Cell phone bans don't survive legislative 'funnel'

DES MOINES - Iowa students can keep their cell phones in class, but they may not be able to find a drink of water if they talk until their mouths are dry.

Legislation to require schools to set policies on cell phone use during class was one of many victims of the Iowa Legislature's so-called "funnel," a self-imposed deadline to determine which proposals are moving forward and which are dead for the session. Bills that have not been approved by a committee in either the House or Senate are considered to have failed the funnel deadline.

Despite an outpouring of support for a proposal to limit cell phone talking and texting during classes, it was one of a pair of bills restricting cell phone use that didn't get win committee approval.

 "I understand many students have cell phones and use them at school," House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, said Thursday "and I understand schools have the authority now to set policies for cell phone use."

Although many drivers use cell phones "and I hope they use them responsibly," McCarthy said, "I also understand Iowa Code includes a careless driving provision."

Speaker Pat Murphy noted any bill that didn't survive this week's deadline can be revived as a "leadership bill." Other than a few labor priorities, including fair share, Murphy didn't indicate he foresees any resurrections from the funnel grave.

That's because majority Democrats said their priorities survived the funnel deadline. Apparently, a bill that called on the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness to develop a comprehensive plan to have drinking fountains in schools and other public buildings wasn't a priority.

Lawmakers showed no interest in breathing new life into a resolution to make the channel catfish the state fish. And if the lease of the state lottery to a private vendor isn't dead, it's gasping for air.

Likewise, tying the minimum wage to the Social Security cost-of-living increase, establishing a dove hunting season, requiring employee meal and rest breaks and allowing the recall of elected officials are dead for the 2009 session.

Among the bill surviving are hot buttons like prevailing wage, expanding the scope of public employee bargaining, giving work-injured employees their choice of doctor, lowering the blood-alcohol limit for drunken boating and requiring employers to make reasonable accommodations for employees who are breast-feeding or expressing breast milk or self-medicating.

The next test for those bills still alive will be the April 20 funnel deadline. A bill must have been approved by one chamber and a committee in the other to survive that funnel.

ALIVE

• Expand scope of public employee collective bargaining

• Require prevailing wage for public projects

• Allow "fair share" fee in public employee bargaining

• Give work-injured employees choice of doctor

• Provide mental health parity in insurance

• Tighten identity theft protections

• Raise compulsory school age to 18

• Revamp sex offenders' law

• Study vehicle emission standards

• Lower blood-alcohol limit for drunken boating

• Mandate biodiesel fuel

• Switch to presidential election outcome based on popular vote

• Outlaw gender-based wage discrimination

• Expand Civil Rights Commission subpoena power

• Require DNA sample for aggravated misdemeanor

• Use electronic tracking of meth-related cold medicine sales

• Expand health insurance for kids

• Require insurance in flood zones

• Help for disaster recovery/victims

• Expand rights of bicyclists

• Require bar owners to report off-premise crimes

• Toughen child labor laws

• Boost targeted unemployment benefits

• Expand open meetings/records law

• Limit political fundraising

• Require clergy to report child abuse

• Expand regulation of "puppy mills"

• Give notice of plant/business closings

• Allow time off to attend caucuses

• Help on mortgage foreclosures

DEAD

• Bar student cell phone use at school

• Increase state gas tax

• Raise speed limit to 60 mph on primary roads

• Cap payday loan interest rates

• Parole "lifers" convicted as juveniles

• Target scrap metal thieves

• Ban cell phones when driving

• Create distracted driver offense

• Raise minimum wage by yearly cost of living

• Impose a moratorium on state gambling licenses

• Require public libraries to restrict minors' access to certain videos

• Expand hunting/trapping of bobcats

• Establish a hunting season for mourning doves

• Force small schools to consolidate

• Change workplace smoking law

• Legalize medical marijuana

• Clarify willful injury instruction in murder cases

• Sanction adults for unattended children in vehicles

• Encourage e-waste recycling

• Change eminent domain laws

• Encourage public drinking fountains

• Lease state lottery

• Require employee meal and rest breaks

• Negotiate federal pact to detain illegal immigrants

• Create immigration status/citizenship database

• Lower compulsory school age to 5

• Require drug testing to apply for/receive state assistance

• Allow recall elections for public officials

• Raise resident hunting/fishing fees

• Require meal/rest breaks for employees

• Create offense for unattended kids left in vehicles

• Require special election to fill U.S. Senate vacancy

• Bar salary increases for college presidents if tuitions increase

• Require informed consent for abortion procedures

• Require health provider to gather pregnancy termination information

• Specify life begins at conception and provide rights, privileges and immunity to unborn

• Expand containers covered by bottle law, raise deposit from nickel to 10 cents

• Allow microbreweries to sell high-alcohol beer on premises

• Study sales, possession or use of novelty lighters