Bullying Prevention, Internet Expansion Bills Still Alive in Legislature

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Key issues like bullying prevention and broadband Internet expansion remain alive in the Legislature as a procedural deadline looms, but other measure are likely dead.

Lawmakers from the Democratic-controlled Senate and Republican-majority House lamented the bills that failed to advance Thursday.

For Democrats those bills included efforts to provide more leave benefits to parents of adopted children and to increase the minimum wage. Republicans sought changes to bargaining rules for teacher unions and tried to require women to get ultrasounds before having abortions.

Under legislative rules, Friday is the deadline for many bills to get full approval from one chamber and committee-level approval in the other chamber.

Lawmakers were set to complete their work for the week Thursday, and most will not report back to the Capitol until Monday.