DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — With Iowa lawmakers expecting to adjourn within days, some are already looking forward to next year and the chance to renew efforts to pass legislation that failed this session. That includes several high profile bills, including proposals to toughen penalties for offenders in kidnapping cases involving minors and prohibit the use of webcams or teleconferencing as a means of dispensing abortion-inducing drugs to patients in remote locations.
A bill that used tax breaks and other enticements to encourage broadband Internet expansion in rural area also likely will come up again. The House surprisingly rejected that bill last week.
The Legislature that convenes next January could look decidedly different, as it will follow the November general election. Republicans currently hold a majority in the House, and Democrats control the Senate.