Articles Tagged: Iowa Legislature

On this week’s edition of the On Iowa Politics Podcast: Tucker Carlson is coming to Iowa, movement in the Iowa Legislature, Rob Sand in defense of Iowa’s courts, and Miller-Meeks’ 3% tweet.

Iowa will become just the fourth state with 16 weeks or fewer of state unemployment benefits under legislation that needs only Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signature to become law.

State lawmakers on Tuesday approved with strong, bipartisan support a proposal to require that most Iowa gas stations sell the E15 blend of ethanol in at least one pump.

The Iowa Senate’s tax policy committee Monday approved Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal after making some changes, including the addition of another way for small gas stations to receive an exemption from the proposed requirements and financial assistance for potential equipment upgrades.

On this week’s edition of the On Iowa Politics Podcast: The legislature is still in session, and Finkenauer’s ballot issues are resolved.

Under the new law, cities including Cedar Rapids and Iowa City will no longer be able to restrict firework sales to only certain zoning categories.

Under a spate of laws proposed or passed in at least 10 states including Iowa, elections administrators could see criminal charges and penalties that levy thousands of dollars in fines or even prison time for technical infractions of election statutes.

Advocates say the proposal does not go nearly far enough in increasing protections for mobile home owners and renters, and thus does little to address the recent proliferation of out-of-state companies that have bought mobile home lots and parks and increased rent and fees.

Senate Republicans passed legislation that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work unsupervised in child care facilities, and allow child care centers to operate with one worker to every seven 2-year-olds, and one worker to every 10 3-year-olds.

The impasse over Reynolds’ private school tuition assistance proposal may be the most significant element of legislators’ attempts to finish their work for the session. It’s something Reynolds has spent multiple years pushing and Senate Republicans have backed. But the resistance where it exists within the House Republican caucus has been firm.

In addition to vouchers, K-12 transparency, unemployment benefits, a proposed ethanol mandate, and the bottle bill remain on lawmakers’ to-do list.

On this week’s edition of the On Iowa Politics Podcast: a presidential visit; ESA opposition, infanticide and ballot question

In addition to raising the handling fee from one to three cents per container and letting retailers that meet certain condition opt out, SF 2378 increases enforcement through the Attorney General’s Office, offers distributors a 1-cent credit against their taxes for each container they handle and increases legislative oversight. But the Senate must agree.

As Iowa lawmakers close in on the April 19 end of daily expense money, some are “a little antsy,” according to a House leader.

Legislation to require a paper trail to establish proof of ownership when catalytic converters are sold to recyclers or scrap metal dealers was approved by the Iowa House 88-5. That will help law enforcement investigating reports of stolen catalytic converters.