events, we we need volunteer help.

And so that's where we bring in those those young people with their energy.

And and yeah help us with all those events.

So tell me your story.

Why did you one why did you decide, you know, I'm going to try to be an Ambassador when you were a kid, which I assume was two years ago.

Right, exactly.

Yeah.

So when I was a student getting my teaching degree... Ha, ha, ha.

...the Ambassador program was, advertised here at Western, and so, it just sounded like a great fit so I could learn more about, community outreach.

And so then, you know, came back here now and get to be the director of it.

Yeah, yeah.

So, having this firsthand knowledge, I mean, what do I of kids should take this Ambassador program because it builds what, it builds... Right.

...you said outreach.

It's really for all kinds of students.

Like I said, you know, depending on, what their major might be or if they're in high school and what path they might be considering.

But really there's something for everyone.

People that like to be a little bit more behin the scenes would be comfortable.

Students that want to be up front in front of the crowd, we have opportunities for them to do that.

So it's really something for everyone just to, learn about all the amazing things tha that we can do in the community.

And the Ambassador program lasts from when to when?

It's during our summer outreach.

So June, July primarily.

And who are you looking for?

Who should who should apply?

So again, interested high schoo students, college-age, students that want it's a pretty flexible schedule so they can commit, you know, as little or as much time as they have that just want to learn more about PBS, PBS kids, and all the amazin outreach here in our community.

And to learn more and to register?

Again, go to WQPT.org/ambassadors Our thanks to WQPT Educational Outreach Director, Melissa Gravert.

To find out more about the Summer of Adventure series and where we're headed next, check out our website: WQPT.org.

America is turning 250 years old, and from now until July 4th, we'r featuring people in the cities who are making a difference in their community.

It's their Civic Spark, what drives them to make our area better for all of us.

LaNette Turner is the program and marketing coordinator for Dress for Success Quad Cities, an employment empowering organization for women.

We asked LaNette, what is her civic spark?

[soft music] My civic spark, I truly believe, is the mission of dress for success, which is women empowerment.

I remember when I was younger, I had a lady tell me that my ministry was women, and I was like, I don't think so.

I don't think that's it.

And then we look 20 years later and that's exactly what I'm doing.

And I love what I'm doing.

I love to uplift women.

I love to lend a helping hand to women.

So I feel that's it.

[music ends] Our thanks to LaNette Turner, the program and marketing coordinator fo Dress for Success Quad Cities.

As a matter of fact, Dress for Success is holding a Saturday style show.

It's coming up Saturday, May 30th.

Check out Dress for Success qc.org for details.

On the air, on the radio, on the web, on your mobile devic and streaming on your computer, thanks for taking some time to join us as we talk about the issues on The Cities.

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