Iowa lawmakers pitch bills to limit COVID-19 vaccines, may look at other inoculations

DES MOINES — When Iowa state lawmakers gathered for a special session earlier this fall to approve new election boundaries for the next decade, they used some of their time to also pass legislation that significantly expanded the ability of Iowans to claim an exemption from COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Since then, a trio of federal vaccine mandates have faced legal challenges and are working their way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

With many conservatives’ opposition to federal COVID-19 vaccine requirements and Republicans still in control of Iowa’s state lawmaking process, it would be fair to expect a number of bills on the topic to be introduced during the legislative session that begins this month. And there may be a hunger for some Republicans to also address requirements for other vaccines.

“I would expect that there’s going to be a lot of bills filed related to vaccines,” said Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, the Senate majority leader. “During special session there was probably 20 different bills filed that were brought before me to look at. So I’m sure there will be continued conversation about that.”

Whitver said his preference is to limit the discussion to just COVID-19 vaccine requirements, but acknowledged other lawmakers may want to broaden that discussion to other vaccines.

“I’ve tried to keep the focus on the COVID vaccine as opposed to every vaccine,” Whitver said. “But you know, throughout the last two years, it’s putting more of a spotlight onto the vaccine conversation. So where it goes, I don’t know yet.”

Pat Grassley, the Republican House speaker from New Hartford, said House Republicans have heard concerns primarily over how the COVID-19 vaccines are new and thus have not been studied for possible long-term side effects.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says serious side effects that could cause long-term health problems are “extremely unusual” following vaccinations, including the COVID-19 vaccines. And the World Health Organization says long-lasting side effects to COVID-19 vaccines are “possible but extremely rare.”

Whitver and Grassley both said any potential legislation could be impacted by the outcome of federal court decisions over vaccine requirements implemented by Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration. The requirements, which are on pause while going through the court system, applied to health care workers, federal contractors and businesses with more than 100 employees. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the first cases on Friday.

“Sometimes it’s easier to see what you’re dealing with after it’s played out (in the courts) and how to react to it, than just to pass things to say we pass things,” Grassley said.

Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds declined to be interviewed as part of the Des Moines Bureau’s previews leading up to the session.

The new law approved during that special session, which had bipartisan support, allows Iowans to claim a medical exemption to COVID-19 vaccines without a medical professional’s approval. While some Democrats voted for that bill, Democratic leaders this year said they want nothing more to do with legislation that limits vaccine requirements.

“Instead of focusing on ways to get us out of the pandemic, Republicans are playing politics with a disease that we’ve had to deal with for almost two years and it could be better by now,” said Jennifer Konfrst, the Democratic House minority leader from Windsor Heights. “I’m tired of seeing legislation that’s based on social media conspiracy theories instead of science. It’s just not the right thing for Iowa.”

Zach Wahls, the Democratic Senate minority leader from Coralville, said the ongoing pandemic is one of the issues contributing to the state’s workforce shortage. While the number of Iowans working has rebounded from the early days of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, there were still nearly 82,000 fewer Iowans working in November than before the pandemic hit, according to state workforce data.

“We just have seen obviously a lot of people not want to use” the COVID-19 vaccines, Wahls said. “We’re at a point now with the vaccines widely available. … And now we need political leaders to step up and really just encourage everybody, Republicans and Democrats and independents, to get vaccinated and bring this thing to an end.”

The 2022 session of the Iowa Legislature is scheduled to begin Jan. 10. The session does not have a defined end date, but funding for legislators’ travel and lodging expires after April 19.