2021 Second Funnel Update

April 7, 2021 Senate Staff Blog 0

Last week, the Legislature passed a key deadline, the “second funnel.” For Senate policy bills to remain eligible for consideration, they had to be approved by a House committee, and House policy bills had to be approved by a Senate committee to remain alive.

The funnel helps legislators narrow our focus to what has a real chance of becoming law this year. Fortunately, some bad ideas have died, and many good opportunities still have the chance to make it to the Governor’s desk.

Bad bills that are still alive

  • Voter suppression (SF 413)
  • Historic low funding for public schools (SF 269)
  • Eliminate background checks & put guns in hand of criminals (SJR 7)
  • Take away right of woman to make her own healthcare decisions; ban common forms of birth control (HJR 5/SJR 2)
  • Eliminates diversity plans used by some schools (HF 228)
  • Provides immunity to firearm manufacturers (HF 621)
  • Eliminates housing voucher non-discrimination laws (SF 252)
  • Expands Charter Schools (HF 813)
  • Bans “divisive concepts” like racism or sexism from being discussed in public schools and universities (HF 802)
  • Immunity to trucking companies for hiring rapists/sex traffickers (SF 537/HF 772)
  • Putting a monetary value on people’s lives when medical malpractice has occurred (HF 592/SF 557)
  • Punishing private businesses for blocking hate speech and insurrection on social media (SF 580)
  • Allows landlords to charge higher fees for late payments and throw away a tenant’s possessions immediately after eviction (HF 843)
  • Cut unemployment for Iowans (SF 492)
  • Vouchers for private schools (SF 159)

Common sense, bipartisan bills killed by Republicans

  • Constitutionally restore felon voting rights (HJR 11)
  • Prohibits “Gay Panic” defense (HF 310)
  • Cap cost of insulin to $100 for month supply (HF 263)
  • Pharmacists can give birth control without prescription (HF 434)
  • Insurance has to reimburse mental health and physical health providers at same rate for telehealth services (HF 294/HF 706)
  • Prohibits employers from restricting low wage workers from getting another job (SF 496)
  • Learning Recovery Task Force for Covid learning losses (SF 545)
  • Enhances communications with our returning veterans to be sure they access benefits they’ve earned (SF 255)

Bipartisan bills moving ahead

  • Dentists can administer vaccines (HF 528)
  • Exempt COVID payments & relief from state taxes (SF 364)
  • Creates more affordable housing options (HF 582/ SF 295)
  • Increase funding for students learning English (HF 605/ SF 544)
  • Expand protections to prevent sexual abuse (SF 253)
  • Double tax credit for volunteer EMS/fire fighters (HF 563)
  • Tax credits/grants for businesses to build on-site child care (HF 606)
  • Encourage more OB/GYN doctors to locate in rural Iowa (SF 129)
  • New enforcement to stop human trafficking (HF 452/ SF 388)
  • Expand Child Care Tax Credit (HF 230)
  • Expand adoption tax credit (HF 369)
  • Business child care tax credit (HF 370)
  • New tracking system for rape kits (HF 426/SF 451)
  • Lifetime trout stamp for Iowans over 65 (HF 234)
  • Employment leave for adoptive parents (SF 362/HF 724)
  • Expansion of the popular beginning farmer tax credit to attract younger farmers (HF 694 / SF 360)
  • More funding opportunities for voluntary fire departments (HF761)
  • Expanded benefits for firefighters (HF 797)
  • Reducing costs for Iowans to examine public records (SF 480/HF 786)
  • $3 million increase for Iowa state park maintenance (HF 749)
  • Expands protections for vulnerable Iowans (SF 450/HF 839/SF 583)
  • Toughens enforcement of retailers selling drug paraphernalia in our neighborhoods (SF 363)
  • Explores opportunities to expand broadband across Iowa communities (SF 390/HF 848)
  • Eliminates inheritance tax and ensures tax reform (SF 576)

Bad GOP bills that are dead

  • Reduces unemployment appeals for Iowans (SF 187)
  • Statewide private school voucher program (SF 127/SF 128)
  • Prohibiting any instruction about gender identity in schools (SF 167)
  • Requiring survey of political views of university employees (SF 292)
  • Allowing discrimination based on religious beliefs/exemption defense (SF 436)
  • Penalize or remove school board members and administrators for disagreeing with the Governor (SSB 1213)
  • Prohibits mask requirement on college campuses (HF 204)
  • Digital tracking women looking for reproductive care online (HF 515)
  • Legalize conversion therapy & ban medical care for some kids (HF 193)
  • Punish students in communities with high COVID cases (HF 165)
  • Death penalty (HF 271/SF 82)
  • Publicly shaming woman for their health care decisions and falsely declaring an “abortion pandemic” in Iowa  (SF 508)
  • New barriers for Iowans to get food or health care assistance (SF 389)
  • Eliminate tenure at Iowa’s state universities (HF 496)
  • Discouraging Iowans from getting live-saving vaccines (SF 555)
  • New “poll tax” before restoring someone’s right to vote (HF 818)
  • Prohibits a social media company from limiting an elected official’s access to the platform (HF 830)
  • Punishing cities for keeping budget balanced (SF 479)
  • Allows the State to make discrimination easier (HF 815)
  • Medication abortion reversal requiring physicians to give unproven information to patients (HF 383)