All 29 Republicans in the Iowa Senate and 53 of the Republicans in the House voted yesterday (Thursday) to limit the subjects Iowa teachers and other government workers may bargain over during contract talks. There WERE six Republicans in the Iowa House, however, who voted against the move. Representative Andy McKean of Anamosa, said “I think there needed to be some reforms to collective bargaining, but I just felt this bill went a little too far, too quickly for what I would consider to be good public policy.”

In addition to Representative McKean, the other House Republicans who voted against the bill are Mary Ann Hanusa, of Council Bluffs, Dave Heaton of Mount Pleasant, Shannon Lundgren of Peosta, Tom Moore of Griswold and Clel Baudler, of Greenfield. Baudler is a retired state trooper. Moore is a retired teacher. None of the six Republicans who voted “no” on the bill spoke during House debate. McKean made his comments in an interview after the vote.

Anamosa is home to a state prison and the prison guards there who were NOT classified as public safety workers in the bill. That means they may only negotiate over their base wages — while Iowa fire fighters and police will continue to operate under current rules which allow 17 subjects to be discussed in contract talks. Senator David Johnson of Ocheyedan left the Republican Party this summer in protest of Donald Trump. He’s now an independent and he’s been outspoken in his opposition to the collective bargaining bill.

In 1974, former Governor Robert Ray signed the collective bargaining law that’s been in place since then. Governor Branstad is expected to sign the bill that replaces it today (Friday). House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake led the 53 Republicans who voted for the bill in the House. Upmeyer says Thursday’s vote was a “significant” step away from the 1974 law. “A bill that was very contentious when it was passed,” Upmeyer says, “and for a long time people have felt like it needed to be rebalanced and needed to go back and take a different approach and so we have an opportunity to go back now.”

Governor Branstad uses the word “monumental” to describe the legislation.

(Radio Iowa)