This Week at the Statehouse – Week 3

New bills continue to be filed daily for consideration. This link will provide a complete list of bills the Board of Regents are tracking: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/lobbyist/reports/declarations (in the box marked as lobbyist, type in Mary Braun).

This week was filled with subcommittee and committee work on policy bills. There was no floor debate in either the House or Senate chambers.

The budget subcommittees have started meeting but not jointly. The Senate budget subcommittees are holding only one meeting per subcommittee this session. All House budget subcommittees are holding their meetings twice a week. The university presidents are not being asked to present to the education budget subcommittee this year.

On Wednesday, January 25, Randy Pilkington, Executive Director of BCS, and Jerry Thiel, Director of the Metal Casting Center and Foundry 4.0 Center, presented UNI’s budget request to the House Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee. BCS programs that receive state funding include the Metal Casting Center, Foundry 4.0 Center, Advance Iowa, Family Business Center and the Institute for Decision Making.

The Legislature’s first funnel date, when Senate policy bills need to come out of a Senate committee and House policy bills need to come out of a House committee to remain eligible for debate this legislative session, is coming up on February 18. This date does not apply to tax, spending and government oversight bills.

Upcoming Dates

February 18 – 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 7 – UNI Day at the Capitol

March 18 – 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 19 – 100th Calendar Day (lawmaker per diem expenses end)

If you have any questions, please email me at mary.braun@uni.edu.