Posted by Brian on Thursday, Mar 5, 2015
There have been some big issues discussed recently by the Iowa House and Senate including when schools must start or the recent gas tax increase. The Iowa Legislature page is a great tool to help follow a bill’s progress. If you know the bill's number, such as HF13 for the school start date bill, just enter it into the "Bills Quick Search" on the right side. You'll be shown the bill in its entirety. You can click on "Current Bill History" on the left, and it will tell you when the bill was introduced or if it has passed. There's also a link on the left to track versions of the bill.
It's very possible that you won't know the bill's number. If that's the case, you can use the "Bill Keyword Quick Search." I did a search for "school" and HF13 was the sixth result. But searching that way can be frustrating. To take the guess work out of it, consider searching the Des Moines Register (you'll have to scroll down a bit to get to DMR). They do excellent statehouse reporting and often mention the bill number in their articles.
Want to contact your state representative or senator about a bill? We have a handy page with that information right here.
About the Author
Brian works as the Senior Adult Services Librarian at the Iowa City Public Library.
I'm officially at the halfway point of this fan favorite series. It still entertains, and I'm always impressed by the scope of the story. If I had to criticize one thing--it's odd how one dude, James Holden, is at the center of so many important things to happen to humanity. Maybe it gets addressed later in the series? Also, the authors love the phrases "a darker darkness" and "companionable silence." -Brian