Iowa House lawmakers approved a bill on Tuesday calling for Johnson County and other counties, including Regent College, to elect county supervisors by district.
bill, Senate File 75one of Iowa’s three regent colleges, will need to elect a district-by-district board of supervision, not large, requesting one of the counties physically located within the borders of Johnson, Story, and Black Hawk.
Now, the county can determine in its county charter whether it wants to select supervisors from a district or an equally populated district.
Republicans said the bill would bring more representation for the county’s rural population, which saw a massive influx of student populations.
“The current system is for those who are oppressing voters,” said R-Wilton Rep. Bobby Kaufman. “I’m against voter suppression. In my opinion, some people may see this through the lens of partisans. This is not about partisan politics. This is to make sure that all votes, including those in rural areas, are important.”
Democrats argued that by limiting the bill to counties at Regent College, they would target counties that would predominately elect Democrats to county supervisor seats. Currently, all county supervisors in affected counties are registered Democrats. Democrats also said the bill would deprive voters of those counties.
“This is a blatant political effort to change the people elected in these counties and to defeat the supervisors elected by voters,” said D-Iowa Rep. Adam Zabner. “The only people who should decide who is the supervisor for these three counties must be voters eligible to participate in the election.”
Governor’s mobile phone bill was approved by the home
Iowa House lawmakers approved Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ legislative efforts to ban cell phones from classrooms during education hours on Tuesday. The bill was 88-9, with nine Democrats voting for the bill.
bill, House File 782Iowa public school districts should adopt a minimum policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones during education hours. Advocates argue that mobile phones have an impact on student success in classrooms and disrupt the learning environment.
In a statement following the passage of the bill, Reynolds said the bill would eliminate distractions in the classroom and help students refocus their learning.
“With the best digital distractions of all time, Iowa classrooms must ensure that they maintain an environment where focus, learning and productivity can truly flourish,” Reynolds said in a statement Tuesday. “Our students deserve the opportunity to learn freely from the distractions of personal electronic devices.”
The bill also requires training on the impact of social media for students in grades 6 to 8.
The bill is now heading to the Senate, where a similar version is eligible for consideration on the Senate floor.
Senate approved a hands-free driving bill
The Iowa Senator approved a bill Tuesday banning the use of mobile phones or electronic devices while driving a vehicle to close years of legislative efforts to address the state’s distracting driving laws.
bill, Senate File 22prohibits the use of mobile phones or other electronic devices while driving unless you are able to operate it with “Hands-Free Mode” or with the voice of the driver.
The bill passed almost unanimously 47-1 with Sen. Kelly Gruenhagen being R-Walcott, the only vote against.
The senator passed similar laws in previous legislative sessions, but the bill never went to a House vote. Reynolds brought attention to the issue during her state speech in January, but did not introduce her own laws on the issue.
a Similar invoice The House is approved by the House Transport Committee and is eligible for discussion. The bill is now heading to the House for consideration.
The bill will impose a fine of up to $100 in case of serious injury or death if it violates the bill. Your driver’s license may be suspended if an injury or death occurs. It can also be considered a mobility violation, which could result in suspension of a driver’s license or establish a habitual offender status.
Senate Democrats have introduced amendments that attack exceptions based on bills for those operating farm vehicles. However, Democrats have expressed support for the entire bill.
“I know how important it is and how important it is to pass on something that deals with something like a mobile phone, and I know it saves lives,” Sen. Tony Bisignano of D-DES Moines said in his opening remarks on the amendment. “So I asked the body to pass this amendment for public safety for all Iowanians and tourists coming through Iowa, and we really strengthened the bill by enhancing public safety.”
Senate Republicans said accepting the amendment could make it more difficult to pass the House bill.
