Articles Tagged: Iowa Legislature

Also, Gov. Reynolds signs into law two bills relating to Israel

GOP says changes needed to modernize, put focus on re-employment. The legislationm they say, updates a system from the 1930s when unemployment compensation was the sole safety net for out-of-work Iowans.

Schools would be required to post their classroom materials and library books online for parents to see — but not twice annually as previously proposed — under school transparency legislation moving in the Iowa House.

During debate of a $652 million appropriation for several departments covered by the justice systems appropriation, Democrats offered an amendment to address working conditions in Iowa prisons, where a correctional officer and nurse were murdered by inmates March 23, 2021.

Bill to permit warrantless search of abandoned garbage goes to governor

The state is making more than a half-million dollars available to prepare K-12 teachers to teach computer science.

Bill would allow retailers to opt out of redeeming carbonated and alcoholic beverage containers, but they would pay a half-cent handling fee for five years. Distributors would pay an additional penny handling fee to redemption centers for each bottle or can returned.

State lawmakers have given the first stage of approval to a proposed state constitutional amendment that would clarify what happens when Iowa’s governor must be replaced.

Instead of granting the Board of Regents’ ask for an additional $15 million in general education appropriations for the 2023 budget year – bringing the state’s total regents higher-ed allocation to $501 million – the House has suggested keeping gen-ed funding flat while putting $12 million into a new “Iowa Workforce Grant and Incentive Program.”

While the Sunshine Protection Act, which unanimously passed the Senate last Tuesday, would nationally shift clocks an hour later to maximize daylight, some doctors have argued that adopting permanent standard time instead would be a healthier option and better align with humans' natural rhythms.

This week was the second key deadline of the 2022 session of the Iowa Legislature.

On this week’s edition of the On Iowa Politics Podcast: filing deadline, funnel week at the Capitol and Covid march madness.

The newly amended bill would increase the fee paid by distributors to support redemption centers. It would also soften the requirements for where redemption centers must be located.

With just 23 calendar days — which means closer to 18 actual legislative work days, since lawmakers rarely work on Fridays — remaining until lawmakers’ expense reimbursements run out, the push to adjournment begins in earnest next week.

Legislation moved forward Thursday that would prevent school personnel accused of misconduct, including sexual abuse, from resigning to avoid investigations and discipline -- despite the sponsor’s concession it wasn’t ready for prime time.