Iowa House Speaker Linda Upmeyer says tax reform is one of her priorities for the 2018 legislative session. Lawmakers gathered for the three-month long session Monday. She used her speech to push for state tax reform amid the recently-passed federal tax bill. Upmeyer cited iowa's federal deductibility, saying lawmakers should work to make sure Iowans don't end up paying more to the state because of the federal tax cut. Meatnime, House Democrat leader Mark Smith has a simple message for his colleagues: fix the budget. In his opening day remarks, Smith criticized Gov. Reynolds for transferring reserve funds to cover a budget shortfall late last year. Smith also touched on workforce development and water quality.