An issue that’s been discussed at length recently in the Iowa Senate was due to an apparent change in the public 24-hour notice for those to speak on bills in subcommittees.

However, District 24 Senator Jerry Behn dispels those rumors and points out there was talk that a bill must wait a full 24-hours before it moves from a subcommittee to a full committee in the Senate. He argues the language was misconstrued.

“They (the media) were acting like we’re trying to make it secret and we’re trying to make it so nobody could come to the subcommittees and all that stuff and that’s just patently not true. It’s always said forever, a day, you can’t have it on the same day you’ve got to wait until the next day.”

Behn adds another key aspect to the rule that’s in place for committee chairs to call on bills.

“A committee chair can waive the rule if they want to and bring up a bill the next day anyway. So we’re not effectively changing anything in the way that we’re doing business down here. We’re still having subcommittees that are open to the public, just like the full committees are.”

Anyone who has questions or issues to address to Senator Behn can contact him via email at jerry.behn@legis.iowa.gov during the legislative lesson.