The 2025 Legislative Session adjourned on May 15, and over the next 30 days, the Governor took final action on bills, concluding her work on June 11. Now the majority of new laws take effect today, July 1, 2025....more
The first session of the 91st General Assembly of Iowa adjourned sine die just after 6 a.m. on May 15 after a full night of caucuses and debate. Slated for 110 days, the legislature extended 13 days beyond May 2 after...more
It was a quieter week at the Iowa State Capitol as we reach the final stretch of the 2025 legislative session. As the first year of a general assembly, session is scheduled for 110 days, and this year, that day falls on...more
Governor Reynolds not seeking reelection -
In a video published on Friday, April 11, Governor Kim Reynolds announced that she will not seek reelection in 2026. In the post, Governor Reynolds cited her desire to be with...more
Week 12 of the 2025 Iowa Legislative Session featured the final major deadline before legislators’ per diem runs out on the 110th day of session: the second funnel. To survive this deadline, bills must have passed through a...more
Legislators continued to work hard in Week 11 of the 2025 Iowa Legislative Session as the second funnel deadline rapidly approaches. This week featured long caucus meetings followed by floor debate, and the long-awaited...more
This week marks the halfway point between the first and second funnels of the 2025 Iowa Legislative session. Both the House and Senate advanced legislation ahead of that second funnel deadline, including several controversial...more
The Iowa Legislature returned after the first funnel deadline in Week 8 and the pace shifted as the Iowa House and Senate spent more time on floor debate and attention shifted to Ways and Means and Appropriations bills and...more
Last week, Iowa Republicans fast-tracked legislation related to civil rights and gender identity in Iowa, and hundreds of protesters convened at the Capitol each day. New bills continued to be introduced ahead of the first...more
Week 6 of the 2025 Iowa Legislative Session has come and gone. Inside the Capitol, it was bustling with members of the public protesting and testifying in subcommittee while the outside world experienced sub-zero...more
Week 5 of the 2025 Iowa Legislative Session closed with the first major deadline of the year. Individual legislators had until Friday, February 14, to request bills and joint resolution drafts to the Legislative Services...more
Iowa mourned the passing of Representative Martin Graber this week, who experienced a sudden heart attack on Friday, January 31. The House of Representatives canceled the majority of business on Monday for the visitation and...more
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
Bill introductions slowed to a trickle by week 13, with just a handful of days left until the end of the scheduled legislative session. Most of the work happening now is in the Appropriations Committee, Ways and Means...more
Week 12 brought more signs of Spring: the Pella Tulip Time Queen and her court graced the Capitol with their presence and their Dutch letters. In March Madness news, the Sweet 16 weekend kicked off with the Iowa State Cyclone...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
With the end of the second legislative funnel, all eyes turn to the House and Senate Unfinished Business Calendar. Starting this week, the Senate can only consider House bills, House Joint Resolutions, and Unfinished...more
Week Eight brought remarkable and historic weather, a late-night floor debate in the House, and the first bills signed by the Governor this session....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
The first funnel of the legislative session was a sprint to get as many bills passed through committees as possible. It was unusually busy, with more than 100 bills introduced since last Thursday, including successor bills...more
Week five of the legislative session was full of subcommittee and committee action. The first funnel is this week, Friday, February 16. A large number of bills moved forward in week five, but several key priorities have yet...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
After two weeks of midweek snowstorms, legislative activity returned to normal with the first “full” week at the Capitol, which included a large volume of subcommittee hearings, committee meetings, and public events filling...more
On Monday, January 15, despite the brutal cold, Republicans gathered around the state for the first indication of the Republican Party’s nominee...more