Bills Die as Iowa Legislature Faces Deadline
Representatives listen to closing remarks in the Iowa House during the final day of the Iowa legislative session, Tuesday, March 30, 2010, at the Statehouse in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
By
Ryan Jones
Story Created:
Mar 7, 2013 at 7:01 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Mar 7, 2013 at 7:01 PM CDT
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some of the hundreds of bills introduced in the Iowa Legislature will die this week as lawmakers run up against a self-imposed deadline.
Most high-profile measures dealing with such issues as property tax changes and education reform are moving through the process. But others dealing with gay marriage, abortion and gun control won't survive the Friday deadline.
Lawmakers have finished up work for the week and won't return to the Capitol until Monday.
Under the Legislature's rules, referred to as "funnel week," bills die if they haven't been approved by a committee by Friday, though they can be eligible the following year and lawmakers occasionally use maneuvers to revive a bill toward the end of the session.
The Legislative Services Agency says 478 bills were introduced in the House this year and 354 in the Senate. Last year, 640 House and 478 Senate bills were introduced.
Legislative leaders said they are pleased priority bills survived the deadline.
Republicans expressed frustration that measures they have long pushed, such as abortion restrictions and seeking a public vote on gay marriage, have again failed, but they said they weren't surprised.
"Those issues are extremely important to House Republicans ... but Senate Democrats are going to block those initiatives," said House Speaker Kevin Paulsen, R-Hiawatha.
Bills that would have reinstated the death penalty and allowed people to carry guns on school grounds also failed to meet the deadline.
Senate Minority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, said he was disappointed that legislation that would have sent part of this year's budget surplus back to taxpayers never saw committee discussion and failed.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said all of the Senate Democrats' key priorities have survived the deadline.
"Our key issues about education reform, the skill shortage in Iowa, tax breaks for working families and small businesses, investing in Iowa's economy ... all of our key priorities came through," he said.
But efforts backed by Senate Democrats to legalize medical marijuana, require minors riding mo-peds to wear helmets and legalize Internet poker have failed.
About 90 Senate bills and 60 House bills cleared the deadline and will survive for floor debate. And it's always possible a bill considered finished will be resurrected.
"Nothing is ever really dead around here," said Carmine Boal, the chief House clerk.
Conversation Guidelines
Be Kind
Don't use abusive, offensive, threatening, racist, vulgar or sexually-oriented language.
Don't attack someone personally. Keep it civil and be responsible.
Share Knowledge
Be truthful. Share what you know and what you are passionate about.
What more do you want to learn? Keep it simple.
Stay focused
Promote lively and healthy debate. Stay on topic. Ask questions and give feedback on the story's topic.
Report Trouble
Help us maintain a quality comment section by reporting comments that are offensive. If you see a comment that is offensive, or you feel violates our guidelines, simply click on the "x" to the far right of the comment to report it.
read the full guidelines here »
Commenting will be disabled on stories dealing with the following subject matter: Crime, sexual abuse, property fires, automobile accidents, Amber Alerts, Operation Quickfinds and suicides.
Most Popular