Tuesday, April 26

This morning all the pages were recognized and given a Certificate of Excellence (just so it's official).  Naturally, they saved the best for last - I swear it had nothing to do with that fact that it was in alphabetical order.

The nuclear energy bill, HF 561, came up for debate today.  There are countless amendments and amendments to amendments (got that?), all of which will be debated.  It was made clear in the opening statements that the bill does not give permission for a nuclear plant to be built, and it does not give permission for energy rate increases.  All it does is grant the Iowa Utility Board the power to give these permissions.  Democrats argued that not all the research has been completed and submitted and that the legislature should wait until it has all the information instead of "rushing."  The Republicans argued that the citizens of Iowa are tired of the legislature constantly "stalling" on issues and that at some point it needs to "take action".  An example was given of President Clinton (I think) declining to drill for oil in the mid 90s because it could take as long as twelve years to set up infrastructure etc. And here we are.

Many of the utility companies support the eventual construction of a nuclear power plant. Why? Because the coal-fired plants in Iowa, as well as the other, smaller, sources, literally will soon not be able to produce enough energy, especially during peak hours.  While wind & solar energy can and should be encouraged and expanded, this cannot physically produce enough power either.  It's really not a question of whether more energy is needed - it's a question of how to provide it.

Monday, April 25

As the session winds down, there is less and less business for the House to debate.  In return, there are fewer committee meetings and not as much floor debate.  Today the House convened at 1:00, recessed till the completion of a State Government meeting/caucuses, and sped through SF 289, HF 686, and SF 313.  All that's left is the budget. Ahem, that's right, all they have to do before they leave is decide who knows best as to how they will spend my hard-earned dollars.

I read in the Des Moines Register today that the federal government borrows 42 cents of every dollar it spends. Um, I don't want to start some pointless political rant (lucky for everyone), but it stands to reason that if Washington's politicians were smart enough to get elected, then shouldn't they be able to see that maybe, just maybe maybe maybe, borrowing that much... [dramatic, lengthy, and, finally, awkward pause] ...is their fault? Ok, I'm done now.

Thursday, April 21

As I walked to the Capital today, I didn't see anyone.  When I entered the building, I didn't see anyone.  Finally, after reaching the second floor, I saw two lobbyists conversing.  Inside the chamber there was one representative and three clerks on the floor, plus doormen and a couple pages.

With no more than 15 reps here, HR 26 was read and actually adopted.  No where will the record of who was here this day be found because it was adopted by a voice vote.  However, no bills can be passed because these votes would be recorded and there is obviously not a majority. Still, it's interesting to think that some business can still be conducted.

Wednesday, April 20

This morning I was distributing two amendments throughout the capital - we call it the amendment run - and when I got to the well I gave the chief clerk two of the same amendment.  I told him I was confusing myself.  As he just became aware of my blog yesterday, he told me to write about it.  I hope he sees this.

One job two pages and I had today was to sort and move 150 five-lb. boxes (I think of binders) from a UPS truck to the two chambers.  Take about $9.00/package and it cost somebody ~$1350 to ship binders to reps near the end of the session just so they can be packed up again and lost over the next eight months...

In other news, the House debated the Economic Development appropriations bill.  If I ask a Republican, it is a great bill that practices fiscal responsibility and creates stability to promote job and business growth.  If I ask a Democrat, it cuts crucial services and hinders the ability of small businesses to have access to said crucial services that they need to maintain their goals and jobs.  If only everyone would stand up and just read this!

A highlight of the day was when debate started (again) on whether or not the House voted last session to have geothermal heated streets and sidewalks.  Rep. Wenthe (D) said he would gladly provide evidence proving that any plans for this were "taken off the drawing board" long before the House voted.  Then Rep. Pettengill (R) said that she (and all the other Republicans, I suppose) was under the impression that they were indeed voting on the issue of heated sidewalks. Point of order.

Lastly, I would love to have heated sidewalks and streets. Wouldn't that be sweet!?

Tuesday, April 19

After a five-minute morning session, the House adjourned and went into Appropriations and Ways & Means Committees at 10:00.  At 11:00, both parties went into caucus.  At 1:00 there was finally some floor debate (minus the debate).   SCR 7, SF 410, and SF 515 were passed and then many of the reps either left or sat around and hosted tiny political discussions amongst themselves.  The vote on SF 410 was very interesting because a Democrat and eight Republicans actually voted against it - including Majority Leader Upmeyer.  It showed me that she was willing to put the bill up for debate for the majority of the caucus even though she was against it.  I think that is a quality of a good leader.

Monday, April 18

At our Lunch 'n Learn the presenter was a no-show, so we went around the room sharing something we learned.  One thing that stuck out was that from a bill's conception to its... passing... most of the small things that carry it along are done hush-hush-behind-the-scenes, and that this is how it works the best.  This is why it is often so quiet in the chamber: a few legislators may discuss the future of a bill and its amendments over coffee or in a cubicle.  Just think what it would be like if all of these "meetings" were required to be made public and records kept.  Would that increase transparency, or the size of government?

The general public should be aware that the real debate doesn't happen on the floor when the cameras are rolling.  The real debate happens while the parties are caucusing (debating and coming to a somewhat general consensus) behind closed doors and the pages and clerks are counting the lights in the ceiling.

Today HF 254, HF 392, HF 493, HF 597, HF 654, HF 672, HF 679, HF 684, SF 521, SF 209 (a.k.a. HF 45; a.k.a. Taxpayers First Act), HF 653, and HF 673 were debated and passed.

I was also declared the hero of the day when I found an earring on the floor.

Thursday, April 14

It was a short, two-hour day today.  All the expectations for the redistricting bill to be a long, drawn-out debate were thrown out the small vents below the huge windows when not a single representative stood to talk other than opening & closing comments.  It passed 91-7.

SF 397 was passed, making it a criminal offense to impersonate a decorated military veteran. SF 418 relates to the disclosure of information with new motor vehicle repairs.  HF 652 gives a tax exemption to those in active duty with Operation New Dawn.

