Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Apprenticeship Training topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Iowa Senate defeats GOP effort to strip House apprenticeship language from SF 603, 32-15
Summary
The Iowa Senate voted 32-15 to reject an amendment that would have removed House-added language limiting local governments’ ability to impose apprenticeship or contractor requirements on private Tax Increment Financing projects in Senate File 603.
The Iowa Senate on the floor defeated a Republican motion to adopt Senate Amendment 3,033 to Senate Amendment 3,030 to Senate File 603, rejecting an effort to remove House-added language that limits political subdivisions from imposing apprenticeship or other contractor requirements beyond state law. The roll call recorded 15 votes in favor and 32 opposed, and the amendment failed.
Senate File 603 returned to the floor after the House amended the bill and sent it back to the Senate. Senator Schulz, speaking in favor of the House amendment, said the change responds to a recent effort in Des Moines to use local requirements to limit participation in private developments funded with tax increment financing. “This amendment comes up due to … the latest game of whack a mole that the Iowa legislature has had to play in response to efforts to cut out 90% of the private construction, employee workforce,” Schultz said, adding the language would make apprenticeship training voluntary and prevent political subdivisions from imposing requirements “beyond those expressly authorized.”
Opponents of the House language called the addition a fundamental change that was rushed to the Senate with little time for review. Senator McClintock, who offered Amendment 3,033 to strike the House language, argued senators were given only hours to consider the change. “I don't like it when things go over to the house and they amend it, and then they send it back … 14, 15 … That's not good government,” McClintock said, urging colleagues to slow the process.
Debate centered on two themes: local control and the role of apprenticeships and training. Supporters of the House amendment and of retaining the change said it preserves broad access to construction work and prevents a local policy in Des Moines from restricting private projects funded with any TIF dollars. “Right now, 100% of the construction force has access to these jobs,” Schultz said, and the provision is narrowly targeted to private projects using TIF.
Senators who opposed the House language said the amendment would undermine worker qualifications and public safety by eliminating local discretion to require specific training or certifications. Senator Dotzler recounted a campus steam-tunnel welding failure that required expensive repairs, saying that “the welds hadn't penetrated and weren't correct, which meant that a steam under pressure is a bomb.” He argued apprenticeship programs — whether union or nonunion — protect public safety by ensuring trained workers on projects.
Other senators sought to clarify that apprenticeships are not synonymous with union membership. Senator Simmer described high-school and community-college apprenticeship programs in his district and said those programs provide on-the-job training and classroom instruction outside union structures. “They're apprenticeships. And, the post secondary training was provided by, oftentimes, our area community college,” Simmer said.
The immediate procedural result of the roll call was the defeat of S.A. 3,033; the Senate then returned to consideration of the House amendment (Senate Amendment 3,030 by the House). A Democratic caucus followed the vote. The transcript ends with the amendment’s defeat recorded 15–32 and no final disposition of Senate File 603 in the provided excerpt.
Votes at a glance: Motion to adopt Senate Amendment 3,033 to Senate Amendment 3,030 to Senate File 603 — Mover: Senator McClintock; request for roll call granted; Recorded vote: Yeas 15, Nays 32; motion defeated.
The debate highlighted competing priorities that could affect municipalities and contractors if the House language is retained: proponents said it preserves open access for Iowa workers on private TIF projects; opponents said it removes local tools to require qualified, trained workers and rushed consideration left insufficient time for municipal input. The Senate returned to the House amendment after the vote; further action on SF 603 was not included in the provided transcript.
