The 2015 session was the first year of the 86th General Assembly. Bills approved this year by only one chamber are still eligible for debate next year.
That’s good news since the Senate approved several bills, many with strong bipartisan support, that were not taken up in the Iowa House. They include:
A boost for working Iowans: The Senate voted to give 200,000 working Iowans a raise by increasing the minimum wage (SF 269), to deter wage theft (SF 270), to set common sense standards for paying employees by debit card (SF 460), and to ensure workers can get to and from their jobs via public transit (SF 234).
An anti-bullying initiative: We want to keep all students safe with adequate training for schools to investigate harassment and bullying, and to impose discipline. These steps will ensure that existing protections make a day-to-day difference for our students (SF 345).
Justice for abused children: No one who sexually abuses a child in Iowa should ever have the security of knowing they got away with it. Extending the statute of limitations for the sexual abuse of children will ensure they don’t (SF 447).
Cracking down on stalking: In almost every Iowa murder involving domestic violence, the victim was stalked by their assailant. SF 395 would provide greater protections by expanding the definition of stalking, while SF 416 would prohibit the use of GPS to track a person without legitimate purpose.
Banning texting while driving: Polls show more than 80 percent of Iowans want tougher laws for texting while driving, which dramatically increases the chance of an accident. SF 391 gives officers the authority to pull over a driver specifically for texting.
Help for suffering Iowans: SF 484 would establish a comprehensive, safe and secure medical cannabis program for Iowans with debilitating medical conditions. This is a responsible, compassionate alternative to help suffering Iowans those who currently must use less effective legal medicines, obtain medical cannabis illegally or move to other states.
Leave for adoptive parents: Under SF 375, adoptive parents would get time to bond with their new child by requiring businesses with maternity leave programs to give them the same time off as birth parents.
These and other missed opportunities are ready for a vote in the Iowa House in 2016. You can read more about them in our end-of-session summary at www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/2015-highlights.