Traffic camera bill among Legislature’s “funnel” victims

DES MOINES – State lawmakers Thursday gave the red light to new regulations and limits on electronic monitoring devices cities use to curtail speeding and enforce other traffic laws.

Supporters of a bill that won House approval in setting uniform fines at $50 statewide for red-light violations and imposing signage requirements saw the brakes slammed on House File 549 Thursday when the measure was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee – which did not meet, meaning the bill fell victim to the Legislature's self-imposed “funnel” deadline requiring policy proposals to clear one chamber and a committee of the other chamber to remain eligible for consideration this session.

The second funnel, which officially arrives Friday when neither the House or Senate are in session, also claimed a proposed marriage amendment to the state constitution, proposed changes to Iowa's collective bargaining law for public employees, a requirement that voters present photo identification at election polls, education changes regarding home rule for schools and student dress code requirements, and proposed modifications to graduated driver's license provisions for teenagers.

“We kept alive everything we think was good and we got rid of everything we think is bad,” said Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs.

Democrats who control the Senate discarded a number of House-passed initiatives while majority GOP representatives ignored Senate-favored job-creation proposals as leaders of the split-control Legislature began to winnow their focus to budget measures, tax relief initiatives and a limited number of shared priorities in the session's final month or so. Daily expense money for the 150-member General Assembly runs out April 29 – the session's 110th day. Traditionally adjournment is closely tied to that benchmark although leaders concede it will take some heavy lifting to move their 2011 business to fruition.

Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, who led an unsuccessful effort to ban traffic-monitoring cameras outright, expressed disappointment that the effort to better regulate the activity died abruptly Thursday.

“I thought the House used common sense and came to a compromise. I think Iowans are saying that at a minimum there needs to be some kind of regulations on these cities on how much they can charge, and there were some signage regulations in there. I think it's unfortunate,” he said. “With these traffic enforcement cameras, I believe you're guilty until proven innocent. That's my biggest hangup with them. I've always said they're more about revenue than they are about public safety.”

Under the House-passed measure, the maximum fine for a red light violation would be $50, roughly half of what most cities charge. The fine for speeders wouldn't change. Cities couldn't charge court costs for either type of violation under the measure and tickets issued by using cameras don't count against a driving record.

Sen. Tom Rielly, D-Oskaloosa, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said he was open to some of the proposed changes and was caught by surprise when Senate President Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg, decided the issue belonged in the Senate Judiciary Committee. “I think there was some good stuff that didn't make it” through the funnel, including the teen driver's license changes the Senate that stalled in the House.

Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan, said a discharge petition he had circulated among senators to force House Joint Resolution 6 – the proposed marriage amendment - out of committee failed to garner the 26 votes needed to move the issue to the Senate debate calendar. The effort stalled at 24 GOP signatures and resolution seeking a public vote on specifying that marriage between one man and one woman would be the only legal union valid or recognized in this state failed for another session.

Likewise, a number of gun-related initiatives did not have the needed support to remain alive for the 2011 session, including a measure that would have allowed Iowans to could use reasonable force in protecting themselves, their families and their property and a separate proposal whereby professional security guards could perform their duties on school grounds while carrying a sidearm.

A measure to toughen restrictions on late-term abortion saw House debate Thursday but a number of other social issues that surfaced during the session's early months failed to advance very far. For instance, a House bill stating that Iowa's health insurance exchange could not include any insurance policy that provides coverage for abortion was dropped from the eligible list Thursday.

“I was kind of surprised. There was a lot more talk before session,” said Sen. Amanda Ragan, D-Mason City, leader of the Senate Human Resources Committee, which for a time expected to be a hotbed of social issues. “It was ever quieter than I thought. Some of that could be due to new members and learning their new roles.

“I think one of the struggles in the House was because they couldn't come to an agreement on what they wanted to move forward on some of those issues,” Ragan said. “I think the people are still talking the fiscal issues. People are really concerned about education, some on taxes. The social issues were not highlighted at the forums I attended. People talk about their own pocketbooks.”

However, Ragan said she would not be surprised to see some the funneled ideas resurface as amendments to budget measures when lawmakers start assembling their fiscal 2012 spending plan.

“It ain't over yet. You never know,” she said.

One example in that category was Gov. Terry Branstad's plan to shift Iowa's voluntary preschool program for 4-year-olds to a means-tested scholarship approach did not survive the funnel, but is certain to be revisited in the budget process. Likewise, a policy measure seeking to shift water quality programs from the state Department of Natural Resources to the state Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship became an appropriations issue that is exempt from Friday's funnel, said Sen. Dennis Black, D-Grinnell.

Legislation allowing parole for “lifers” who committed non-murder Class A crimes as a juvenile is alive in separate House and Senate versions, but Sen. Eugene Fraise, D-Fort Madison, said he doubted an agreement could be reached on setting the numbers of minimum years that would have to be served before an offender would be eligible for release.