In Iowa, 188 bills and resolutions were passed in the 2024 session of the 90th General Assembly (the Governor vetoed one bill, HF2539 regarding open records; see the veto letter for more information). The majority of those...more
The legislature picked up the pace in week 14 as a real push toward the end of session began. The House and Senate spent extensive time on the floor, working to clear their calendars—which included several controversial...more
The first day of spring was last Tuesday, bringing new life to the Capitol in week 11. As the weather continues to warm, farmers will be eager to start planting crops; we will keep you apprised of the soil temperature in the...more
Floor debate took up the majority of the time in the Capitol this week, with the House debating extensive calendars every day this week, a total of 29 bills, and the Senate debating 12 bills total on Monday and Tuesday. Three...more
Week 7 brought the first significant floor action of the session, with full debate calendars in both the House and Senate. In total, the House debated and approved 45 bills this week, which will now go to the Senate; the...more
Week four of the legislative session was action-packed. Drafters, legislators, advocates, and staff are hustling to keep up with the pace and volume of bills being introduced and moving through committees. A number of...more
The 2024 session of the 90th General Assembly began today, Monday, January 8. All House and Senate members returned to the Capitol for the second year of the General Assembly. The day began with the opening gavel in both...more
The Revenue Estimating Conference forecasted Iowa’s revenues for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, predicting a slight decline but emphasizing a strong overall budget. Governor Kim Reynolds is required to use this estimate as the...more
On Tuesday, the Boards and Commissions Review Committee (BCRC) created in the Governor’s realignment bill (Division XIX of SF5514) met to discuss and deliver their preliminary recommendations. After reviewing the...more
Today, April 28, is the final day of paid work for Iowa lawmakers, their clerks, and Capitol staff. The House and Senate pages decorated boxes for the legislators they assisted this year to help them clear their desks for the...more
Week 15 was very busy at the Capitol, with bills and amendments flying back and forth between the chambers. The headline was the Senate debate Monday night, which lasted until 4:50 am the following morning. The coffee...more
Week 12 brought the second major milestone for the legislature, the second funnel; despite this deadline, the week had an eerily slow pace. Highlights included the Governor signing two more bills and the Senate introducing a...more
The excitement around basketball was palpable in the Capitol this week. The Drake Bulldogs, Iowa Hawkeyes, and Iowa State Cyclones are all sending their men’s and women’s teams into the first round of the NCAA tournament. The...more
Post-funnel, the legislature’s focus narrowed to the bills that are still “alive.” Only legislation that has been voted out of committee in its chamber of origin is eligible for further consideration. As we noted last week,...more
Week 5 brought movement on major legislation, including annual education funding and medical malpractice limits. The legislature kept up its rapid pace, with 69 bills introduced in the House and 59 introduced in the Senate....more
The headline of Week three: Governor Reynolds signed her top legislative priority into law. The highly debated Educational Savings Accounts plan passed the House and Senate after a late night of debate Monday night, landing...more
The 90th General Assembly convened for the 2023 legislative session on Monday, January 9. Monday consisted of short organizing sessions in the House and Senate and speeches by leadership in both parties. Priorities set by the...more
The 2023 session of the 90th Iowa General Assembly began Monday, January 9....more
Five weeks beyond the 100th calendar day of the session, the 2022 session of the 89th General Assembly of Iowa has adjourned sine die. Originally slated to end on April 20, stalled negotiations on Education Savings Plans...more
We are now 30 days beyond the scheduled 100th day of session. The legislature had been on a bit of a hiatus for the last two and a half weeks, gaveling in and out as required by Constitution/rule…until this week. Progress...more
Week 17 was more of the same. The second full week of overtime, this week came and went without an agreement on the Education Savings Accounts (ESA) issue which continues to drive the delayed adjournment. It remains unclear...more
Officially into overtime, legislators are now working without receiving per diem and without assistance from their clerks. At the end of week 16, the lack of agreement on the Education Savings Accounts (ESA) issue continues...more
Tuesday, April 20 marked the scheduled 100th day of session, and with it, per diems expire for legislators. We are now officially into overtime. It is difficult to discern when the legislature will adjourn sine die. Chambers...more
Week 14 was very similar to week 13. Small steps were made toward adjournment, but resolutions on the major outstanding issues remain elusive and the budget process continues to be on hold (except for the Transportation...more
As week 11 comes to end, by Monday, March 28, there will be 23 days left until the April 19 scheduled adjournment date, which is about 16 legislative workdays. For the first time this session, this week brought a sense of...more