(Radio Iowa) – Three bills that would limit the power of Iowa governors have advanced ahead of today’s (Friday’s) deadline for committee approval of policy bills — and all three bills involve actions Governor Reynolds took during the pandemic. One bill would prohibit governors from closing a place of worship, even during a disaster. Another bill would restrict a governor’s authority to decide how long a state of emergency or public health disaster may last — and Iowa governors wouldn’t be allowed to order businesses to close, change election procedures or stop in-person visits at health care facilities. Republican Representative Samantha Fett of Carlisle led debate on that bill in a House committee.

“House Study Bill 726 is a bill that strengthens constitutional liberties, preserves essential public health tools, and clarifies the proper roles of the executive and legislative branches.” A third bill would make it harder for the executive branch to move forward with certain administrative rules. Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, a Democrat from Ames, voted against the bills. “I don’t love the idea of closing down places of worship and certainly that needs to be a last resort,” she said, “but in the case of an emergency I do believe that we need that flexibility in the state.”

Republican legislators are considering the bills now that Governor Kim Reynolds is not seeking re-election and voters will choose Iowa’s next governor in the November 3rd election.