Remember when Republicans were all for local control?:
Local governments would not be able to dictate standards for building design under legislation that advanced in the Iowa Senate.
Advocates for the legislation, and the Republican senators backing it, said it is intended to help reduce the costs of homes for sale.
Senate File 43 was approved by the two Republicans on a three-member Senate panel Tuesday, making it eligible for consideration by the full Senate committee on local government.
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The bill states that city and county governments could not pass local laws that dictate building design. The bill applies to housing, and does not apply to commercial and retail buildings. Nor does the legislation apply to housing associations.
One lobbyist representing builders said that local laws are being “weaponized” to increase the cost of houses.
Organizations representing builders, real estate agents, businesses and banks support the proposed legislation, according to legislative lobbying records. Groups representing city governments, building officials and environmental interests are registered in opposition to the bill.
Behind-the-wheel instructors who are not licensed driver’s education classroom instructors would be allowed to give the final driving examination under legislation that advanced in the Senate.
Currently, a licensed classroom instructor must give the final driving test. Classroom instructors are required to have an elementary or secondary teaching license in Iowa. Driving instructors must be certified by the state transportation department and authorized by the state board that oversees educators. Under the bill, the latter would be allowed to administer the final driving test.
Senate Study Bill 1028 was proposed by the state transportation department; a spokeswoman at a legislative hearing said the department brought the bill to help areas of the state where there is a dearth of licensed driver’s education teachers.
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All three senators on the panel voted to advance the bill, making it eligible for consideration by the full Senate transportation committee.
Iowa’s new Health and Human Services Department, which will be the result of the ongoing merger of the former state human services, public health and aging departments, unveiled its new website, hhs.iowa.gov.
The new site is the first in a two-step process, state officials said. The new site brings together information from the former human services and public health departments. Sometime in the next year, the newly merged department will unveil “a human-centered website” that will be “more user-friendly and easier to navigate,” according to a department news release.
www.thegazette.com
Local governments would not be able to dictate standards for building design under legislation that advanced in the Iowa Senate.
Advocates for the legislation, and the Republican senators backing it, said it is intended to help reduce the costs of homes for sale.
Senate File 43 was approved by the two Republicans on a three-member Senate panel Tuesday, making it eligible for consideration by the full Senate committee on local government.
Advertisement
The bill states that city and county governments could not pass local laws that dictate building design. The bill applies to housing, and does not apply to commercial and retail buildings. Nor does the legislation apply to housing associations.
One lobbyist representing builders said that local laws are being “weaponized” to increase the cost of houses.
Organizations representing builders, real estate agents, businesses and banks support the proposed legislation, according to legislative lobbying records. Groups representing city governments, building officials and environmental interests are registered in opposition to the bill.
Driver’s ed tests
Behind-the-wheel instructors who are not licensed driver’s education classroom instructors would be allowed to give the final driving examination under legislation that advanced in the Senate.
Currently, a licensed classroom instructor must give the final driving test. Classroom instructors are required to have an elementary or secondary teaching license in Iowa. Driving instructors must be certified by the state transportation department and authorized by the state board that oversees educators. Under the bill, the latter would be allowed to administer the final driving test.
Senate Study Bill 1028 was proposed by the state transportation department; a spokeswoman at a legislative hearing said the department brought the bill to help areas of the state where there is a dearth of licensed driver’s education teachers.
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All three senators on the panel voted to advance the bill, making it eligible for consideration by the full Senate transportation committee.
New HHS website
Iowa’s new Health and Human Services Department, which will be the result of the ongoing merger of the former state human services, public health and aging departments, unveiled its new website, hhs.iowa.gov.
The new site is the first in a two-step process, state officials said. The new site brings together information from the former human services and public health departments. Sometime in the next year, the newly merged department will unveil “a human-centered website” that will be “more user-friendly and easier to navigate,” according to a department news release.
Iowa cities could not dictate housing design rules under proposed bill
Advocates for the legislation, and the Republican senators backing it, said it is intended to help reduce the costs of homes for sale.
www.thegazette.com
