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My government My government My calendar

Legislature Bills Calendar Legislators Committees This session New laws Revenue and spending State budget Tax credits Economic development Federal money Executive orders What bills cost Lobbying Districts & maps

Local Find your county, city or school Property & sales taxes Tax calculator City levy limits Local debt New audits Schools statewide State money to local governments State aid by county Federal money by county How local government works Property tax and local money

Elections Results Your next ballot Sample ballot Turnout Local ballot measures Offices Campaign money Constitutional amendments

Learn Start here Take the tour Speak up Local governments Local money The Legislature Elections Glossary Bill-to-law game Quiz State agencies

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Start here Local governments Property tax & local money The Legislature Bills & amendments On the floor The funnel The budget Elections Money & lobbying Taking part Code & costs Glossary How Iowa Funnel works Bill-to-law game Quiz State agencies

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Ten questions from every Learn chapter. Each answer says why. Your answers stay in your browser.

Mixed Your local governments Property tax and local money The Legislature Bills & amendments On the floor The funnel The budget Elections Money & lobbying Taking part Code & costs

1. What must a bill do by the first funnel?From The funnelPass both chambersGet through a committee in the chamber it started inBe signed by the Governor

By the first funnel a House bill must clear a House committee (a Senate bill a Senate committee). The second funnel requires passing that chamber and a committee in the other.

2. What are companion bills?From Bills & amendmentsThe same bill filed in both chambersBills by the same sponsorA bill and its fiscal note

The same bill is often filed in both chambers at once. When one passes, the other chamber can substitute it for its own.

3. Do full committees and the floor take public testimony?From Taking partYes, alwaysGenerally not: there, the way in is your own legislators

Full committees, the floor and conference committees generally don’t take public testimony. A call, an email or a note to your own legislators is the way in.

4. In Iowa’s primary, what share of the vote does a candidate need to win the nomination outright?From Elections50%35%A plurality is enough

Under 35%, the party picks its nominee at a convention instead.

5. How long should your remarks at a subcommittee meeting be?From Taking partAbout two minutesFifteen minutesAs long as you like

Time is short and the chair decides who speaks, so write about two minutes, starting with your name, where you live and why it matters to you.

6. Can members amend a conference committee’s report?From On the floorYes, as much as they likeNo: both chambers vote on it as written

Both chambers vote on the conference committee’s report, with no further amendments allowed.

7. A city’s state road payment is the same as five years ago, and prices rose 15%. In today’s dollars, did it keep up?From Property tax and local moneyYes, it’s the sameNo, it buys about 13% less

The same dollars buy less when prices rise: $1 ÷ 1.15 is about 87 cents of what it used to buy.

8. What limits how much the Legislature can spend?From The budgetWhatever the Governor proposes99% of the Revenue Estimating Conference’s estimateLast year’s budget plus inflation

The state can budget no more than 99% of the December estimate, or a later, lower one.

9. Why do so few bills fail on the floor?From On the floorFloor votes are secretLeaders rarely bring up a bill without the votes to pass it

The majority caucus counts votes in private first. A bill short of votes usually just never comes up.

10. What does a supplemental appropriation do?From The budgetAdds to or changes the budget for the year already under waySets next year’s budgetCuts taxes

Supplemental appropriations change the budget for the fiscal year already under way.

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