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Published March 13, 2007
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State Sen. Brad Zaun,
R-Urbandale, represents District 32. The
district includes the northwest section of the Drake area, the Beaverdale area, and the Hoover
area of Des Moines, plus all of Urbandale in Polk County. He can be reached at the
statehouse at 281-3371, at home at 276-2025 or by e-mail at brad.zaun@legis. state.ia.us.
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'Funnel' week casualties include tuition assurance bill
By SEN. BRAD ZAUN
SEN. DISTRICT 32
The Senate was extremely busy with committee action
and debate last week as the Legislature faced its first self-imposed deadline
of the 2007 session.
In order for a bill not to be declared dead at the end of the first
"funnel" week, it must be approved by at least one committee in the
Senate or House. The deadline, which comes roughly
at the middle of the session, plays a key role in limiting the number of
bills on the Legislature's agenda. While the funnel
does not apply to tax, appropriations or leadership bills, it does help
eliminate hundreds of measures.
Priorities that did not make it past funnel include bills that I supported. These included bills to help increase access to
employer-provided insurance coverage for people who work in small businesses,
increase information about the local availability for low-cost prescription
drugs, and guarantee that incoming freshmen at Iowa's public universities would never see
a tuition increase while attending school.
Legislation that did make it through funnel includes several bills that are
considered bad for business, job creation and economic growth. They include legislation that guts Iowa's Right to Work law and that repeals
employer choice of medical provider in workers' compensation claims. That measure alone would cause a nearly 14 percent
increase in workers' compensation claims.
Other measures that made it through funnel expand the size and scope of
government. These measures include bills that allow
cities and counties to ban smoking in public places, create a statewide
preschool program and expand civil rights protections to include sexual
orientation.
The next benchmark of the legislative session is the second
"funnel," another self-imposed deadline that requires bills to be
approved by the chamber where they originated as well as a committee in the
opposite chamber.
During the next few weeks, senators will focus on legislation that has made
it past the first funnel in addition to budget and tax-related measures.
Please remember that my public forum is coming up this month on Saturday,
March 31, at 10 a.m. I look forward to this
opportunity to meet with you and discuss issues that are important to us
Iowans.
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