It was a sprint to the finish when lawmakers returned to the statehouse June 3rd. Back in March, after the first Iowa cases of the coronavirus were confirmed, the Legislature started what turned out to be a two-and-a-half month break. Yesterday, June 14th, Iowa lawmakers adjourned the 2020 session.
It ended with a long overnight debate on the budget. At 6 a.m. on Sunday, the Senate passed the proposed $7.78 billion budget. Later that day, the House finalized it. The Legislature officially adjourned just before 2 p.m.
On this edition of River to River, host Ben Kieffer spends the hour discussing the 2020 session with Iowa journalists who cover the legislature. They discuss legislation to address police misconduct, to change rules surrounding election procedures, to protect businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits and much more.
Guests:
Katarina Sostaric, IPR state government reporter
James Lynch, Cedar Rapids Gazette political reporter
Kathie Obradovich, Iowa Capital Dispatch editor-in-chief
