Home Local News IOWA LAWMAKERS PASS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING REFORM BILL

IOWA LAWMAKERS PASS COLLECTIVE BARGAINING REFORM BILL

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UPDATE 3:44PM

The Iowa Senate has approved a bill that would greatly reduce negotiating power for public sector unions in the state.

The GOP-led chamber voted 29-21 Thursday, with all Democrats and an independent opposed.

The vote followed lengthy debate in the chamber that started Wednesday morning and entered the next day.

The Republican-majority House approved the measure 53-47 about an hour earlier.

Legislative leaders used a rare procedural move to end debate early on the bill in both chambers.

The bill now heads to Governor Terry Branstad, who supports the measure.
AP

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update 2:57pm 2/16/17

Republicans in the Iowa House have approved a bill that would eliminate most collective bargaining rights for public workers in the state.

Lawmakers voted 53-47 Thursday, with all Democrats opposed, to pass the measure.

It would prohibit public sector unions from negotiating over several issues, including health insurance and extra pay.

The bill proposes that mandatory discussions be limited to base wages.

Some public safety employees are exempt from some provisions of the bill.

Democrats introduced dozens of amendments to try to stop the bill or reduce its impact.

Many of those amendments were not discussed after Republicans used a rare procedural move to end debate at noon.

The Senate was scheduled to end debate on an identical version of the bill shortly after the House vote.

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The GOP-controlled Iowa Senate has agreed to end debate on a collective bargaining bill that was the subject of an all-night debate led by Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix made a motion Thursday morning to end floor debate on the legislation at 2 p.m.

The Senate approved the motion on a party-line vote despite criticism from Democrats.

The move follows similar activity in the House, where Republican lawmakers agreed Thursday morning to end floor debate at noon.

Lawmakers rarely use the motion to end floor debate.

Expected votes Thursday on the bill will come a little over a week after it was introduced to the public.