(Radio Iowa) – Five of the six states that border Iowa have a significantly higher minimum wage and Democrats in the Iowa House say Iowa’s minimum wage should be raised to 15-dollars an hour. That would equal the minimum wage rates in Nebraska and Missouri. House Democrats are also calling for a five-year freeze on electric and natural gas rates for Iowa homes and for more state help for first-time home buyers.

Representative Dan Gosa, a Democrat from Davenport, is a member of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and president of the Quad City Federation of Labor. “Our plan is built on a simple belief: if you work hard in Iowa, you should be able to afford a good life,” Gosa said. House Democrats are also proposing that Iowa become the 14th state to require that private sector employers offer paid family leave.

Representative Larry McBurney, a Democrat from Urbandale, notes Governor Reynolds approved four weeks of paid parental leave for state employees.  “Now it’s time to go a step further and ensure that every Iowan has the opportunity to take time from work and spend time building their family,” McBurney said.

Republicans occupy 67 of the 100 seats in the Iowa House and are unlikely to advance any of these ideas