The headline of Week three: Governor Reynolds signed her top legislative priority into law. The highly debated Educational Savings Accounts plan passed the House and Senate after a late night of debate Monday night, landing...more
The 90th General Assembly convened for the 2023 legislative session on Monday, January 9. Monday consisted of short organizing sessions in the House and Senate and speeches by leadership in both parties. Priorities set by the...more
The 2023 session of the 90th Iowa General Assembly began Monday, January 9....more
Five weeks beyond the 100th calendar day of the session, the 2022 session of the 89th General Assembly of Iowa has adjourned sine die. Originally slated to end on April 20, stalled negotiations on Education Savings Plans...more
We are now 30 days beyond the scheduled 100th day of session. The legislature had been on a bit of a hiatus for the last two and a half weeks, gaveling in and out as required by Constitution/rule…until this week. Progress...more
Week 17 was more of the same. The second full week of overtime, this week came and went without an agreement on the Education Savings Accounts (ESA) issue which continues to drive the delayed adjournment. It remains unclear...more
Officially into overtime, legislators are now working without receiving per diem and without assistance from their clerks. At the end of week 16, the lack of agreement on the Education Savings Accounts (ESA) issue continues...more
Tuesday, April 20 marked the scheduled 100th day of session, and with it, per diems expire for legislators. We are now officially into overtime. It is difficult to discern when the legislature will adjourn sine die. Chambers...more
Week 14 was very similar to week 13. Small steps were made toward adjournment, but resolutions on the major outstanding issues remain elusive and the budget process continues to be on hold (except for the Transportation...more
As week 11 comes to end, by Monday, March 28, there will be 23 days left until the April 19 scheduled adjournment date, which is about 16 legislative workdays. For the first time this session, this week brought a sense of...more
The legislature met their second legislative funnel deadline this week. This means that policy bills that did not receive floor approval in their originating chamber and advance through committee in the opposite chamber are...more
Week eight marks the halfway point in the legislative session and two weeks until the session funnel on Friday, March 18. This week brought the most floor action we have seen all session, with over 50 bills advancing through...more
Week seven brought major legislative action. The legislature passed historic tax reform on Thursday, a major priority of Governor Reynolds and leadership in both the House and the Senate for 2022. These recent developments,...more
The Iowa legislature met its first major milestone of the 2022 legislative session. Today brings the close of the first legislative funnel. This means that for bills to remain “alive” and eligible for further action, the...more
Week 2 of the legislative session was shortened by the MLK Jr. holiday weekend as well as travel difficulties caused by the weekend winter storm. Bill introductions continue to ramp up, with 152 bills introduced this week...more
The 2022 session of the 89th General Assembly began Monday, January 10.
Legislative Branch Developments
Makeup of the 89th General Assembly
Republicans maintain their majority in both chambers. House Republicans...more
On Thursday, October 28, the second Iowa special legislative session concluded with the legislature approving the second Legislative and Congressional District Plan (SF621) and Covid Vaccine Exemptions (HF902). Governor...more
On Thursday, October 21, the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) delivered its second redistricting plan, including the second set of maps, to the Iowa legislature....more
Today, October 5, 2021, the Iowa Senate rejected the first Legislative and Congressional District Plan. The plan, SF620, failed to pass 18-32, thus triggering the need for the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) to prepare a...more
On Thursday, September 16, the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) delivered its first Proposed Redistricting Plan Report, to the Iowa legislature. The U.S. Census Bureau determined the total resident population of Iowa as of...more
At 10:00 a.m. Thursday, September 16, the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) delivered its first Proposed Redistricting Plan Report, including the first set of maps, to the legislature....more
Officially into overtime, week 17 ended with many negotiations left to be had. Rank and file legislators were not called into the Capitol on Monday (5/3) or Tuesday (5/4) as there was no floor work or committee blocks...more
With funnel week behind us, both chambers focused their efforts on floor work to move bills past the second funnel (April 2). Bills that survived this first funnel must now be passed out of the originating chamber and...more
As this was the first funnel week of the 2021 legislative session, both chambers focused their efforts on committee work. Despite already passing a massive number of bills through committee in the first seven weeks of the...more
Week four brought extensive committee work in both chambers Monday-Wednesday, with a slower day on Thursday due to the snow in Des Moines and across the state, though virtual meetings allowed the Senate to continue to conduct...more