Controversial bills backed by labor unions and opposed by Iowa's business community are at risk of not surviving the legislature's self-imposed "funnel" deadline next week -- a situation exacerbated by the sudden retirement of one Democratic lawmaker.
"We're still working to find consensus on those issues," said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (D-Des Moines). "There are negotiations that are occurring. If there are requisite votes for passage, then that will move forward. But right now, particularly in the wake of one of our members' serious illness ... that's more challenging."
When pressed to say whether Democrats would have already moved forward on the legislation if they had the votes, McCarthy said: "These are big issues with a lot of work. We're doing the best we can."
The legislature will once again pack its schedule with committee meetings in the week ahead because Friday, March 5, is the second "funnel" -- when all bills from one chamber must clear a committee of the opposite chamber to be considered alive for the remainder of the session. Budget, tax, and leadership bills are exempt.
The deadline will help lawmakers to wrap up this year's session in 80 days and meet a March 31 target adjournment date. "We think we are well on schedule to be able to get out of here four weeks from tomorrow," Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal (D-Council Bluffs) said.
Controversial bills about "fair share" and "prevailing wage" passed House committees but have not been debated on the House floor yet, leaving them two steps shy of clearing the funnel.
"I hope that the labor bills will be effectively off the table or dead next week. Time will tell about that," said House Minority Leader Kraig Paulsen (R-Hiawatha), who has said the fair-share bill would repeal Iowa's right-to-work law. "It's my understanding right now that there are not enough votes to move those bills."
The sudden retirement of Representative Roger Wendt (D-Sioux City) decreases House Democrats' majority to 55-44 and increases the difficulty of getting the bills passed.
But House Speaker Pat Murphy (D-Dubuque) said leaders don't know for sure that they don't have the votes to pass the bills because House Democrats have not yet caucused on the issues.
Wendt Retires After Lung Cancer Returns
Wendt, a 76-year-old retired teacher and principal and chair of the House Education Committee, resigned suddenly after learning that his lung cancer has returned after 17 years.
"Due to a serious medical condition and the recommendation of my doctor, I will not be returning to the Iowa House for the remainder of the 2010 session nor will I seek re-election as state representative later this year," Wendt said in a prepared statement.
Governor Chet Culver is expected to announce the date for a special election in House District 2. Representative Gene Ficken (D-Independence), a retired teacher, is vice chair of the House Education Committee and will succeed Wendt as chair.
Wendt was serving his fourth term in the Iowa House. His wife Anita has worked as his clerk in the Iowa House. Wendt said he's "deeply proud" of his record improving education for Iowa children and equalizing school funding for districts such as Sioux City, which he said helps both property taxpayers and schools.
Culver called Wendt a dedicated and thoughtful public servant. "From his time in the U.S. Army to his four decades of service to students, families, and teachers to his eight years as a member of the Iowa General Assembly, his life and career can best be thought of in terms of 'service to others,'" Culver said. "For his life of service, I simply want to thank him, and to publicly recognize the tremendous impact he has had on the state we love."
Rally Over Manure Bill Turns Confrontational
An Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) rally at the Capitol advocating for clean water and protesting a bill about animal manure turned confrontational when the group of about 75 residents marched upstairs into the House majority leader's office.
The outspoken group carried colorful signs and demanded defeat of House File 2324, a bill that would exempt many farmers from having to have adequate storage for animal manure over the winter months. Iowa CCI members said the bill would essentially allow nearly 5,500 factory farms to dump manure on frozen and snow-covered ground.
"What we are demanding today is very simple: Kill House File 2324," said Vern Tigges, Iowa CCI's board president who's a family farmer from Carroll.
"I talked to Culver; he personally told me that if it passed he would veto it, but we've got to hold him to that," said Rosie Partridge, a business owner from Wall Lake.
Following a rally in the Capitol rotunda, the group marched up the Capitol's north stairway to the House majority leader's office. Efforts by the House sergeant at arms and state troopers to stop the group were unsuccessful and even led to some pushing and shoving.
Next came Representative Ray Zirkelbach (D-Monticello), who's the sponsor of the bill. He attempted to weave his way through the group in the hallway behind the Iowa House chamber, talk to them, and prevent them from going into the majority leader's office, to no avail.
"If you guys would talk to me directly, maybe we can get something done," Zirkelbach told Iowa CCI's policy organizing director, Adam Mason. The bill "doesn't do anything you're saying."
Zirkelbach, who was the manager of last year's bill prohibiting the spreading of manure on frozen or snow-covered ground, said this year's bill is intended to clear up the intent of last year's legislation.
"I'm the drafter of the bill," Zirkelbach said in an interview with IowaPolitics.com. "I don't understand why they wouldn't want to talk to me. I've seen 'em down there protesting and telling the wrong information, and they just turned me away."
'Puppy Mill' Bill Heads to Culver's Desk
With a 41-9 vote, the Iowa Senate gave final legislative approval to the so-called "puppy-mill bill," which would would increase fees for the state's 400 licensed dog breeders for the first time since 1992 and allow state inspections of those that receive complaints. Iowa ranks third in the nation for dog breeding.