Wednesday, April 13

Today I found my true calling as a model: a tour guide motioned for me to step away from directly underneath the gallery so the students could see a real live page.  It was such an experience, and I would just like to thank everyone...


This morning  SCR 6, HF 666, HF 674, HF 676, and HF 677 were all debated and passed.  After a much-needed break for lunch (a.k.a. there was a free one),  HF 675 and SF 236 were also passed.  Then came the good stuff!

After the passing of SF 236, Rep. Steckman (D) asked for immediate consideration of HF 185 (the bill for % allowable growth for education, which means how much more money the state will provide simply due to things like inflation), to which there was an objection, division (votes are counted individually), record (the individual votes are recorded instead of the overall count), Rule 75 was invoked (all members present/not previously excused must vote on the issue at hand), and the motion lost 40-56 (along party lines).  Promptly after the vote, Rep. Mascher (D) requested a point of personal privelige.  The Speaker refused to let her speak, and both parties went straight to caucus.  After caucuses, Mascher pushed her button again and made her point.  Then Majority Leader Upmeyer had what I call a counterpoint of personal privilege.  I recorded both arguments and they can be heard here.  The reps must be reminiscing about their childhoods by playing the ever-famous blame game.  Perhaps I could make a reality soap opera about this place...

Tuesday, April 12

This morning was super-slow for me - I didn't run an errand for an hour and a half.  This was due to the Appropriations and Ways & Means committees at 10:00, and caucuses after the meetings.  I keep in mind that just because I'm not busy doesn't mean that things aren't going on around here.

I was at the switchboard and someone called wanting her name off "the list".  I asked her who was trying to contact her and she didn't know.  She said that she and many people she knows have gotten tired of political phone calls, and on the one she just got (which was forwarded to the House) she just pushed all the numbers to talk to someone.  I simply told her that it's not the government trying to contact her; it's political action groups, and a surprising number of people simply agree to talk to their rep to tell them to vote or not vote for something they know little or nothing about.

This afternoon HF 484, HF 363, SF 462, SF 456*, SF 365, SF 407, SF 424, SF 495*, HF 660, and SF 482 were debated and passed.

SF 456 is a bill relating to persons prohibited from possessing or receiving firearms because of mental health commitments or adjudications and to petitions for relief from such prohibitions.

I read this article in the DM Register a few weeks ago about the long-term ombudsman.  The ombuds(wo)man is the "voice" on behalf of the elders in Iowa.  The bill it refers to is SF 495, which was passed today unanimously.

Monday, April 11

I had an interesting day.  The Lunch 'n Learn was with a three-person panel of clerks who told us what they do and how clerks assist the legislators in day-to-day tasks (mostly organization).  I wasn't surprised to hear that most emails sent to first.last@legis.iowa.gov are answered by clerks; at the beginning of the session it is not uncommon for there to be 10,000+ emails from the previous year.

My New Buddies

This afternoon I had my picture taken with Rep Iverson, Senator Bacon, and Governor Branstad.  The governor's office is roughly the size of... my house.  Both floors of my house.

In the afternoon SF 510, a judicial system appropriations bill, SF 197, a bill modifying provisions applicable to fire protection systems and electrician licensure requirements, SF 260, a bill eliminating the transfer tax imposed on insurers organized in other states who elect to become domestic insurers in Iowa, and SF 315 were debated and passed.

Thursday, April 7

The morning began with the 84th General Assembly Memorial Choir singing Wilhousky's "Battle Hymn of the Republic".  They then led the Pledge of Allegiance. HF 537 and SF 361 were debated and passed.  SF 361 authorizes the Iowa State Fair Board to establish an endowment fund to receive gifts in trust dedicated to the maintenance and improvement of the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

SF 509 was debated and passed.  It makes appropriations involving state government entities involved with agriculture, natural resources, and environmental protection.  HF 649 was also debated and passed. It makes appropriations for health and human services.  On these bills, and many more to come, the Democrats propose amendments to (usually) increase spending slightly to provide a service, and the Republicans argue that the state can't afford it.  Round and round it goes.  One Republican voted nay on both these bills.

Wednesday, April 6

Back to the chairs.

A joint session was held today for Pioneer Lawmakers, who are selected based on their ability to move the state forward etc.  We were addressed by Art Neu, former Senator and Lieutenant Governor of Iowa.  From what I could tell, he has lots of common sense when it comes to getting things done in politics.  I wish common sense prevailed in the current world of politics.

After the joint sesson, SF 460, SF 243, SF 279, SF 312, and SF 326 were debated and passed.  Something I learned from SF 312 was that if there are at least 500 people that request a certain type of license plate, the DOT will create that plate for them.

Tuesday, April 5

Today was a long day of debating appropriations bills. The process of creating, removing, and transferring funds is a long and tedious one - I can only imagine the political bloodbath going on in Washington D.C. right now.  Because Iowa's legislative chambers don't have the same majority party, it is super difficult to pass legislation.  As a result, there is no longer a chance of working later than April, there is more of a certainty about it.

Two appropriations bills went through the House today: SF 511 - Judicial branch appropriations, and HF 645 - education appropriations.

Monday, April 4

Today's Lunch 'n Learn was with David Roederer, the Director of the Iowa Department of Management.  He works closely with the governor, especially with the budget.  The department supervises the executive branch (underneath the governor's office).  Something very interesting I learned was that there are roughly 40,000 people in Iowa that work for the executive branch.  This includes the universities, DOT, public hospitals, education, and everything else other than the legislature and court systems.

After two hours of caucus, HF 646, HF 648, SF 120, SF 122, SF 123, SF 194, SF 205, SF 286, SF 389, SF 393, SF 399, SF 428, and SF 453 were all debated and passed.  The house adjourned at 11:45 pm, 15 minutes before they must stop debating (unless the rules are suspended).

