Funnel Deadline Fast Approaching

With Friday’s first funnel deadline approaching, several bills of interest to CSG came out of committee yesterday. For a bill to survive the funnel, it must be an Appropriations, Government Oversight, Ways & Means, sponsored by leadership, or get voted out of its Senate or House standing committee. Study bills that get voted out of committees arrive on the calendar as committee bills with a new bill numbers. All other bills are done for the session.

Tuesday, the House Transportation Committee voted out HF2021 which classifies text-messaging while driving as reckless driving and HSB616 which tightens restrictions on Iowa’s graduated driver’s license system. Both bills have the support of the National Safety Council for now.

House Study Bill 650 was passed out of the House Judiciary Committee with the understanding that it would be amended on the floor. This bill will allow the DOT to grant all temporary restricted licenses (TRL) without requiring the courts to order the department to do so. It also allows repeat OWI offenders to obtain a TRL after a 45-day hard suspension of their license instead of 90 days. However, the offender must have an ignition interlock device installed in his car.

During the committee meeting, Representative Jeff Kaufman pointed out that MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving – supports this code change as the facts show that offenders will often drive their vehicles under a suspended license. Allowing offenders to obtain a TRL with the ignition interlock device 45 days sooner will prevent them from driving under the influence in that time period keeping our roads safer.