Consideration of the bill began in both chambers simultaneously on Tuesday afternoon. With Republicans controlling the House, Senate and Governor's Office, the Democrats in the minority were forced to use the only tool the minority party has - the ability to say your peace on an issue by offering amendments and slowing debate as much as possible. On Thursday, the third straight day of debate, the majority party employed a mechanism called "time certain" in order to end debate and force a vote on the legislation. This is mechanism that is very rarely employed in the Iowa House and was used in the Iowa Senate for possibly the first time, at least in anyone's memory.

 

With debate time expired, remaining amendments and then the bill was voted on without further comment. The bill first passed the House, 53-47, with all Democrats and six Republicans voting against the bill (Representatives Baudler, Heaton, Hanusa, McKean, Lundgren and Moore). The bill then passed the Senate, 29-21, with all Democrats and independent Senator David Johnson voting against the bill.  The Senate did so while under a "Call of the Senate," a rarely-used procedure Democrats invoked to insure all 50 Senators

Union members turn their backs to the Iowa Senate during the final passage of Collective Bargaining legislation, February 16, 2017

were locked inside the Senate Chamber for the final hours of debate on the bill. The Governor signed the HF 291 into law on Friday.

 

The intense debate on collective bargaining made it nearly impossible to accomplish any other substantive work this week. While many subcommittees on bills and committee meetings still took place, legislators' attention was largely focused on the task at hand with the collective bargaining debate.   Now with two weeks before the first major legislative deadline - the first funnel - legislators will need to focus on moving priority bills through subcommittee and committee if they want to keep them alive for the year.

 

Collective Bargaining

So, what did this big collective bargaining bill do? I'm sure you saw it all over your local news. Many reports were loaded with one-sided information or misinformation, so it's sometimes difficult to track down a decent summary of the legislation. Basically, the bill contained the following main sections:

 

Disclaimer: This is the simplest way we can explain this complex bill in an attempt to not show a bias for or against it, while still respecting that many people on both sides of the aisle are very raw about the issue. As such, apologizes to anyone who read this bill much differently. The truth is that the effects of HF 291 will take a few years to be fully evident.

In our conversations with TFI members about this issue in the Fall, it became pretty clear that members support a mechanism that prevents the creation of 300+ different minimum wage zones in Iowa.  However, TFI is currently monitoring the legislation because it contains preemptions beyond the minimum wage and it would require some areas of the State that have already increased their minimum to now lower it.

If you have strong feelings one way or the other about this bill, please feel free to reach out to TFI lobbyists or board members with your thoughts as we may be discussing this bill in the near future.  We expect this issue to become heated in the weeks ahead as opponents of the legislation accuse supporters of wanting to keep low wages. 

DRAM Shop

As the session progresses, so too is the water quality discussion. There are now a couple of competing bills to IWILL's approach, mostly aimed at raiding the Rebuild Iowa's Infrastructure Fund (RIIF) that comes from gaming proceeds (which the State relies upon for major infrastructure buildings). Most notably is SSB 1034 which was introduced by Governor Branstad.

 

The IWILL effort continues to pick up endorsements and is working a legislative proposal that should come out soon. It's important that supporters stay the course in reminding legislators that IWILL is still be best option for fixing Iowa's water quality challenges.

 

See the message below that just went out to IWILL supporters:

 

Since voters headed to the polls in 2010 and decisively and overwhelmingly supported a measure that would have protected our natural resources, poll after poll consistently shows that Iowans want to #FundTheTrust which will support projects that protect our land and water resources.

It's frankly long overdue -- but now, in 2017, we have a shot to finally deliver on this promise. Here's how we know: A poll released last week by the Des Moines Register shows that support for a sales tax increase to fund the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund is at 56%. Among Iowans under 35 support skyrockets to a whopping 67%!

It's a powerful message to lawmakers: 2017 is the year to finally get this done! Can you help us spread the word by forwarding this to three people who should see it?

You should also know that legislation currently being considered in the legislature this year would include offsetting tax cuts to make increasing the sales tax revenue neutral. An earlier poll completed by the bipartisan Public Opinion Strategies shows 73% of Iowans support "funding the Trust Fund through increasing the sales tax with a comparable offset in another tax." 73%!

Bottom line is this: Iowans want to get this done. Period.

That's why we're going to talk directly with lawmakers in Des Moines about finally funding the trust fund seven years after voters created it. Our effort puts Iowa first and it puts the well-being and prosperity of our people above politics, or anything else. Make no mistake: Support for our effort is growing as people across ideologies and professions join us.

-- Iowa's Water and Land Legacy