“I feel like I’ve been reading nonstop,” Rep. Greg Heartsill (R-Columbia) told a pair of Pleasantville residents Friday morning. He was coming off of the House’s “funnel week,” which included many revisions and amendments.
Heartsill said the House has been very active in the session thus far, compared to the Democrat-controlled Senate. He believes Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal will wait until the end of the session nears and push to “get busy.”
“The House has been busy,” Heartsill said. He believes Gronstal and the Democrats will continue to “drag their feet,” in the hopes of receiving more concessions from House Republicans. Heartsill said this is due, in part, to the fact most House members have day jobs they want to return to.
“I want people to remember this time,” Heartsill said.
Though the House has been working, Heartsill said that none of the social issue bills made it through funnel week. Heartsill specifically named bills that address capital punishment, protecting Iowans’ rights against foreign treaties and the “personhood” bill.
“We completely ignored social issues,” Heartsill said. He paraphrased Ronald Reagan, who once described the Republican party as having a platform of bold colors, but providing legislation in pastels. Heartsill believes the House Republicans’ “pastel” agenda thus far is a disappointment. When he raised this issue with leadership, he would hear that these bills would not pass the Senate.
“That’s a lame argument,” Heartsill said. He added that if the legislators are ashamed of their base during the session, the voters in the base will be ashamed of them during the next General Election.
Heartsill and Sen. Amy Sinclair are scheduled to hold a similar event at the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Friday afternoon (March 15) at 4 p.m. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
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