Week two of the Iowa legislature adjourned for the week at 12:08 p.m Thursday afternoon, until Monday, January 23, 2017, at 1:00 p.m. This week bills were introduced and assigned to committees by the Speaker of the House, Linda Upmeyer. Committees met and began the co-signing of bills.

Speed Cameras:

Bills are being prepared by both the House and Senate to eliminate all speed cameras used in Iowa. Lawmakers feel that these cameras violate Iowans right to due process, because the cameras have no way of proving that you are guilty and the owner of the vehicle is ticketed.  For these reasons, they are not fair and violate the U.S. Constitution.

Sunset Bill:

The new Republican majority wants to bring effectiveness and efficiency to state government. A new bill would require all state projects to be reviewed every five years to ensure the project is running smoothly and determine if the project is still needed. The goal is to get the maximum efficiency of all projects and protect taxpayer money.

The Budget:

Currently, the legislature is finishing last year’s budget. The House, Senate, and Governor are all in negotiation to get that finished and are hoping to be done by next week. The state is $110+ million in the hole. It is no secret that there will be major cuts for FY 2017. The governor has proposed cuts to departments like courts, community colleges, the Department of Education, DHS, HS and Medicaid.

The legislature will convene again on Monday, at 1 p.m. There was no debate or votes on the floor this week, but that could change for next. With a Republican majority bills are to move quickly through the House and Senate. Tune in next week for week 3 of the legislature update!