"These are minimum standards of care as it relates to animals," said Senator Matt McCoy (D-Des Moines), referring to the food, water, shelter, veterinary-care, grooming, and sanitary control of the more than 20,000 dogs in Iowa's breeding operations.
House File 2280 would increase fees from the current $20 to $75 for pounds, shelters, and research facilities, and $175 for all other pet breeders. The state would use the money to hire five inspectors within the Iowa Department of Agriculture who would respond to complaints of animal mistreatment.
If complaints against pet breeders are confirmed, the state can impose fines of up to $1,000, require continuing education, or remove animals from a facility.
Senator Dick Dearden (D-Des Moines) criticized the Humane Society of the United States' lobbying for the bill. "They're not out fighting for Fluffy and Spot. They're out to do away with hunting as we know it, agriculture as we know it," Dearden said. "They're not out there protecting animals. They're out there to change a way of life."
Representative David Johnson (R-Ocheyedan) questioned why livestock was featured in a Humane Society commercial if the bill is really about dogs and cats. "They're going to make sure our livestock has access to open air at all times, something like that," Johnson warned. "It's coming."
The bill now goes to Culver. Passage comes after the issue failed to reach consensus last year.
Some Iowa Candidates Struggling to Meet Ballot-Signature Requirements
An informal IowaPolitics.com survey of candidates running for U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and the governor's office reveals that at least two candidates are struggling to meet signature requirements by March 19 to be on the June 8 primary ballot.
Bob Krause of Fairfield (one of four Democrats running for U.S. Senate) and Jason Welch of Grimes (one of seven Republicans running in the Third Congressional District) both said they are short of signatures.
Krause, a former state legislator, said he is about 1,000 signatures shy, although he has met a requirement to get 1 percent of the votes cast for President Barack Obama in the 2008 general election in 10 different counties.
Krause said the lack of signatures is the result of low turnout for the statewide precinct caucuses January 23.
"All the large counties that usually generate signatures came in very low, such as Scott County, that had only about 150 or so caucus attendees county-wide," Krause said. "The low turnout was largely a function of bad weather and also having the caucuses on a Saturday afternoon instead of Monday evening that was usually the case. There were a lot of comments about this around the state."
Welch said he had about 900 signatures as of this week. Republican candidates in the Third Congressional District must collect at least 1,438 signatures, or 1 percent of the 143,771 votes cast for presidential candidate John McCain in the district in 2008. Candidates in that district must also get at least 2 percent of the votes cast for McCain in 2008 in six different counties.
In the governor's race, the three remaining Republican candidates are required to collect 3,412 signatures (one half of 1 percent of the 682,379 votes cast for McCain statewide in 2008) along with the 1-percent-in-10-counties requirement.
Eric Woolson, campaign manager for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats of Sioux City, said the campaign has already surpassed the necessary number of signatures and counties, which he said required a coordinated effort between staff and volunteers.
Tim Albrecht, campaign manager for former Governor Terry Branstad, said the campaign will have no trouble gathering the required signatures, while state Representative Rod Roberts of Carroll also said he expects to meet the requirements.
National Republicans Visit Iowa, But Scant Mention of 2012
Two national Republican figures visited Iowa this week, but neither made any concrete comments about a potential run for president in 2012.
U.S. Representative Tom Price (R-Georgia) said he came to Iowa "to invigorate those folks standing up for freedom and liberty," but he was reluctant to pinpoint his own political aspirations.
"In this business, you never close the door on anything," said Price, known as a leading voice among conservatives and an advocate for patient-centered health-care reform, in an interview with IowaPolitics.com during a visit to Sioux City.
Price said his focus is on energizing Iowans for the 2010 elections in the state. He emphasized the need for Republican victories in light of U.S. House redistricting that will follow the 2010 census.
Meanwhile, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee declined during a rally in Cedar Rapids to comment on a potential run for presidential in 2012, instead advocating smaller government and traditional marriage, and speaking against abortion.
Huckabee told the crowd he was grateful for being Arkansas' governor and that he believed Iowa Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats would be the best candidate to uphold GOP ideals.
"Some governors may not have a real conviction about the sanctity of human life and genuinely care that we create a culture that we respect every human being as a gift and a creation from God," Huckabee said, adding that both he and Vander Plaats were strongly opposed to abortion rights. "I'd like to believe that every state would be governed by somebody who had that conviction."
Huckabee also said the solution to the recession is smaller government. "The reason the economy is sputtering and having difficulty getting its footing again is not because government isn't doing enough; it's because government is trying to tinker too much," he said. "There are a lot of small-business owners that are like cooks in the kitchen, and they're so tired of Uncle Sam walking in with his apron and his spoon saying, 'Here, let me fix it.'
Huckabee helped Vander Plaats raise more than $10,000 in 24 hours, a campaign aide said as the last of three Iowa fundraising events concluded with Huckabee headlining a rally in Cedar Rapids.
This weekly summary comes from IowaPolitics.com, an online government and politics news service. Reporter Andrew Duffelmeyer and other correspondents contributed to this report.
