Two of the governor’s priorities advance at the Capitol. First, a bill creating scholarships for private schools advances from a committee. It also requires teachers to publish online everything that will be used in the classroom. And, the Senate passes a bill banning transgender girls from playing on female sports teams at K-12 schools, colleges and universities in Iowa. The governor signs the bill into law. In the House, two drug-related bills pass. One is about experimental treatments for people on ventilators. It would allow for drugs like ivermectin to be used during treatment. And the other increases penalties for having smaller amounts of heroin. It targets drug dealers but opponents say it doesn’t help drug addicts.

There are state requirements for staff levels at child care facilities. A bill comes to the full Senate for debate that increases the ratio of staff for young children. In the House there are bills involving interests with Israel, including one related to Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. And a ban on transgender girls and women playing on girls’ and women’s sports teams passes the House.

The House passes a bill that will gradually lower income tax rates. It requires the state to consistently have a revenue growth of 3.5% for several years. Republicans say last year’s nearly billion dollar surplus should be used to reduce taxes. As school spending is approved by both chambers at a growth of 2.5%, Democrats say it should be higher especially with the recent surplus. Bills race to be passed out of committees during this funnel week, where most bills must pass out of one chamber’s full committee to remain eligible. One includes a prohibition on allowing any land to be purchased by China and another is an emergency bill allowing para-educators to continue as substitute teachers.

There are two versions of a bill about equal treatment for religious and secular organizations. The Senate version contains language some say could invite discrimination and evasion of Iowa laws, but the House version does not. A Senate bill advances that would require the State Board of Education to create course standards for elective social studies classes about the Bible. And a House bill would prohibit transgender girl athletes from being on girls’ school sports teams.

There are still in excess of 100 bills a week being considered by subcommittees and some have also passed a full committee. That makes them eligible for a chamber to consider passage. The first bill to do so expands biofuels in Iowa. Unlike similar legislation that didn’t advance last year, this builds in exemptions for some fuel stations that don’t have the infrastructure for biofuels. It passes in the House with bipartisan support. Many education proposals have passed through a committee this week including the Senate’s version of funding for public schools and a proposal that would require curriculum and books in schools to be listed online.

Every year bills that didn’t pass in previous legislative sessions get another shot through the subcommittee process. In 2022 bills that would restrict or further regulate traffic enforcement cameras advance through Senate subcommittees. Governor Reynolds has written a bill that would increase biofuels options at gas stations, that is less aggressive than her renewable fuels bill from last year. A proposal allowing Iowa schools to go year-round stalls. And a new bill advances that would change a parent or guardian’s vaccination consent for minors from verbal to written.

It’s the first of several full weeks of subcommittees. Not all bills advance from their first subcommittee hearing. Last year a large bill passed in the Senate about eligibility requirements for many public assistance programs. It did not advance in the House. Now part of the Senate bill dealing only with SNAP benefits comes to a House subcommittee. Also in subcommittees is proposed amendment to the state constitution that would expand and reinforce victims rights. There's a proposal to limit changes to required school vaccinations and a bill that would make Iowa exempt from potential future federal decisions that restrict firearms.

The first week of the second half of the 89th Iowa General Assembly is mostly filled with legislators announcing their priorities for this planned 100-day session. With a billion dollar surplus from the last fiscal year, Republicans have suggested various tax reductions. But the first proposal comes during Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Condition of the State address, with a flat income tax and the elimination of taxes on most pensions and retirement accounts. Another one of her proposals is to reduce the number of weeks a person can receive unemployment benefits. Reynolds also speaks of her concerns about some books in public schools containing sexual content and wants public schools to place their curriculum and inventory of library books online.

Last day of the 2021 legislative session featured a surprise amendment to a bill prohibiting schools and cities from implementing mask mandates stricter than state policies and code.

As the 2021 session comes to a close, changing Iowa’s bottle redemption system received a public hearing. Another large department budget passed out of an appropriations committee, and includes a controversial income verification qualification for public assistance programs. And a large bill about law enforcement passed out of the House.