DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some of the hundreds of bills introduced in the Legislature will die this week as lawmakers run up against a self-imposed deadline. Most high-profile measures dealing with issues like property tax changes and education reform are moving through the process, but others dealing with gay marriage, abortion and gun control won’t survive the Friday deadline. Under the Legislature’s rules, bills die if they haven’t been approved by a committee by Friday, though they can be eligible in the session next year. Lawmakers won’t return to work until Monday. The Legislative Services Agency says 478 bills were introduced in the House this year and 354 in the Senate. Last year, 640 House and 478 Senate bills were introduced.
Bills that failed to meet an Iowa Legislature deadline include:
— Gay marriage: Measure would begin process of amending state constitution to prohibit gay marriage.
— Mandatory safety helmets: Minors would be required to wear a safety helmet while riding a mo-ped.
— Abolishing Education Department: The Department of Education would be eliminated and replaced by a state board of education.
— Guns on school grounds: People with a permit to carry a weapon could do so on school grounds.
— Medical marijuana: People with chronic illnesses and severe pain could get 2 ounce of legal marijuana from a nonprofit dispensary.
— Internet poker: Internet poker games would be legal in homes, casinos and racetracks but regulated by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.
— Webcam abortions: Doctors would be prohibited from prescribing abortion medication via a webcam consultation.
— Traffic cameras: Municipalities wanting to place a new traffic camera would apply for a permit from the Department of Transportation. Local governments would also need to justify existing cameras.
— Death penalty: People convicted of first-degree murder in which a victim was kidnapped or sexually abused or if the victim was a child could be sentenced to death.
— No-fault divorce: Parents of minor children would be prohibited from divorce unless one partner committed adultery, a felony and sent to prison, sexually abused the children or spouse or had abandoned the family for at least a year.
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