Under the Golden Dome

A bill removing work restrictions for teenagers is revised. Democrats still oppose it but say this newly amended version is much better than what was proposed earlier in the session. All the budgets are now passed but many have status quo or small increases, including the education budget. It also has a hiring freeze for university diversity, equity and inclusion departments. And the caucuses are coming in less than a year. A bill would prohibit some proposed changes to prevent any kind of mail in ballot.

Among the policy bills advancing this year include one adding a 40% tax to glass or metal pipes supporters say are used to smoke dangerous drugs. There is also a bill making it easier for gas pipelines to be built from farms with anaerobic digesters converting manure to a form of natural gas. And the governor's education bill about gender identity is now much bigger after the House of Representatives adds an amendment containing sections from many non-controversial bills that have already passed.

A bill requiring public schools to print on Student ID cards contact information for the crisis service Your Life Iowa passes out of the House, and is also considered by a Senate committee. The sale of raw milk passes in the Senate and has advanced from a House committee. The Senate's version of a bill requiring more paperwork for eligibility for food assistance and Medicaid also passes a House committee. This is from a week where most bills need to pass from both a Senate and House committee to remain viable for this legislative session.

In the 11th week of this session a bill that requires more landowners to agree to carbon pipeline construction on their property advances. It would permit the Iowa Utilities Board to allow eminent domain only if pipeline companies first reach voluntary deals for 90% of the land along the pipeline route. Also penalties increase for Fentanyl, distracted driving, and assaulting a pregnant woman. The Senate advances the governor's large public education proposal prohibiting elementary schools from discussing gender identity and removing books in K-12 schools not deemed “age-appropriate.”

The majority of the legislation during every session is bipartisan and non-controversial. Bills about seizure training, robotic extracurricular activities in the schools and non-prescription birth control pass with ease. But there are the more contentious bills that draw strong responses, including what is known as the bathroom bill, which passes in the House and Senate.

A bill prevents Iowa medical-assisted gender transition for minors including the use of hormones or drugs even with parental consent. Senate Republicans say it's a matter of public health and children are vulnerable and confused. But opponents say this violates Iowa's constitution by targeting the small population of transgender children and youth. They are joined by a handful of Republican representatives that say this proposal will eliminate a parent's choice in helping their children. The Senate and House pass the proposal and it is eligible to be signed into law by the governor

A bill advances stating a student must use the public school bathroom that conforms to their gender assigned at birth. Subcommittees also listen to testimony about a proposal prohibiting a healthcare professional from performing or referring a patient that is a minor for gender-affirming surgeries or drugs. And there is a bill from the governor that would make certain subjects illegal to discuss in K - 6 grade public schools and require parental consent for all students to view some books in school libraries.

This bill expands on current code protecting healthcare workers from being forced to participate in medical procedures involving an abortion and creates a broader protection based on religious beliefs and moral convictions. Opponents say this could be used to easily discriminate, but a senator supporting the bill says this is a matter of First Amendment rights. A bill to bring back the death penalty after nearly 60 years advances. And so does one about making gun safety material modeled after the National Rifle Association's Eddie the Eagle program available in K-12 schools.

This is the time of year when many department heads present their budget requests and answer questions from legislators. Property taxes were unintentionally calculated too high, but during an appropriations subcommittee the director for the Department of Revenue says it wasn't an error and they followed the law. The presidents of the state universities present their budget request and are asked if they are spending too much money on diversity equity and inclusion programs.

Funding for K-12 public schools will be $107 million more than last year, the same amount private schools are estimated to get for new state funded scholarships. Democrats say public school funding should have a larger increase to match tax cuts and new funding private schools will receive. And there's a bill that limits the amount awarded in medical malpractice cases. Iowa doesn't have a cap on the amount a jury can award in a medical malpractice suit, and advocates of the bill say that's hurting the healthcare workforce. Some states have ruled caps are unconstitutional.

