Legislative activity came to a close four weeks ago on May 4, when the legislature finished its work for the year and adjourned sine die.
The Governor’s 30-day signing period, prompted by adjournment, ends tomorrow, June 3 but Governor Reynolds signed the remainder of the bills under consideration on June 1, in advance of this deadline. The legislature sent 169 bills to the Governor’s desk this year and all but one was signed into law. The Governor also made one line-item veto to SF563, a bill that appropriates funding to the Judicial Branch.
This week completes action on all approved legislation from the 90th General Assembly. The majority of these new laws become effective July 1, 2023. Here is the full list of new laws and their respective effective dates:
Governor Vetoes
SF563 – Line-Item Veto of Section 8
Governor Reynolds signed SF563, the Judicial Branch appropriations bill, into law, but line-item vetoed Section 8 of the bill. Section 8 prohibits a court from appointing a noncontract attorney to a case without the attorney’s consent. By vetoing this section, licensed attorneys can be called upon to provide constitutionally obligated defense at the direction of the court without giving their consent. The Governor’s full veto message can be found here.
SF388 – Vetoed in its Entirety
The only bill vetoed by the Governor relates to conflicts between federal funding and the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). SF388 essentially tethered the OCIO to federal standards as defined by the federal government. The Governor believes flexibility to navigate the regulatory environment should remain with the OCIO and respectfully vetoed SF388 in its entirety. The Governor’s full veto message can be found here.
Executive Branch
On May 31, applications opened for the Education Savings Account program, inviting families to apply for vouchers to be used at private K-12 schools. This was the top priority of the Governor and Republicans this session. Governor Reynolds released a video announcement, including the following statement:
“Applications are now open for our new Students First Education Savings Accounts, or ESAs, which expands opportunities for Iowa families – empowering them to choose the type of education that’s best for their children regardless of their income or zip code.
I believe education is the great equalizer, which is why it was so important to remove the boundaries that have existed between public and private schools for too long and to ensure families can send their children to the school of their choice.
Today, we’re changing the face of education in Iowa and influencing what it looks like nationwide.”
