ended last Friday March 4. Bills that did not make it through a successful
committee vote will not be considered this legislative cycle.
A public hearing on an anti-Collective Bargaining measure HF 525 is scheduled for Monday, March 7th at 5pm at the Iowa State Capitol Building. A few key points:
• Creates “free agent” status for employees
• Eliminates health insurance and layoff procedures from the bargaining process
• Allows Governor or Legislature to override Arbitor’s decisions on state contracts
• Lifts current restrictions on outsourcing
Other bills still alive include:
• Marriage Amendment to the Iowa Constitution to specify that marriage between one man and one woman as the only legal union. HJR 6 Iowa's state supreme court unanimously ruled in favor of gay marriage and civil unions on April 3, 2009. Three of the seven judges have been removed by the voters. The push is now on to remove the remaining ones.
• Iowans could use reasonable force, including killing some, to prevent serious injury or death to themselves or someone else, when they are anywhere they have a legal right to be. HF 7
• Free preschool for all 4 yr olds would end to be replaced with a new program to help low income children pay private or public preschool costs.HF 535
• Photo ID would be required to vote. HF 95
One fortunate thing going for us in the state of IA is that we still have a Democratically controlled senate chamber. Those leaders have pledged to not allow some of these to come up for consideration in this session. But the struggle continues to heat up.