BW INSIGHTS

2020 Legislative Session - Week 2

With subcommittee and committee work underway, moves to regulate vaping products are gaining steam on both sides of the aisle. In response to a new federal law raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21 years old, Iowa lawmakers are working toward codifying the change at the state level. Senate State Government... Read More

2020 Legislative Session-Week 1

The first week of the 2020 Iowa legislative sessionstarted Monday with the swearing-in of a new House Republican leadership team. Rep. Pat Grassley (R-New Hartford) was officially named Speaker of the House, while Rep. Matt Windschitl (R-Missouri Valley) was sworn in as Majority Leader. Grassley listed workforce-related issues as his top concerns,... Read More

Post Session Report 2019

Iowa lawmakers debated numerous policy proposals during the 2019 legislative session. Legalizing sports betting; establishing Iowa’s first children’s mental health system; restoring felon voting rights; and instituting work requirements for Medicaid recipients were just a few of the many issues debated at the Capitol. The Iowa House introduced... Read More

2019 Legislative Session - Week 14

House and Senate Republicans have reached an agreement on the budget for next fiscal year (FY20). Under the joint plan, the state will spend $7.64 billion from the general fund. That’s a 0.2 percent increase from last year. Although lawmakers can legally spend 99 percent of ongoing revenues, the GOP proposal uses just north of 97 percent.... Read More