Thursday, March 31

This morning the redistricting maps were revealed to the world.  They are created by the (non-partisan) Legislative Services Agency.  As far as I can tell, the only effect that has is that neither party is happy with the outcome.  In Congress, Iowa lost one representative so there now are only four districts.  Politicalness aside, it's a bunch of hullabaloo around here.  If you want to see the maps, click here.  There is even a bill which sets the boundaries for every single district. Here is an excerpt, about one-third of the language for District 86, in case you're curious:

...then proceeding east along Bowery street until it intersects South Governor street, then proceeding north along South Governor street until it intersects East Burlington street, then proceeding east along East Burlington street until it intersects Muscatine avenue, then proceeding first southeasterly, then east, along Muscatine avenue until it intersects American Legion road Southeast, then proceeding east along American Legion road Southeast until it intersects the east corporate limit of the city of Iowa City, then proceeding first east, then in a clockwise manner along the corporate limits of the city of Iowa City until it intersects the east boundary of East Lucas township, then proceeding south along the boundary of East Lucas township until it intersects the north boundary of Pleasant Valley township, then proceeding first west, then in a counterclockwise manner along the boundary of Pleasant Valley township until it intersects the corporate limit of the city of Hills, then proceeding first west, then in a counterclockwise manner....

Two abortion bills, HF 656 and HF 657, are being debated this afternoon.  Considering the Democrats have been in caucus for 2 1/2 hours, there will probably be a fair (as in enormous) amount of debate.

Wednesday, March 30

As the second funnel is Friday, committees are giving it their last push.  This means little floor action again.

However, a rep did order pizzas for the pages today.  It was the best free lunch ever.

In other news, the House passed SF 396, HF 524, HF 549*, SF 367*, HF 642, HF 654, and HF 655.

House File 549 regulates traffic cameras (automated traffic enforcement).  If the bill becomes law, then there will have to be a sign posted every place with a traffic camera.

Senate File 367 concerns high school athletes and concussions.  It requires that an info sheet about concussions be provided by the district and signed by parents before athletic performance.  It also asserts that should a coach or official notice signs of a concussion during a practice or event, then that student must be removed from the game until he/she has been checked by a licensed healthcare practitioner.

Tuesday, March 29

This afternoon I worked at the switchboard.  It was the busiest it's ever been.  Some political group had the notion to call up Iowans who oppose HF 561, which deals with nuclear power in Iowa.  As far as I can tell, here's how it works: a resident gets a call asking them how they feel about an issue.  If they feel "correctly" about it, then they are asked to voice their opinion to the legislature by pushing "1".  Then I answer, and many stumble through their explanation of why they're calling ("Uh, hi, um, I'm calling to say that I feel that I should give a 'no' vote on... what was it? oh yea, on law 561 because I am, um, against nuclear power in Iowa").  Then I ask who their representative is so I can forward the call (which is all the switchboard does).  "Um, well, I don't really know.. Harkin maybe?" "Sir, Harkin is a U.S. Senator.  This is the Iowa House of Representatives. What's your address?"

It's a hoot.

My point is, if you feel a need to call the switchboard, and don't get me wrong, it's there to be used, at least know what the issue is. I would even encourage calling your rep; it's what they're for.

The house debated and passed SF 240 (floor-managed by Iverson) and SF 124.

Monday, March 28

The Lunch 'n Learn today was with Jason Clayworth, a reporter for the Des Moines Register.  He explained that his goal is to have the legislators think of the media as the link between them and their constituents, which is pretty much how it is.  As the Iowa House reporter, he has a seat in the pressbox in the front of the chamber and has close access to the process.  It just so happens that a story of his ran today relating to the use of K2, a synthetic marijuana.  It goes like this:


Ron Ausbun wants Iowa legislators bent on making synthetic pot and other hallucinogens illegal to consider anther viewpoint: He believes the drugs are generally beneficial if used in moderation. "You and I both know that part of the human condition is to want to alter our state," Ausbun of Des Moines said. "Every kitty needs a ball of string. Every dog needs a stick."


Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield, has said for years that lawmakers have an obligation to stay on top of drug laws in the name of public safety. He was blunt about Ausbun's advocacy.  "His argument proves that he's an idiot, and he's too stupid to reproduce in my opinion," Baudler said in response to Ausbun's quote about a cat and string.


As I know Baudler well, I would expect nothing less from him.  I did go up to him today to tell him I enjoyed reading his quote in the article.  He said, "they left out the good stuff."

Bills debated and passed today include HF 596, HF 607, HF 616, and HF 590.  Not bad for a Monday.

Thursday, March 24

This morning I lead the pledge for a third time. Otherwise, it was a slow day.  HF 267 and HF 458 were briefly debated and passed.

Someone mentioned to me that my blog makes it seem as though the legislators sit around all day when they're not debating or in committee meetings.  This isn't true, for the most part.  A great deal of time is spent on emailing, whether it be to/from constituents or to other legislators about a bill, etc.  On any given day, there may be 5-20 subcommittee meetings (which focus on a single bill).  There are also lobbyists and constituents sending in notes (via the pages) to visit with the legislators.  And yes, sometimes a legislator will sit and read the newspaper while listening to music, but it is most likely because they haven't sat at their desk since they arrived in the morning and are taking a break (which is when they summon a page to get them popcorn and a Dr. Pepper).  There are always politics to work through, whether it be with party leaders, fellow legislators, lobbyists, or constituents.

Wednesday, March 23

Let me repeat what I said yesterday:

The dove hunting bill, which took 5 minutes in the Senate, will come up for debate as an amendment to a raccoon hunting bill.  If there is a question of germainess (whether or not it actually pertains to the bill) and the dove hunting amendment is found not germaine, then the Republicans will suspend the rules and vote on it anyway.

It came up for debate today, and boy do I have the sense for politics! Darn.  The amendment was found not germaine, but the rules were suspended.  So, once it goes to the governor and he signs it into law, it will be legal to hunt mourning doves in Iowa.  As I was working at the switchboard, several calls came in one after the next with people strongly for and strongly against dove hunting.

