This week in the Iowa House we passed another 21 bills on the floor. Grabbing most of the headlines this week was the election integrity law, which will now head to the Governor’s desk.
Elections Iowans Can Trust
Iowans deserve an election they can trust. While our election system here in Iowa already sets an example for the rest of the country, that doesn’t mean we stop looking for ways it can be improved. That’s why the Iowa House this week passed Senate File 413, sending it to the Governor’s desk.
This election bill accomplishes three main things:
1. It provides uniformity in our election laws: Uniformity of election procedures helps make it easier and more secure to vote.
2. It makes it harder to cheat: Confidence in our elections is critical. Iowans need to be able to have faith that when they cast their ballot it will be counted and counted correctly. This bill will make it harder for bad actors to cheat, giving Iowans additional peace of mind as they cast their ballot.
3. Orders maintenance on voter databases: Outdated voter databases make it easier for bad actors to commit fraud unnoticed.
Our job is to ensure Iowans have safe and secure elections while making the process to vote as easy as possible. This bill accomplishes that goal.
Looking Ahead to Next Week
When we return to the statehouse on Monday it will be funnel week. This means that any bills that haven’t passed out of their original committee by next Friday will no longer be considered during the 2021 Legislative Session. This is sure to keep us busy as we work to finalize any priority legislation that hasn’t made it out of committee yet.
Already this session we have passed legislation to return our kids to school, increase access to affordable quality child care, and deliver additional pandemic relief to school districts that conducted classes in-person. Next week, we will put a big emphasis on bills to expand access to broadband, protect students’ free speech rights, and support our law enforcement officials.
