Articles Tagged: Iowa Senate

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.

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.

Also, Stephen Larson has been confirmed for another term as administrator of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division

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.

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.

If no Democrats in the Senate vote to confirm Erik Helland’s nomination to the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board, the nomination will fail.

Democrats and Republicans praise “scrappy” Bolkcom

A bill waiting for Gov. Kim Reynolds to sign into law would strip local city councils of regulating the sale of fireworks, frustrating efforts of cities like Cedar Rapids and Iowa City to crack down on the consumer explosives in response to citizen complaints and a rise in injuries.

There appears to be some significant ground to cover before the Republican-led Iowa House and Senate reach an agreement on those issues.

Previously, the House passed its own version, which differs in many key ways

Iowa Senate Republicans say their plan would breathe new life into the state recycling program, while Senate Democrats say the plan would strangle the program to death.

“Service has been central to my life,” said Colman Silbernagel, one of three candidates in the June 7 primary for the Republican nomination. He looks forward to representing the district “to defend life, protect our Second Amendment rights and fight for family-supporting jobs.”

Sen. Dan Dawson says a proposal to swap taxes in order to fund conservation and water quality could still pass the Iowa Legislature