Other bills passed include SF 464, HF 454, SF 429,  HF 473, SF 233, SF 299, SF 361, HF 597, and HF 643.

Tuesday, March 22

The House debated SF 259, SF 244, SF 149, HF 516, SF 327, HF 534, SF 474, SF 470, HF 523, SF 291, SF 400, SF 7 and HF 603 were all passed.

HF 603 is a bill relating to eminent domain.  Eminent domain gives the state the authority to seize private property.  As far as I can tell, this bill limits when and how eminent domain is used.  It was not debated for a very long time, and the final vote was 87-6.

SF 427 was floor managed and passed by Iverson. It allows qualified organizations to lease certain electronic bingo equipment in order to assist disabled participants.

The dove hunting bill, which took 5 minutes in the Senate, will come up for debate as an amendment to a raccoon hunting bill.  If there is a question of germainess (whether or not it actually pertains to the bill) and the dove hunting amendment is found not germaine, then the Republicans will suspend the rules and vote on it anyway.

Monday, March 21

Today's Lunch 'n Learn was with Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds.  A high point of the meeting was when she said she was going to finish college at Simpson, and I told her that I have heard the Lt. Governor speak at graduations at Iowa State and would she be interested in graduating and speaking at the same time...

Beginning at 4:45, the House debated and passed HF 467, SF 402, SF 475, HF 557, SF 325, SF 483, HF 609, HF 390, SF 321, HF 548, and HF 614.  They finished by 6:00.

The second funnel is April 1.  From what I understand, to be eligible for debate, all bills must be filed with the Chief Clerk's office, so once again, committees are hard at work.  This makes for more long days.  Also, before each stretch of debate, both parties go into caucus, so no one is on the floor.

Thursday, March 17

Today, a HF 589 came up for debate.  It is controversial because part of it reads:


The bill prohibits a person from interfering with an animal facility of crop operation.  This includes producing an audio or visual record which reproduces an image or sound occurring on or in the location, or possessing or distributing the record.  It also prohibits a person from exercising control over the location or property, with intent to deprive the owner of the property, rentering onto the location, if the person has notice that the location is not open to the public.  The severity of the offense is based on whether there has been a previous conviction.  For the first conviction, the person is guilty of an aggravated misdemeanor, and for a second or subsequent conviction, the person is guilty of a class "D" felony.


It is designed this way to prevent contamination of animal production sites.  A farmer rep went through all the hardships of maintaining a small farm and how important sanitation is, especially for raising young animals.

Wednesday, March 16

Once again, today was full of caucus and debate.  HF 582, HF 583, HF 584, HF 585, HF 588, HF 569, HF 593, and HF 392 were all debated and passed.

Many people don't know that a live audio feed of whatever is going on in the chamber is available online: http://media.legis.state.ia.us/house_internal

Thanks to HF 584, a home schooled child can be taught drivers' ed by his/her parents.  HF 593 changes one word in the Iowa Code; massage therapists must now receive 600 hours of education instead of 500 hours.

I have always wondered, "How the heck can there be so many new laws for the House to enact? What can they all possibly cover?"  I have realized that most, nearly all, of the legislation passed simply amends the existing code to conform to current practices and changing times.  So it's not necessarily all "new regulations" for us to follow.

Tuesday, March 15

Today was a... slow day.  There were committee meetings until 3:00.  Then, HF 345, HF 462, HF 537, HF 563, HF 592, HF 562, HF 540, and HF 617 were all debated and passed.

I have noticed that after a bill leaves its committee (and sometimes before), there is a... lack of bipartisanship.  Pretty much every amendment proposed by a Democrat fails.  Now, this could be for any number of reasons, but what does reason is that some minor amendment may move the bill forward in the Senate when it would otherwise die.

Monday, March 14

Here is the link to Rep. Murphy's speech (see last post): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX3lSw1KLaA&feature=channel_video_title

This week's Lunch 'n Learn was with a well-known, 30-year, multi-client lobbyist.  He explained what he does and why he is so effective at what he does.  Many people have the perception that lobbyists go around trying to corrupt legislators into voting the way they want them to for no good reason.  It's not like that at all; I have noticed that reps (for the most part) respect lobbyists and are open to their views.  As I've said before, reps usually have their mind made up on a bill.

When we gaveled in at 1:00, one clerk asked another clerk if she would marry him.  She said yes and they took off the rest of the day.

In the afternoon, HF 461, HF 484, HF 490, HF 493, HF 499, HF 512, HF 532, HF 536, HF 565, and HF 401 were all debated and passed.  The most exciting thing of the day was the engagement.

Thursday & Friday, March 10 & 11

The collective bargaining bill was debated Wednesday afternoon/evening, Thursday morning/afternoon/evening, and Friday morning.  When I walked in the chamber in the morning, there were nineteen reps waiting to talk on an amendment to an amendment.  Finally, the Majority Leader made a motion to debate only until noon and then force the voting of the remaining amendments and the bill itself without any debate.  Many of the amendments were declared out of order, and the Speaker even had the power to simply declare an amendment not germane.  It was amazing to me that something like this can be done, but I've been told that the majority party can do almost anything they want.  If they have 51 votes.

Here's how it goes.  The clerk calls up the amendment: "Amendment H-0000 by Hunter (Democrat) of Polk (County)." Then the Speaker says "The gentleman from Polk moves the adoption of amendment H-0000.  Those in favor will say 'aye'. Those opposed say 'no'.  The no's appear to have it; the no's do have it.  The amendment fails."

