(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed legislation to provide paid family leave to new parents who work in state government. Women who work in state government get four weeks of paid leave after giving birth and a state employee whose spouse or partner gives birth get one week of family leave. The same family leave policy will apply to state employees who adopt a child. Governor Reynolds says giving state employees time away from work to focus on their newborns is part of making Iowa a pro-family state. The proposal has been among the governor’s priority bills in the past three years. It won nearly unanimous support from the House and Senate this spring.

Gov. Reynolds signs the families first bill (5-27-25)

Reynolds has until June 14th to take action on all the bills that passed the 2025 Iowa legislature. She’s recently approved a new graduation requirement for Iowa high schoolers. They’ll have to pass the same test immigrants must pass in order to become U-S citizens. Another bill signed by the governor yesterday (Tuesday) forbids community colleges as well as Iowa counties and cities from having diversity, equity and inclusion programs.