DES MOINES, Iowa — Late in the afternoon on Thursday, the Iowa Republican trifecta announced that the chambers have come to an agreement on the state budget for the next year.

The total spending for Fiscal Year 2026 looks to be $9.425 billion. The agreement includes $14 million for paraeducator pay, something House Republicans said they were not going to back down from to include in the final deal. There is another $14.5 million that will fund other budget priorities for the Republicans, both of these will be funded through Iowa’s sports wagering fund.

“Iowa Republicans can agree on the importance of passing another fiscally responsible budget. Though we’re all the same party, it’s not uncommon that we have disagreements to work through as we craft the state budget.”

State Representative Gary Mohr (R), the Iowa House Appropriations Committee Chair

“As I’ve said for the last few weeks, my priority with the budget is maintaining fiscal discipline and putting Iowa taxpayers first. This agreement among all three parties does just that, and I want to thank Republican leadership in both the House and the Senate for coming together to keep Iowa on a strong and fiscally sustainable path.” 

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R)

There is one other issue the Republican majority will need to settle, passing a bill on the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines. A group of 12 Republican state senators signed a letter last week vowing to not vote on a budget unless there was an eminent domain policy voted through the floor of the Iowa Senate.

The spearhead of the group, State Senator Kevin Alons (R), told WHO 13 News on Thursday that the budget agreement didn’t change the group’s stance. They want to see some type of protections passed for landowners.

A debate calendar for the Iowa Senate chamber was released a little after 5 p.m. on Thursday, showing a bill on the use of eminent domain. The calendar is tentative, so plans could change. But if the chamber does take up the issue on Friday, it could clear the way for the final gavel of the session to fall very soon.

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