Overview / Major Events With the first legislative funnel behind us and the second funnel already looming on March 11, the House and Senate spent virtually the entire week on their respective floors debating dozens of bills and sending them to the opposite Chamber for further consideration. Monitoring legislation through the entire process can often be confusing, as bills frequently are redrafted and renumbered after initial committee passage (and may be so again if they are referred to the Ways and Means or Appropriations committees – as most bills coming out of those committees are exempt from further funnel restrictions). Thus, bills can start out as a study bill (HSB 111, SSB 222) and then are given an official Senate File or House File number once they clear their initial committee (HF 333, SF 444). If they are further referred to Ways and Means or Appropriations committee and gain approval there, they will get a THIRD number (HF 555, SF 666). Confused yet? |
House Stages Pro-Second Amendment Day and Passes Five Bills The State Capitol was filled on Tuesday with hundreds of citizens there to support a whole package of pro-second amendment bills in the Iowa House. House Republicans timed floor debate to allow those citizens to watch debate from the House gallery.
New Coalition Releases Economic Impact Study on Animal Agriculture in Iowa A new group promoting the importance of animal agriculture in Iowa released a newly published study detailing the economic impact of animal agriculture on the larger Iowa economy. The Coalition to Protect the Rural Economy (CPRE) released its study and presented its findings at meetings of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. Key findings in the study show that animal agriculture in Iowa is responsible for:
CPRE was created to educate policy makers on the impact of animal agriculture in Iowa, identify risks to the continued growth and prosperity of the animal agriculture industry in Iowa, and advocate for best practices that support rural communities. Efforts on Behalf of Community Bankers of Iowa:
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