Visions of harmony as state legislature convenes

Much pomp and circumstance greeted the packed Senate and House chambers, as the 88th Iowa General Assembly convened on Monday, January 14. The first day of the general assembly saw the third straight year of a Republican “trifecta”, that is a Republican hold on both houses of the Iowa Legislature, as well as the Governor’s office. House Republicans entered the session with a reduced majority, holding 54 of the 100 seats, while Senate Republicans entered with an expanded majority- 32 of 50 seats.
 
While house leadership offered a similar idea on where the state should go, a competing vision of how to get there was clear among competing parties. However, leaders in the house agreed on one thing: both parties must work together.
 
“After the election, no matter who is in charge, Iowans expect us to move beyond the partisan gamesmanship and govern,” said House Speaker Linda Upmeyer (R- Clear Lake), who was elected to her second term as speaker on Monday.
 
House Majority Leader Chris Hagenow (R- Urbandale) echoed that sentiment.
 
“Last General Assembly, over 88% of the bills we passed were bipartisan.  I am hopeful we can move that number even higher,” Hagenow said.
 
Minority Leader Todd Pritchard (D- Charles City) in his opening remarks to the House also reiterated the need to work together.
 
“If we take one lesson from the recent campaigns, it is that the public is weary of hyper partisan politics. We are here to fulfill a higher purpose and have an awesome responsibility: to be servants of the people of Iowa,” Pritchard said.
 
Upmeyer pledged to the house that the revitalization of rural Iowa would be a major priority of the majority party in the session. She said that development in Iowa should not be limited to urban areas of the state.
 
“Whether it is expansion of broadband, more opportunities for affordable housing, or encouraging investment in small businesses, we must be intentional in our efforts to push more opportunities to rural Iowa,” Upmeyer said. “Our rural communities are not merely a part of our past, they are the foundation of our future."
 
Upmeyer also said that it would be a priority of House Republicans to create a generation of skilled workers, an issue that was very commonly talked about among rural communities in the 2018 midterm elections. To do this, Upmeyer said it would be up to the legislature to work together with education leaders to craft legislation.
 
“Iowa’s employers are depending on our schools to prepare the next generation of skilled workers,” she said.
 
Pritchard alluded to this issue in his opening remarks, suggesting that the education system faces a funding crisis.
 
“We have a public education system in need of resources,” he said.
 
During his open comments, Pritchard implored the House Republicans to govern from the open.
 
“The reality is the challenges we face can’t be solved behind closed doors with special interests and without input from the 100 members of this House who were elected to give a voice to their constituents,” Pritchard said. “For too long, this Legislature has ignored the challenges Iowa families face today and focused on divisive issues, special interests, and the wealthy,” he also said.
 
Rounding out the day’s brief activities was the issue of appointing a committee to settle a formal contest in the House District 55 election. Upmeyer appointed a committee of five representatives to hear evidence on the contest and determine whether or not to sustain the contest.
 
What’s next for the legislature? The house and the senate are expected to round the week in a series of joint sessions, including a joint session for the formal inauguration of Governor Kim Reynolds.