Senate goes with governor’s plan, House offers more modest cuts
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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Senate goes with governor’s plan, House offers more modest cuts
An Iowa government agency or official could hire a private accountant to perform its annual audit under legislation advanced Wednesday. It’s the second year GOP lawmakers have tried to limit powers of the Democratic state auditor.
A fiery exchange prompted Iowa House Democrats to walk out Tuesday of a House subcommittee meeting on a bill to make changes to the state’s election procedures and limit eligibility challenges for federal candidates — including to Donald Trump.
Also, a bill that combines a ban on automated traffic enforcement cameras with a requirement for only hands-free use of mobile devices while driving advanced.
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.
The bill, which advanced out of a Senate subcommittee on Monday, would apply to people on state-regulated health insurance plans, including people with private health insurance and state-provided Medicaid. Uninsured Iowans would not be covered by the bill.
Chanting again filled and echoed the halls Monday of the Iowa Capitol for a third straight week as transgender Iowans and civil rights and LGBTQ advocates decried a bill that would define "man" and "woman" in state law.
Also, lawmakers advance a bill that would require district-level elections of supervisors in large counties
Large cities in Iowa, led by Davenport, are pushing for a bill that would allow cities to file suit in court against strip clubs if the city or county attorney deem them to be a danger to public safety.
Previous attempts to pass the bill have met with resistance in the Iowa House, which held this year’s first hearing on Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposal.
The legislation also would require Iowa’s 11 largest school districts — among them Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Council Bluffs, Iowa City, and Sioux City — to have at least one private security guard or school resource officer in each district high school.
Zaun, a Republican from Urbandale, has been working for years to ban the use of traffic cameras in Iowa; this year he has combined his legislative proposal with a hands-free device use while driving.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, in her annual Condition of the State address last month, said Iowa needs to increase reading outcomes for elementary students. Last year, state test scores reported 34 percent of third-graders are not proficient in reading and writing skills. Under a proposed bill, Iowa colleges and universities would be required to train teachers in the “science of reading.” But what is it?
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