DES MOINES – The Iowa House and Senate have both gaveled out this afternoon. They ended the session six days earlier than scheduled. The House finished just a few minutes ahead of the Senate. Both chambers have had long days this week.
The House and Senate just passed changes to how judges will be nominated. That bill now heads to the governor for signature. Once signed, the governor will get to pick nine of the 17 members of the Judicial Nominating Commission, instead of eight. A justice will no longer be chair of the commission.
On the Senate side, Republicans on Friday moved to make changes to the state’s contract with Planned Parenthood. Under a proposal in the legislature backed by Republicans, government contracts with Planned Parenthood to provide sex education classes would be canceled.
Senate Republicans and Democrats also debated Friday night to prohibit the state’s Medicaid program from covering gender reassignment surgery. Sen. Mark Costello, a Republican, put up the proposal. Several groups, including the ACLU of Iowa, called the measure unconstitutional.
Stay tuned with Local 5 news as we continue to report on what passed and what didn’t pass the 2019 legislative session.