This Week at the Statehouse – Week 2
The Legislature was not in session on Monday in remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The remainder of the week was spent in legislative committee and subcommittee meetings.
New bills for consideration continue to be filed daily. This link will provide a complete list of bills the Board of Regents are tracking (in the box marked as lobbyist, type in Mary Braun).
The House subcommittee on HF 6, which creates an Iowa Workforce Grant Program for Regents’ students, was held this week. There will be an amendment before the bill gets voted on by the full House Appropriations Committee. The amendment should contain Board of Regents requested changes to make sure we are at the table when determining high-need fields the scholarships will apply for the Regents universities students.
The House subcommittee on HF 12, which requires social studies instruction in K-12 schools on certain political ideologies, was held this week. On a 2-1 vote, the subcommittee recommended the bill to the full House Education Committee.
The Senate subcommittee on SF 19, which allows for donated vacation and sick leave between state employees, was held this week. On a 2-1 vote, the subcommittee recommended the bill to the full Senate Workforce Committee with an amendment. At this time, we do not know what will be in the amendment.
A House Education Subcommittee meeting is scheduled for next week on HF 48, the bill prohibiting tenure. The Board of Regents are registered AGAINST this bill, along with Grow Cedar Valley and other business and chamber organizations, agricultural commodity groups and the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association, and Iowa Insurance Associates.
Other Bills of Interest that have been filed
Here are a few other bills of interest that have been filed to date that the Board of Regents are monitoring:
HF 2, Public Fund Investment, House State Government Committee
HF 4, Alternative Pathways to Teaching Licenses, House Education Committee
HF 7, Define Regents’ Course Terminology in Teaching and Establishment of Legislative Interim Committee on Regents Teacher Preparation Programs, House Education Committee
HF 11, Publish on Regents Website University Average Student Debt and Graduate Wage Information, House Education Committee
HF 24, Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, House Health and Human Services Committee
HSB 13, Ransomware Attacks, House Economic Growth and Technology Committee
HSB 14, Cyber Security Center at ISU, House Economic Growth and Technology Committee
HSB 41, Regents Investments in Chinese governments, House Education Committee
SF 58, University Pregnancy Accommodations, Senate Education Committee
SSB 1012, Professional Counselors Licensure Compact, Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Upcoming Dates
January 30 – Randy Pilkington, Executive Director of UNI BCS, and Dan Beenken, Director of UNI Family Business Center, will present UNI’s economic development budget request to the House Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee
February 14 – UNI Day at the Capitol
March 3 – First Funnel – Bills not reported out of their originating committee by this date are no longer eligible for consideration (does not apply to budget, tax or oversight bills)
March 31 – Second Funnel – House bills not passed out of Senate committees and Senate bills not passed out of House committees are no longer eligible for consideration (does not apply to budget, tax or oversight bills)
April 28 – 110th Calendar Day (lawmaker per diem expenses end)
If you have any questions, please email me at mary.braun@uni.edu.