Here's the amazing thing.  The Democrats, who want the amendment to pass, scream "AYE" at the top of their lungs so the AYE is louder than the NO.  Then the Republicans, the majority, give a half-hearted "no", which is obviously not as loud as the "AYE".  That's when the Speaker says "the no's appear to have it; the no's do have it."  Even though the no's really didn't.  But the thing of it is that if they vote individually (when it shows on the board), the no's will always have more than 50 votes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then the most amazing thing of my whole entire experience happened.  After the final vote of this bill itself, Representative Murphy was granted a "point of personal privilege."  He told the chamber that this morning, the switchboard was empty, and he checked it several times throughout the morning: still empty.  Then, at 11:55 am, five minutes before the forced voting began, he finally saw a page at the switchboard.  By this time, he was yelling (YELLING) and his last words were at the top of his lungs: SHAME ON YOU! I assume he was not referring to the page.  That page was me.  

It was his third point of personal privilege in his 22 years as a representative.

Wednesday, March 9

In the morning, HF 453, HF 321, HF 324, HF 389, HF 393, HF 405, and HF 406 were all passed.  After caucuses and lunch, debate began at 2:00 for HF 525.  This is the big-deal-collective-bargaining bill for which there are now 100+ amendments.  By 4:00, we were on the third amendment (and the first two weren't even debated).  It will be a long night of debate.

Topics have ranged from feces on rest area floors, to the "Hello, this is Peggy" credit card commercials, to a story about a convict who escaped with the help of a private sector guard and killed two people.  Point of order.

After the first hour or so, the previously-full galleries had thinned out after everyone realized the bill wasn't going to be passed today.

The third amendment, H-1177, was debated.  It says that 1) if a public employee is being laid off, their manager must give them reasonable notice, and 2) they must give a reason why.  The amendment, brought forth by the Democrats, seems good to me, but the Republicans argue that any reasonable employer would do this anyway, so they're not going to mandate it.  And after four hours of debate it finally failed 42-50.

Tuesday, March 8

Today I accomplished several more tasks.  For instance, a seating chart underneath the glass on the desk is now color-coded for each party.  How handy!  In the afternoon debate began. SF 209, HF 148, HF 186, HF 212, HF 254*, HF 268, and HF 535 were debated and passed.  HF 254 was brought forth by Iverson; it was the first time I've heard him talk on the floor.

For the second time, the issue of preschool was debated.  Way back in January, HF 45 was debated, and it took away funding for preschool.  Tonight, HF 535 created "preschool scholarships" for qualifying families.  THe Democrats argued that the bill "was a complete mess" and they asked Rep. Forristall countless questions about transportation to preschool, placement, and teacher qualifications.  It all is a very confusing program (which was put together by the governor's office).  Personally, I think the current system, while expensive, works well and I would like to see it tweaked instead of replaced.  I predict that  it will be confusing for parents and school districts to comply.  Lastly, as far as I can tell it even increased the government's involvement from what it has been.  In my ever-so-humble opinion, a better, more complete program can be produced.  It passed only 55-45; that means that five Republicans probably had the same thoughts I did and voted on the side of the Democrats.  I think this is the first time this has happened on a major vote.

But the bill is supposed to die (the majority leader won't let it be debated) in the Senate, so the hours of bickering like preschoolers were only for "going on the record".

Tomorrow will be a big day: the collective bargaining bill (HF 525) is being debated.  It has something like 97 (that's ninety-seven!!!) amendments.  Just imagine if all of them were passed---would there be a HF 525??  My expert prediction is that any amendment brought forth by a Republican will pass, and any amendment brought forth by a Democrat (unless it is a technical fix) will not pass.  The bill itself will pass.  Remember that the Majority Leader will only put a bill on the floor when she knows she has 51 votes to pass it.

Monday, March 7

As I've mentioned before, I am at the Sergeant-at-Arms desk.  While this may sound very important, it is actually... dull.  As a note is passed in from a lobbyist outside, it is put on the desk.  Then, I ring either the east or west page bell.  I also wait for the phone to "ring." I put ring in "quotations" because there is only a tiny light that flickers during an incoming call to alert me.  There wasn't a single call all day.  Or maybe there was, but I was tying my shoes.  What I accomplished was consolidating sticky notes, organizing the papers underneath the plastic top, peeling thousands of tiny, stubborn pieces of tape off of the desk, and straightening up the desk drawer (the little organizer is now taped to the bottom so it doesn't slide; there is a label for where the stapler goes; there are two push-pins for the holes in the scissors to be placed so it doesn't move...).  And I was even pushing the two buttons as I did all this!

Today there was a Lunch 'n Learn with Majority Whip Erik Helland.  His job is to make sure there are at least 51 votes for a bill before it reaches floor debate.  In other words, every single piece of legislation that will ever hit the floor will pass.  What the rep told me last week (Thursday) makes sense.

Speaking of passing bills, the House began doing a whole bunch of it today. HF 242, HF 348, HF 404, HF 465, HF 468, HF 474, and HF 494 were all debated and passed in 40 minutes.

If you want to think that sitting at the desk is important, go ahead. I won't stop you.

Thursday, March 3

The last day of my workweek was slow.  In the morning, HF 132, HF 299, HF 190, HF 363, and HF 271 were all passed with almost no debate.  Like I said before, click on them, read their titles, and read more if it seems interesting.  On Monday there is a public hearing on collective bargaining.  I am still unclear as to the details of it or to which house file it corresponds. 

Next week debate is scheduled each afternoon at 1:00 - it will be fun to listen to something while I'm at the Sergeant at Arms desk.  I talked with a legislator about his opinion on debate; he said that he believes it's essentially pointless because reps make up their minds on a bill while they're in caucus.  I suppose that's true.

Wednesday, March 2

Each week the Sergeant-at-Arms desk is staffed by a page.  Today the page supposed to be doing it was sick so I filled in for him.  Next week, I'll be at the desk.  All I have to do is wait for notes to come through the front door and ding the east or west bell depending on whether it's for an odd desk or an even desk.  The rest of the time I sit there and wait for a tiny light on the desk to light up which alerts me of a call coming through to the desk.  That doesn't happen very often.

This morning the House passed HF 290, HF 322, and HF 328.  Just click on them and read the title to see what they're about.