Bills limiting discussion of gender and personal pronouns in schools that differ from a student's biological gender listed on their birth certificate are advancing. A House proposal requires parents to be notified if public school staff hear a student is suggesting they are going to change their gender or pronoun. Supporters say parental notification should be mandatory but opponents have concerns this proposal will stop a student from having a safe space to talk about this potentially sensitive issue. Late last year it was quietly discovered property taxes would unintentionally rise higher due to an unforeseen result of various tax law changes. But that information only recently became widely known early this year as cities and counties are finishing their budgets. If a new Senate proposal becomes law, local governments will not have enough revenue to fill their new budgets.

A proposal allocating more public money to private schools has its day in both chambers. Gov. Kim Reynolds is placing a high priority on a bill that provides more state funding for students to attend private schools. Democrats say the plan has the potential to hurt public schools and that private schools can reject potential new students. But Republicans say public education is a one size fits all approach and families should have the option to have state funding to send their children to a private school.

Minnette Doderer began her three and a half decades of public service as a legislator in the mid 1960s. She also ran twice for lieutenant governor. In the 1970s and 1980s, she spoke with reporters in eastern Iowa. These rare recordings were recently found in Iowa Public Radio's storage and used in the 2022 podcast series From the Archives. This Under the Golden Dome episode features an episode from that series. Doderer discusses many topics including public money funding private schools, abortion, and how women politicians in the 20th century were often unfairly treated.

A new Iowa General Assembly begins with more new members of the majority party in both chambers. In the Senate, there is now a Republican supermajority and a new Senate president, Sen. Amy Sinclair. Republican and Democratic leaders give their opening day speeches with the majority party supporting a proposal allocating public money to education savings accounts to pay for private school education. Gov. Kim Reynolds formally presents this spending proposal during her Condition of the State. She also boasts about Republican-controlled legislative achievements over the past six years.

The 2022 Iowa legislative session ends after many weeks of little to no activity in the House or Senate. During a busy two days, final budget bills are approved. Most come revised from the Senate including the education appropriation that funds the public universities. Also a number of policy bills are eligible for the governor to consider, including one changing Iowa's four decade old can and bottle redemption law. One of the final bills, known as the “standings bill” includes a section that removes the open enrollment deadline for Iowa's public schools.

Around this time, legislators who have announced they aren't seeking re-election in the Iowa legislature are granted a “retirement” speech from the chamber floor. Between the House and Senate, around 35 legislators are not running for re-election. A few are seeking to run in the other chamber and there are some running for congressional seats. Some of these decisions are also due to redistricting. Also, many large budget bills have passed in the House, but so far the Senate has not taken them up. With the legislature near the end and moving at a slower pace, this podcast will pause until the session has gaveled out for the year.

Proposals about public schools pass in the Senate and House requiring online publishing of curriculums. Private schools are exempt from doing the same. Unlike the House version, the Senate's includes millions of dollars in scholarships for students attending private schools. One Republican says this is necessary after accusing some public schools of promoting a “leftist agenda.” And the House passes a budget with no increase to the regents universities' general fund. But the bill does propose appropriating $12 million for new scholarships.

A bill requiring teachers to post everything they use in a classroom online before a semester begins, advances. After a committee, it now has something that may let teachers update that information as they teach. Budgets are now starting to pass out of the House. Democrats say the $1 billion surplus should be used to provide more funds to state departments. And the longest debate so far this year is for a bill about unemployment benefits. It reduces the maximum number of weeks for unemployment. Republicans say it's part of a solution for a workforce shortage, but Democrats strongly disagree.

The Department of Corrections director lays out the condition of the prisons to a committee that determines its annual budget. The House reduces one budget item, makes it up with money from a previous fiscal year, then allocates 7 million new dollars for fiscal year 2023. The House passes a bill allowing midwifery to be licensed in Iowa, but the bill is derailed in a Senate committee. And a bill changing how Iowa's four decades old container redemption system operates advances from a subcommittee. It would collect millions of dollars in unclaimed deposits, but when coming to the full committee an entirely different version of the bill advances.

