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
Last week was the first week beyond the scheduled 110th day of the 2025 Iowa Legislative Session, and legislators made significant strides toward adjournment. On Thursday, the chambers released a joint budget agreement; with...more
Last week marked the scheduled 110th day of the 2025 Iowa Legislative Session, the last scheduled day. Legislators must now work to pass an annual budget, but disagreements between the chambers on major policy items as well...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
Last week, the energy changed under the golden dome as legislators gave the first indications they are moving towards ending this year’s legislative session. While ultimately not taken up by either chamber this week, Pharmacy...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
The 91st General Assembly reconvened at the Capitol for a full week of legislating. Last week, there were 144 new bill introductions between both chambers, and 90 bills passed out of subcommittee. Currently, 33 bills have...more
The 91st General Assembly reconvened at the Capitol on Tuesday for a shortened week due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and the inauguration of President Donald Trump. However, legislators hit the ground running and...more
The Iowa Legislature gaveled in yesterday, Monday, January 13, for the first day of session. All returning and newly elected House and Senate members convened at the Capitol for the first year of the 91st General Assembly....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
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
Floor debate took up the majority of the time in the Capitol this week, with the House debating extensive calendars every day this week, a total of 29 bills, and the Senate debating 12 bills total on Monday and Tuesday. Three...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
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
The 2024 session of the 90th General Assembly began today, Monday, January 8. All House and Senate members returned to the Capitol for the second year of the General Assembly. The day began with the opening gavel in both...more
The Revenue Estimating Conference forecasted Iowa’s revenues for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, predicting a slight decline but emphasizing a strong overall budget. Governor Kim Reynolds is required to use this estimate as the...more
On Tuesday, the Boards and Commissions Review Committee (BCRC) created in the Governor’s realignment bill (Division XIX of SF5514) met to discuss and deliver their preliminary recommendations. After reviewing the...more
Today, April 28, is the final day of paid work for Iowa lawmakers, their clerks, and Capitol staff. The House and Senate pages decorated boxes for the legislators they assisted this year to help them clear their desks for the...more
Week 15 was very busy at the Capitol, with bills and amendments flying back and forth between the chambers. The headline was the Senate debate Monday night, which lasted until 4:50 am the following morning. The coffee...more
Week 12 brought the second major milestone for the legislature, the second funnel; despite this deadline, the week had an eerily slow pace. Highlights included the Governor signing two more bills and the Senate introducing a...more
The excitement around basketball was palpable in the Capitol this week. The Drake Bulldogs, Iowa Hawkeyes, and Iowa State Cyclones are all sending their men’s and women’s teams into the first round of the NCAA tournament. The...more
Post-funnel, the legislature’s focus narrowed to the bills that are still “alive.” Only legislation that has been voted out of committee in its chamber of origin is eligible for further consideration. As we noted last week,...more
Week 5 brought movement on major legislation, including annual education funding and medical malpractice limits. The legislature kept up its rapid pace, with 69 bills introduced in the House and 59 introduced in the Senate....more