MBI Legislative Focus
March 5, 2010
Volume IX, Edition 8
2nd Funnel Casualties
The second funnel has come and gone with little fanfare. There was limited floor and committee action this week, which signals that House and Senate leaders have moved all the bills they can get consensus on and are focused on budgets with a goal of adjourning within the shortened, 80-day session target.
A number of bills supported by organized labor did not pass clear the second funnel. The House Democrats are looking for a procedural answer to finding ways to bring forth some of their leadership’s priority bills. However, the rules on ways to which debate is structured after the second funnel states that a bill is no longer eligible for floor action if it has not been approved by the House or Senate and passed out of its respective jurisdictional committee of the other chamber. More specifically, House files must be passed out of Senate committees and Senate files must be passed out of House committees. This requirement does not apply to appropriation bills and tax code bills (Ways and Means Committee).
For instance, when we take a look at HF 2421 (state-mandated prevailing wage), this bill did not pass out of the House, so under current House and Senate rules, the bill is essentially dead for the remainder of the session. However, nothing is “dead” at the Capitol until the final gavel falls on adjournment. We still could see versions of prevailing wage, employee choice of doctor, or any other concept that did not pass this year show up in an appropriation bill or other eligible bill.
State Central Registry Passes House….But Did Not Clear the Funnel
In what can be termed only as a procedural mistake, a bill that would change the mechanics lien process for residential construction is no longer eligible for debate. HF 2477 which would establish a state construction registry for residential construction, was passed by the House on a vote of 90-8. However, it is procedurally dead for the year. It seems the bill was never “read in” from the House, thus not eligible to be debated in the Senate Judiciary Committee pursuant to House and Senate procedural rules. To say the least, the Bar Association and the Bankers Association were not too happy to hear the news.
PPEL Bill Passes House – Awaits Senate Action
The House passed HF 2462 by a vote of 58-39. MBI has problems with this bill in that it expands the allowable uses of the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) to now include computers, software, technical training and costs associated with the repair of any equipment purchased with PPEL funds (this includes school buses, computers, copiers, etc.).
MBI is concerned about this blatant expansion and questions the wisdom of moving away from the basic integrity of the PPEL levy. MBI has long believed that the PPEL levy should be used for school major maintenance and infrastructure needs and paying down debt on bond referendums (i.e. - property tax relief). However, this will never be achieved if the legislature continues to expand the allowable uses of these funds.
MBI worked on an amendment which stated a school district must first make sure buildings are in compliance with ADA, fire and safety codes and lead paint and asbestos abatement programs before any funds could be spent on computer equipment and other technology needs. Our amendment, however, failed by a vote of 48 to 49. The bill is now over in the Senate, where we will try to make some similar corrections.
3rd Annual Winter Conference and Freezer Classic, April 9th
Thought I might use this opportunity to plug our upcoming Winter Conference and Freezer Classic. This year’s event will be held on Friday, April 9th at the Copper Creek Golf Course in Pleasant Hill and will be featuring David Rabiner. David’s program will focus on ways to connect with new customers, but also keeping the existing ones.
As you know, the Winter Conference combines an educational element in the morning with an entertaining program in the afternoon. In this instance, an early-spring round of golf, no matter what Mother Nature has in store – hence the name Freezer Classic. Regardless of the course conditions the most important aspect of this event is an opportunity to support the MBI-PAC. This event raises funds for the MBI-PAC and helps kick off our fundraising efforts in this important election year. So, if you are getting tired of what is happening at the Iowa Capitol and are looking for ways to support MBI’s lobbying efforts, participation in this event is right for you. We are looking for sponsors as well. So if you are interested in supporting the MBI-PAC, CLICK HERE for the conference registration and CLICK HERE to view the sponsorship sign-up sheet.