A bill removing Senate confirmation for some of the governor's appointees advances. Confirmation for those exempt appointees is still possible if 26 senators want it, but the 18 Democrats in the Senate say it isn't fair. A bill that would overturn an Iowa Supreme Court ruling about police searching garbage without a warrant passes in the Senate. As it comes to a House committee, the bill's potential to become a law that stays on the books is in question. There's a proposal that would require the state to send everyone a letter calculating how much or less their property taxes would be under local government budget proposals. And a bipartisan bill that would change Iowa to Daylight Saving Time year-round clears the House.

Two of the governor's priorities advance at the Capitol. First, a bill creating scholarships for private schools advances from a committee. It also requires teachers to publish online everything that will be used in the classroom. And, the Senate passes a bill banning transgender girls from playing on female sports teams at K-12 schools, colleges and universities in Iowa. The governor signs the bill into law. In the House, two drug-related bills pass. One is about experimental treatments for people on ventilators. It would allow for drugs like ivermectin to be used during treatment. And the other increases penalties for having smaller amounts of heroin. It targets drug dealers but opponents say it doesn't help drug addicts.

There are state requirements for staff levels at child care facilities. A bill comes to the full Senate for debate that increases the ratio of staff for young children. In the House there are bills involving interests with Israel, including one related to Ben and Jerry's ice cream. And a ban on transgender girls and women playing on girls' and women's sports teams passes the House.

The House passes a bill that will gradually lower income tax rates. It requires the state to consistently have a revenue growth of 3.5% for several years. Republicans say last year's nearly billion dollar surplus should be used to reduce taxes. As school spending is approved by both chambers at a growth of 2.5%, Democrats say it should be higher especially with the recent surplus. Bills race to be passed out of committees during this funnel week, where most bills must pass out of one chamber's full committee to remain eligible. One includes a prohibition on allowing any land to be purchased by China and another is an emergency bill allowing para-educators to continue as substitute teachers.

There are two versions of a bill about equal treatment for religious and secular organizations. The Senate version contains language some say could invite discrimination and evasion of Iowa laws, but the House version does not. A Senate bill advances that would require the State Board of Education to create course standards for elective social studies classes about the Bible. And a House bill would prohibit transgender girl athletes from being on girls' school sports teams.

There are still in excess of 100 bills a week being considered by subcommittees and some have also passed a full committee. That makes them eligible for a chamber to consider passage. The first bill to do so expands biofuels in Iowa. Unlike similar legislation that didn't advance last year, this builds in exemptions for some fuel stations that don't have the infrastructure for biofuels. It passes in the House with bipartisan support. Many education proposals have passed through a committee this week including the Senate's version of funding for public schools and a proposal that would require curriculum and books in schools to be listed online.

Every year bills that didn't pass in previous legislative sessions get another shot through the subcommittee process. In 2022 bills that would restrict or further regulate traffic enforcement cameras advance through Senate subcommittees. Governor Reynolds has written a bill that would increase biofuels options at gas stations, that is less aggressive than her renewable fuels bill from last year. A proposal allowing Iowa schools to go year-round stalls. And a new bill advances that would change a parent or guardian's vaccination consent for minors from verbal to written.

It's the first of several full weeks of subcommittees. Not all bills advance from their first subcommittee hearing. Last year a large bill passed in the Senate about eligibility requirements for many public assistance programs. It did not advance in the House. Now part of the Senate bill dealing only with SNAP benefits comes to a House subcommittee. Also in subcommittees is proposed amendment to the state constitution that would expand and reinforce victims rights. There's a proposal to limit changes to required school vaccinations and a bill that would make Iowa exempt from potential future federal decisions that restrict firearms.

