Articles Tagged: Iowa Legislature

Republican leaders in the Senate told journalists last week they will no longer be allowed to work on the chamber floor, a change that breaks with a more than 140-year tradition in the Iowa Capitol.

Democratic leaders on both chambers, however, were critical of lawmakers taking a hand in the issue and argued there is a process in place to address concerns about books or other materials.

“I think there's going to be an effort to push for everything that's on the agenda,” University of Northern Iowa political scientist Chris Larimer said. “I think they're going to push on tax cuts, maybe more easing of gun restrictions and kind of waiting and seeing what they're going to do on abortion” in anticipation of a United States Supreme Court decision on a Mississippi abortion law.

Education leaders advocate that the Iowa Legislature set state supplemental aid at 5 percent to adequately fund schools and attract more teachers.

On this week’s edition of the On Iowa Politics Podcast, Jan 6 one year later, legislative look-ahead, and words we don't want to hear.

Leaders in Iowa's Republican-led Legislature say they're waiting to see how court cases play out first before taking any further steps to restrict abortion access in the state — an assertion not all Democrats are buying.

Along the way, however, there are any number of ideas and issues that can disrupt, delay and derail the familiar routine of a legislative session. Often, they are the same issues from year-to-year: abortion; gun rights; traffic cameras; gambling.

School superintendents and the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union are eager for guidance on transgender sports. Although there have been no Iowa challenges of district decisions on transgender athletes so far, parents in other states have filed lawsuits and Title IX complaints.

Justin Wasson, 33, is running in the rural Linn and Benton counties district, which includes Central City, Bertram, Vinton, Ely, Fairfax, Belle Plaine, Mount Vernon and Van Horne. The founder and owner of Affordable Pressure Washing in Cedar Rapids says he wants to take his experience cleaning up messes to the Statehouse.

But details were scarce in interviews with the governor and legislative leaders on how to proceed. Any plans, apparently, will have to wait to cement during the legislative session.

But anyone seeking details on any of those plans will have to stay tuned. Specifics were scarce Tuesday, when Reynolds and legislative leaders participated in the Iowa Capitol Press Association’s annual legislative preview forum at the Iowa Capitol.

Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and other GOP legislative leaders said they believe it is prudent to await court decisions on several challenges to federal vaccine mandates first.

An earlier proposal was supported by renewable fuels groups, but opposed by retailers and consumer choice advocates.

In Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature, environmental groups look for niche issues that could get bipartisan support. These include soil health, digesters and state parks funding.

Iowa Senate leader said his preference is to limit the discussion to just COVID-19 vaccine requirements, but acknowledged other lawmakers may want to broaden that discussion to other vaccines.