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Hello friend, Here is IEC's legislative news bulletin for February 19-23, 2024. Lawmakers spared no time jumping into floor action after a very busy funnel week. The next phase of session has started, and the gears have shifted from continuous subcommittee and committee meetings to lengthy caucus sessions and floor debate. First thing last week, the House debated and passed several noncontroversial bills on the floor. Meanwhile, the Senate started the week debating more contentious bills including the governor’s proposal expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage and a bill to allow government agencies to use private CPAs rather than the State Auditor. The statehouse was bustling Wednesday with Teamster members holding a protest on the steps outside the Capitol and circling the Capitol with semitrucks blaring their horns; the demonstration was in opposition to Senate File 2734 which would decertify unions if their public employees do not submit the correct paperwork to the state Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) on time. Wednesday evening the House held a public hearing for their AEA proposal, which received substantial feedback from countless concerned parents, teachers, and administrators. Looking ahead
We expect the focus on floor debate to continue this week, then the policy committee process to restart in earnest the week of March 4 leading up to the second funnel deadline on March 15. Read the highlights below and view our bill tracker for more details. |
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Environmental Advocacy Day IEC and Trees Forever hosted Environmental Advocacy Day on Monday, February 26 at the Capitol. The Rotunda was filled with member and partner tables, there to talk with legislators and their staff about environmental issues of importance. Many legislators stopped to enjoy the treat bar, giving us an opportunity to share information about critical legislation. Thank you to all the member organizations, partners, and supporters who joined us for another successful Environmental Advocacy Day! |
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Bill Highlights • Pesticide Action Network has an action alert available for SF 2392, a bill that would shield pesticide manufacturers from liability for the health impacts of the chemicals they produce. Use their action alert to tell the Senate not to move this bill forward. • SF 2371, a bill on nutrient management plans (NMPs) for feedlot operations. It creates an incentive for livestock operations to wait to file an NMP until their manure storage basin is almost full, risking water quality violations. Use IEC’s updated Action Alert below to tell your state senator to vote no on this bill. • SF 455, a bill that would prevent cities and counties from enacting local stormwater regulations and erosion controls. Tell your House representative to vote no using our action alert below. |
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Legislative Dates of Interest |
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3/7 - Des Moines Water Works Legislative Breakfast
3/15 - Second legislative funnel deadline Did you miss our live Legislative Update & Advocacy Training on Friday, March 23? Watch the recording at your convenience here. For more info on legislative committee meetings, events, and forums, visit our Legislative Events page in our Legislative Portal. |
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