Helena Hayes Capitol Update February 9, 2024

With the deadline of the first funnel approaching quickly next week, it made for another busy of week of subcommittees and committee meetings. Just for review, every bill first gets “read in” on the floor and then assigned a subcommittee to start the process. (Not every bill gets a sub…it is up to the discretion of the House Majority Leader, Matt Windshitl.)

If a bill passes a sub, it can then go before the whole committee. If it makes it out of committee before the “first funnel” it can remain “alive” for the rest of the session. The deadline of the first funnel is the end of next week. Hence the push to “get bills out of committee before the end of next week. Once to this point, bills are placed on the debate calendar to be discussed within the larger caucus. At present, there are 117 bills on the debate calendar. Those are bills that have been through sub, full committee and now await the larger caucus conversation. This list of bills can be found here.

On Thursday, 60 more bills were read in so expect that number to grow immensely.

Of interest this week also was a legislative coffee time with Govenor Reynolds to discuss her trip to the border and Iowa’s response to the current crisis.

Of most concern is border patrol reports of over 20,000 Chinese nationalists entering the U.S. recently. The total number of processed illegal aliens since 2020 is estimated to be seven million with a probable 1.7 million got-a-ways. That number is believed to be at least 30% higher though.

Adding to that, the steep increase in fentanyl seizures and deadly overdoses, along with the 169 arrested from the terrorist watch list, states are responding strongly in support of Texas Govenor Abbott. He has requested more assistance in the form of border agents from out of state and hoping for longer stays, up to three months if possible. The State of Iowa plans to send more National Guard and is examining further methods to strengthen our state sovereignty and protect our country.