The first week of the second half of the 89th Iowa General Assembly is mostly filled with legislators announcing their priorities for this planned 100-day session. With a billion dollar surplus from the last fiscal year, Republicans have suggested various tax reductions. But the first proposal comes during Gov. Kim Reynolds' Condition of the State address, with a flat income tax and the elimination of taxes on most pensions and retirement accounts. Another one of her proposals is to reduce the number of weeks a person can receive unemployment benefits. Reynolds also speaks of her concerns about some books in public schools containing sexual content and wants public schools to place their curriculum and inventory of library books online.

Last day of the 2021 legislative session featured a surprise amendment to a bill prohibiting schools and cities from implementing mask mandates stricter than state policies and code.

As the 2021 session comes to a close, changing Iowa's bottle redemption system received a public hearing. Another large department budget passed out of an appropriations committee, and includes a controversial income verification qualification for public assistance programs. And a large bill about law enforcement passed out of the House.

A week after House committees presented appropriations budgets, the Senate followed. There are a few differences between the two chambers and they must be resolved for the budget bills to pass. Two of the governor's appointees are in danger of not being confirmed by the Senate. Confirmation requires two-thirds majority and if Democrats unite in opposition, an appointee will be removed from their position.

This week, the Iowa House of Representatives passed a bill allowing third-party services to deliver beer, wine, or liquor to a customer's home. Grants to increase faster internet service received unanimous support in the Senate and House, and the House appropriations committee advanced budgets to be debated in the chamber.

Autonomous personal delivery devices may start operating in residential areas of Iowa communities. The House has passed a bill allowing for these robot deliveries and now a Senate committee has modified the bill. The House has also passed a bill adding penalties for those who trespass and take animal, plant, or land samples from an agricultural-producing property. It also includes penalties for taking a photograph while trespassing.

Legislators are beginning the sprint to the end of the legislative session. Budgets are starting to form in the Senate and House. So are more tax reduction proposals, including one that would change funding for mental health to come from the general fund instead of local property taxes. Some of those other divisions would eliminate backfill payments to cities and counties.

With demand for a COVID-19 shot expected to be high this year, the House has passed a bill allowing dentists to administer these vaccines. The House also passed a bill placing restrictions on what concepts can be included in diversity training for state workers and public school staff. The floor debate lasted four hours.

A bill in the Iowa Senate passes that would add penalties for protesters who cause damage or interfere with police trying to break up a disorderly protest. Another passes prohibiting a city or county from reducing the budget for law enforcement. The House Government Oversight Committee meets with members from Ames Community School District about concerns for using Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action in their schools.

The legislative season is around the halfway mark, where there is a deadline for most bills to pass out of one full committee. Bills with a financial impact are not subject to this “funnel.” On this episode we walk through six bills that passed this funnel week.

A controversial bill proposes changing Iowa's election laws and increasing penalties. It receives a public hearing, then two days later it passes in the House and Senate. Also, a bill from a Senate Education subcommittee advances that would make it easier for superintendents and school board members to be removed if they willfully violate Iowa laws concerning Iowa schools.

A bill about fuel would require gas stations to greatly expand renewable fuel pumps for gasoline and diesel. Opponents of the bill mostly say they aren't against biofuels but implementing the quantity of these pumps especially in rural areas isn't feasible. A 58-section bill changing election laws and penalties fast tracks through Senate and House committees.

The Senate and House pass an increase of 2.4% funding of state supplemental aid for K-12 public schools. The House Education subcommittee advances a bill that would remove some funding from a school that uses material from The 1619 Project and the Senate Education subcommittee advances a bill about gender identity and bathroom use.

The three state universities are asking for $26 million more for the next fiscal year. A House subcommittee advances a bill that would not allow public or private colleges to implement a mask or social distancing rule for students and employees when they are off-campus. And the governor's broadband bill is discussed in a Senate subcommittee.

States decide how to prioritize COVID-19 vaccines. In Iowa, there are two phases that involve nearly one million Iowans. The will be around 50,000 doses per week in February. While it's expected to increase, it will be awhile until the supply begins to meet the demand.