Page 50 - Senate Study News Today

Apparently the GOP-controlled Iowa Legislature didn’t get the memo. Members of the majority party now embrace big, meddling government. They excel at stripping decision-making authority from cities, counties and even private practitioners and businesses. Their obsession with micromanaging others is particularly egregious this legislative session. Among what they are trying to do: Ban traffic cameras Local traffic ordinances are enforced by local law enforcement. Yet Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urband...

In a bipartisan vote Wednesday, an Iowa Senate panel advanced a bill that lessens penalties for first-time, small-scale marijuana possession.

Des Moines Register Differences among Iowas Republican lawmakers have set back major policy proposals from Gov. Kim Reynolds on education and public safety this year, causing some to miss the first legislative deadline for bills to move forward. Friday marked the first "funnel" deadline of the 2021 session, which requires bills to pass through a full committee in either the House or Senate to move forward. The cutoff does not apply to tax-related and spending bills, so issues like COVI...

The The AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF (NYSE:MSOS): dropped 6.3%. The The The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) was up 0.9%, after recovering from Thursdays losses on Friday afternoon. One move that pretty much flew under the radar: Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., owner of Circle K, boosted its stake in Canadian cannabis company Fire & Flower Holdings Corp.  (OTCQX:FFLWF), converting roughly $52 million it held in debt to equity. Following the transaction, the retail giant will own 1...

DES MOINES - Measures seeking to bolster gun rights, provide tougher back the blue law enforcement protections and lower the penalty for possessing small amounts of marijuana passed under the wire Wednesday in advance of a bill-killing legislative funnel deadline.

Iowa would exclude from income grants given by the Economic Development Authority, Iowa Finance Authority or the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship as a response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, under a bill introduced in the state Senate.

DES MOINES - Majority GOP legislators forged ahead Tuesday with plans to ease gun restrictions by adopting permit-less constitutional carry legislation over objections that the proposed changes would make Iowans less safe.

Iowa has lowered penalties for those caught with small amounts of marijuana. Under Senate Study Bill 1226, which passed subcommittee by a unanimous vote, possession of under five grams of marijuana is considered as a simple misdemeanor for a first offense, Marijuana Moment reports. Meaning, Iowans arrested for possession would face up to 30 days in jail as well as a fine ranging between $65 and $625. Even though Sen. Brad Zaun, who chaired the subcommittee, called the legislation a “common s...

The problem of overreach in state government is not a new one in Iowa, but it has reached a new low with the filing of Senate Study Bill 1195, which would eliminate the rights of communities to regulate activities and enterprises involving animals within their jurisdictions. Its passage would rob local governments of their authority to regulate puppy mills and pet stores, fur farms, roadside exotic animal displays, backyard nuisances, horse carriage companies, the use of wild animals in circuses...

Although several lawmakers and lobbyists last week praised an Iowa House version of a public education free speech bill that stripped references to banning certain types of diversity training, a Republican legislator has introduced a separate measure asking lawmakers to ban that same training.