Funnelled
This is the second funnel deadline at the Iowa Legislature, meaning if a bill had not passed one chamber by now, it’s dead for the session…budgets and certain bills at the Ways and Means Committee notwithstanding.
Some are new, some are annual favorites.
At this point, here are some of the bills we know are no longer being considered:
Bills to provide state-funded “students first” scholarships to private-school families, allow student-athletes to profit from use of name/image/likeness…to prohibit new, and remove most existing, automated traffic enforcement cameras, and establish daylight saving time as the eventual official year-round time in Iowa.
In light of the pandemic, also not under consideration any longer are bills that would bar employers from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations and require in-person graduation ceremonies at regent universities. After that one was merely introduced, all three universities caved and made plans for such events, so the bill had an effect.
An attempt to end faculty tenure at regent universities failed, as did a bill that would cut off state funds for cities or counties that “defund” police.
This one could have helped, but an effort to create an offense for slower drivers who “camp” in the left lane of divided highways also did not make it. Also not under consideration…a bill that would bar you from having a loaded firearm when operating electric scooter…apparently that’s still OK.
And a bill to amend the state constitution to restore felon voting rights also was not successful. That’s certainly one we’ll hear about again, going forward.