An amendment proposed by a Democrat this morning was declared not germane (not relating to the subject of the bill).  However, the Rules of the House (which state that amendments must be germane) can be suspended if 51 reps vote to do so.  If an amendment proposed by the Republicans is declared not germane, the Republicans have enough votes to suspend the rules, and they always do.  But, when the Democrats have a not-germane amendment and want to suspend the rules, the Republicans never let it pass.  Does this seem at all partisan?  It would be very frustrating.

Tuesday, March 1

This morning began a bit different.  We debated. Rather, the reps did.  Remember Thursday, January 27th's post? Part of it was this:


After debate, I sat in on a Veterans' Affairs meeting.  They passed a bill which gives National Guardsmen & -women the ability to sign over their share of custody/visitation to someone of their choosing if they are deployed.  The bill will now go to the floor of the house.


This morning this bill and several others were briefly debated and passed on the floor.  It was interesting to follow this bill through to the floor.


I staffed the environmental protection meeting.  They discussed updating the Code to reflect the current policies and practices such as the federal government taking charge of certain regulations.  The rest of the day was slow until 5:30 when they gaveled in and debated SF209, which is a 21-page bill regarding the IRS code.  Unfortunately, I have other plans, so I won't be able to listen to the debate on that one.

Monday, February 28

This week's Lunch 'n Learn was with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.  The story of how he became a politician is long; he is also a lawyer, and he met us late because a court hearing was delayed.  He told us that the job of his caucus (party), as the minority, is to point out the problems associated with the Republicans' ideas.  Something he always tells his caucus is "vote your conscious; vote your district".  He realizes that members of his caucus should not always agree with each other just because they are in the same party.

For example, a decision to sell a historically significant painting owned by the state, and located near Iowa City, for millions of dollars will never gain support from a rep from that area.  On the other hand, a rep whose entire rural district is three hundred miles away may want the money to go towards farm subsidies.  Both reps have their best intentions; they're just trying to reflect the views of their district.

After a 15-minute session this morning, we gaveled out for the entire day.  Go committees, go.

Thursday, February 24

With the funnel coming up next Friday, committees are still hard at it to get their bills to the floor.  This results in almost no action on the floor; the gavel-in time in the afternoon has gone from 4:00/4:30 to 5:00; next week it will be 5:30 and 6:30.  We are even working on Friday next week!  Harold said that lobbyists also want their bills to go through committees, so they will be busier next week as well. 

For most of the day, though, I filled out scholarship applications.  I think I would have rather been in school.

Wednesday, February 23

Today was a mirror image of yesterday. For more information, please see Tuesday, February 22.  A couple things did happen, though.  I addressed the assembly once more - that's right, I started the pledge. Again. I was saying it all by myself until everyone else came in...

I had packed a light lunch bearing in mind that free food was going to be available. Was it ever! Pancheros served a free meal, resulting in a one hundred-foot long line.  I even went downstairs and got free pizza! To top it all off, after lunch a group of us went all the way up the dome, and not just to the walk-around underneath the false dome where everyone else goes.  We went so far up that we eventually came outside, on top of the dome!  I'll try and attach some pictures I took.  It's 250 feet to the top.

The space between the flag and "sky"

The false dome

It's a standard size bulb - pretty big and fancy moldings!

Helloooo down there!

Tuesday, February 22

At 8:30 we gaveled in and out again until 5:00.  The entire day was full of committee meetings, subcommittee meetings, and appropriations subcommittee meetings.  As for action on the floor, well, zip. Perhaps I've mentioned it before, but there's a funnel date coming up.  This means that most bills need to be out of committees so the committees are pumping iron right now.

A time will (hopefully) come when these bills come to the floor for debate.  It seems to me that any split-party vote in the House will be at least amended in the Senate, which then comes back to the House for approval of the amendment.  Naturally, this process takes time, and we'll soon be halfway through the session.  I know that lots of work is being done in committees, but it's just no fun for me.  Okay.  I'm done pouting now.      

Monday, February 21

This morning's Lunch 'n Learn was with Iowa Supreme Court's Chief Justice Mark Cady.  He seems like a sharp man which is no surprise.  He spent most of the time explaining the role of the judicial system.  In short, while lawyers are busy protecting the interests of their side of the case, judges must be busy protecting the interests of the Constitutions.

Later the amended version of the Taxpayers First Act from the Senate was debated.  Rep. Wagner simply read through the changes, the ranking member (lead Democrat for a committee) gave his support, and it was unanimously passed. Within half an hour, the session adjourned for the day.

Thursday, February 17

There wasn't a whole lot of action today.  HF 267 was unanimously passed simply with opening & closing arguments.  The Senate, however, debated amendments and amendments to amendments concerning HF 45 (the Taxpayers First Act).  I think there are nearly 30 amendments to debate.  It will be interesting to see how different the TFA will be coming out of the Senate than how it came out of the House.

There are small speakers around the capitol that can broadcast live from either chamber, and one of them is next to the switchboard, and while listening to the debate I found the respective parties arguing the same points on the same topics that the House did. For this reason, it seems to me that it would have saved time to stick both the Reps and Senators in the same room for 24 straight hours for debate, take a 20-minute break, then 24 more hours of debate.  If they are all still too stubborn to find some semblance of similar ground, then take coffee away from them until they do.

Or we could take coffee away at the beginning and have a solution in two hours.

Wednesday, February 16

Today one of the switchboard operators was sick so I sat in and answered the phone all day.  "Iowa House of Representatives, how may I direct your call?"

At 4:00, though, I moved to the speaker's well for debate.  First up was House File 194, which presented a 20% across-the-board cut on individual income tax rates.  The Democrats argued that the money "taken away" from the government could have been used to fund programs (preschool came up a lot).  The Republicans argued that it wasn't the government's money in the beginning.

There was an amendment on the bill, and then, an amendment to the amendment.  At one point, a vote to suspend the rules took place because the first amendment was not germane (relevant to the subject of the bill).  Then a vote for the amendment to the amendment.  Then a vote for the amendment.  I'll summarize: each vote was in favor of the Republicans.  After 2 1/4 hours of debate, the bill was passed 62-33.

