Articles Tagged: Iowa Senate

The proposed bill would place more responsibility for bargaining units’ recertification with public employers; labor members and advocates call it a ‘union-busting’ bill

Critics say it would create more housing instability and weaken tenant protections.

Republicans say religious freedom has been weakened by court decisions; Democrats say bill would give individuals license to discriminate

Republicans say the proposal expands post-partum care for low-income Iowans who need it most, while Democrats say it expands care for some low-income Iowans at the expense of coverage for others.

The first ‘funnel’ eliminated some bills from lawmaker consideration this year

Senate goes with governor’s plan, House offers more modest cuts

The bill introduced this week would have allowed cities and counties to use state funds to establish homeless encampments on public property, and would prohibit sleeping, camping or erecting a shelter on public property outside of official sites. The legislation was ultimately tabled on Tuesday.

Iowa House Republicans and Iowa Senate Democrats introduced their respective legislative proposals Tuesday to ensure safety, support and accountability in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

Bill would allow state courts to order undocumented immigrants deported

Groups lauded the governor’s support of the expansion, but raised concerns with her proposal to change the eligibility for Medicaid coverage of birth and postpartum care to 215 percent of the federal poverty line, from 375 percent under current law, in order to keep Medicaid costs for pregnancy and postpartum care budget neutral.

‘Glide path’ calls for IPERS investing state surplus, with profits used to reduce taxes

Also, lawmakers advance a bill allowing families to monitor nursing home residents.

Sen. Brad Zaun has pushed to ban the traffic cameras ever since he received a citation in 2011 after a camera captured his son speeding while driving the senator’s vehicle in Cedar Rapids.

Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal received bipartisan support in its first legislative step; a Republican senator dismissed concerns over lack of transparency called for in the bill.

The move comes in the wake of a fiery derailment last year of a train carrying toxic chemicals in eastern Ohio that set off evacuations, a federal investigation and concerns about the effect the derailment and the fire could have on health and the environment.