Next came House file 260, its short title being School District Home Rule.  The best way to explain it is to copy the first paragraph:

The board of directors of a school district shall operate, control, and supervise all public schools located within its district boundaries and may exercise any broad and implied power related to the operation, control, and supervision of those public schools except as expressly prohibited or prescribed by the Constitution of the State of Iowa or by statute.

Of course, the Republicans passed it 65-30.  

Tuesday, February 15

I'd like to share a few observations which have come from attending committee meetings and the like:
1) Agriculture - This committee is a homely bunch because they are so deeply rooted in Iowa.
2) Economic Growth - These are always very stimulating meetings.
3) Environmental Protection - For some reason, topics in these meetings are always complicated.  Almost the whole time is spent clearing the air of confusion.
4) Transportation - To me, it is obvious that the Iowa DOT is in a rut.
5) Veterans' Affairs - People are always trying to sit in on these meetings.  To ensure that no unauthorized persons enter, I am always on Guard.
6) Judiciary - I have never sat in on a judiciary committee because another page has requested all of its meetings.  It's just not fair.
7) Labor - I dread attending these meetings - I always end up doing hard work.
8) Commerce - It's business as usual.
9) Ways & Means - As far as I can tell, this is the committee that finds ways of being mean by taxing Iowans.
10) Education - I haven't really learned anything from this committee.
11) Public Safety - I've only been scheduled to this committee once. Unfortunately, on my way to it, I slipped on a dangerously wet floor.

Monday, February 14

For another slow day, it is surprisingly easy to write this.

This week's Lunch 'n Learn was with Iowa's Secretary of State, Matt Schultz.  He described his campaign strategy which made him the first person to beat an incumbent in a statewide office in Iowa for something like 50 years.  He lives in Council Bluffs with his wife and two children (the third is due on Friday).  He commutes on Monday mornings, returns Tuesday night, commutes Wednesday morning, and returns Thursday night and works Friday from his (still-operating) law office.  And I think my 15-minute commute is bad.

The first highlight was that the prayer was offered by Pastor Bob Dishman of Park Church of Christ in Goldfield.  Apparently there is a special parking place for clergy.  After the pledge an announcement was interrupted by the warning system.  We all walked down the stairs in an orderly fashion - and that's when I saw it - some delivery man was sprinting up the stairs against the flow with a bouquet of flowers, probably hoping to receive a huge tip.  At least it was nice outside.

For the rest of the day, I ran a whopping 10 errands.

Thursday, February 10

Ooh la la. What a slow day again.  Five minutes of session in the morning, five in the afternoon, and the rest was committee meetings and caucuses.  There weren't even a lot of lobbyists to spice up the time.  I went to a Natural Resources committee and handed out five different things to the reps - when that is the task of the day, I know I'm in trouble. They passed a bill about hunting, but I don't recall the specifics, and it honestly didn't make a lot of sense despite my unparalleled hunting experience...

On the positive side, I finished my third book today.

Wednesday, February 9

I can tell we're getting a little more into the session.  Today we gaveled in at 8:30 and recessed until 4:00, so the entire day was a mass of committee meetings, committee meetings, and oh yeah, subcommittee meetings.  The lobbyists were busy today lobbying for the BCVJ, WEO, JYCU, and most any other acronym I can randomly type.  At one point, about 160 students toured the chamber and finally took a picture around the well.  Boy did that make it hot in the chamber.

Over lunch I was bored so I went to the legislature's web site and skimmed over a few bills.  There were several that, while still in committees, were interesting to read.  I'll even provide a direct link to the list of education committee bills that are out there: http://www.legis.iowa.gov/Legislation/Find/billByCommittee.aspx?GA=84

In the afternoon I worked at the switchboard.  It's amazing how many people will call in and not have the slightest idea whom their legislator is.  Fortunately, we have a list of most of the municipalities in Iowa with their respective reps.  One lady believed her rep was "Grassley".  To be sure, I asked if she meant Pat Grassley (a state rep) or Chuck Grassley ("oh yes, he's the one").  I offered to give her C. Grassley's number but she decided she would rather tell me everything politically with which she has ever disagreed.  I doodled a little on a sticky note.

Tuesday, February 8

I pledge allegiance... I pledge allegiance... it didn't help when the rep standing beside me in the well told me not to say oh say can you see...  fortunately it didn't mess me up.  I can now say I have addressed the Iowa House of Representatives.

A part of the job which has become more annoying is that the temperature in the chamber is about ten degrees warmer than everyplace else.  It wouldn't be so bad except after 25 minutes of nonstop, three-messages-at-a-time errand running, the blazer and slacks and everything in between get plenty... cozy.  I eventually ran ice cold water on my wrists in the restroom.  Boy did that feel good, although a couple of reps gave me a funny look (I'm used to it by now).

The rotunda was full (as in not walkable) of people wanting to see reps.  It was these reps, however, who seemed to disappear into the marble.  Busy busy busy.

In the afternoon, HF 185 was debated.  This set the "state percent for allowable growth" for education at 0%.  It's simply the raise that the state gives in funding compared to the previous year (or, in this case, it's going to be the same as before).  The Republicans said it was the best way to go because last year the Democrats made the across-the-board cuts (a.k.a. they didn't follow through on their promise of funding) and the Republicans also argued that the state needed to cut spending as much as possible.  The Democrats, who proposed an amendment (that failed) which raised funding 2% instead of 0%, argued that an increase (which accounts for inflation etc.) is necessary simply to keep schools alive.  Of course, the Republicans passed the bill.

Monday, February 7

Unlike previous Mondays, today was fairly lively.  I arrived at 10:00 and the pages had a Lunch 'n Learn with Speaker Paulsen.  As the speaker, he has the full authority to hire and fire all the staff members relating to the House such as secretaries, Indexing and Journalizing staff, pages, and the Republican & Democrat support staff. He may also keep a bill from being read in/debated/passed.

Anyway, the House convened at 1:00, had the prayer/Pledge, and then the Democrats caucused.  The chamber was strangely busy this afternoon.  I sat in on an education meeting again and they caucused for a very long time. While committees are having a caucus, the Democrats go to another room from the Republicans and that's when us pages sit outside and wait until everyone's done.  Today, I got a good start on a third book.

Tomorrow, I get to go in the well and start the Pledge of Allegiance, all by myself.  I pledge allegiance... I pledge allegiance... I pledge allegiance...

Thursday, February 3

Things were a little back to normal today.  By the way, the session begins each day with a (Christian) prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.

The most memorable task of the week was hauling a (not so) mini-fridge and microwave from a vehicle in the lot to an office a floor above ground level.  Fortunately, the rep had the sense to pack along a dolly cart which, through the snow, was about as navigable as the Titanic in a kiddie pool.  Anyway, I got quite a few strange looks as I pulled the stacked appliances along the tile floor.

Today I was in the Environmental Protection committee meeting and its new director spoke about giving the DNR a better image with the people it deals by responding sooner to issues and by being "Iowa reasonable" at the same time.  He and the reps would like to see more efficiency and streamlining between Iowa's DNR and the federal EPA.  Sounds good to me.

Thought of the day...
...There's one thing the Democrats and Republicans share in common: our money.

Wednesday, February 2

The snowstorm of the week kept many legislators home (wherever home is during session) so this morning was s-l-o-w. 

However in the afternoon I attended the Education committee meeting.  They voted 20-2 to allow schools to set something like "prescribed daily attire" which is the very politically correct way to say "school uniforms".  It would have been considerate to consider the advice of the best expert on (this generation's) school in the room - me.  One representative did come up to me afterwards and asked me what I thought - I thought it was maybe a little too late.

The House worked late tonight and debated two bills: 1) called for the words "right to work" on all materials distributed by the Dept. of Economic Development.  It passed 65-32. 2) A "statement" or "piece of legislation", depending on which party you ask, which cancels the penalty put forth on those who don't purchase health care under Obama's plan.  It was passed 59-39.

Tuesday, February 1

Now here was another interesting day! Because of the weather, the 4:00 session was bumped up to 11:00 for debate on the Constitutional amendment which would ban gay marriage.  Who says there is no use for blizzards?

Once again, about half of the Democrats spoke on the issue.  Their argument was that the Constitution grants equal rights to everyone.  The Republicans argued that the people of Iowa have the right to vote on such an issue.  Note that the resolution does not directly ban gay marriage - if it passes the Senate, it must wait a year and be passed again in both chambers.  If that happens, it is put on the next ballot for all Iowans to vote on whether to amend the Constitution.

The final vote was 62-37 in favor of adopting the resolution.  Representatives Quirk and Swaim were the two Democrats who *gasp* crossed over.  De Boef was absent; I think she has a new grandson.

For the last two hours of the day I ran the switchboard all by myself.  Boy, did I feel important.

Monday, January 31

Today's session was short and sweet - it lasted a whole entire 6 minutes. 

Before that, though, we had another Lunch 'n Learn with Majority Leader Upmeyer.  She explained her job and answered questions.  I asked what her top priorities were, and she said that stabilizing the economy and the budget were on top, because a more predictable government encourages entrepreneurship and small business growth, which increases jobs and helps the economy and so on...   Apparently some 600 bills have filed with the Legislative Services Agency, and about 150 of them have become House Files which I retrieve from the wonderful bill room ladies and hand out to lobbyists.  Upmeyer also is in charge of the blue calendar - this is the list of bills she wishes to pursue with debate.  She is the one that decides if and when a House file is debated. She also says she meets with Minority Leader McCarthy often to discuss schedules and so forth. 

I staffed an Agriculture meeting during which local food production was discussed.  The ISU Extension has formulated a plan, part of which gives incentives to schools and healthcare institutions for purchasing locally grown foods.

Tomorrow will be very interesting.

Thursday, January 27

Finally there was a day when something happened!  Governor Branstad gave his budget address to a joint session of the legislature.  Back to the chairs, back to the huge crowds of people.  It was the first time I've ever seen him in person.  His budget seems to cut programs that were initially funded by one-time money from the federal government.  As if that wasn't exciting enough, there was some more debate on the floor in the afternoon.  The first bill to come up was to require photo identification to vote.  The Republicans argued that it would solidify the integrity of the voting system, while the Democrats argued that it would create an unnecessary burden on Iowans (especially the elderly and minorities) who do not have a photo ID.  Good points on both sides.  It passed 60-40.

The next bill created an online searchable budget database for anyone to see exactly Iowa's revenues and expenses, thus increasing government transparency.  This bill passed unanimously.  What a wonderful bipartisan end to the week.

After debate, I sat in on a Veterans' Affairs meeting.  They passed a bill which gives National Guardsmen & -women the ability to sign over their share of custody/visitation to someone of their choosing if they are deployed.  The bill will now go to the floor of the house.

Wednesday, January 26

As I was walking to the Capitol yesterday I looked up - up in two trees on both sides of Grand Avenue were two flocks of crows c-cawing across the road at each other.   Throughout the display a third flock, the largest, of high-flying crows circled above the road.  First one side of the tree would talk, then the other.  What they were saying, who knows.  Perhaps they were rival flocks giving each other a hard time.  I didn't see any crows cross the road to the other tree.  All they did was bicker; they didn't seem to be getting anything done.

This morning I saw the same scene - I'll bet that the same crows were on the same sides bickering over the same things. 

Why in the world would I tell such a story (which is true)? Who cares if two sides are arguing over something, trying to convince the other side they are right, refusing to concede any points whatsoever to the other side?  Get the hint?  The crows could have been telling jokes back and forth for all I know, but I thought this would be an accurate comparison to what I see every day in the House of Representatives.

What was the third flock circling above? I see that as the flock that was tired of waiting for the others to find a solution and work together.  Which flock are you?