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(Des Moines, IA) -- Conversations are continuing on how state level lawmakers can aid cities in the bout with homelessness, but no legislation is expected to pass this year. In a subcommittee meeting on House File 286 chair Steven Holt (R-Denison) said he heard the concerns voiced in the public comment portion and there's not time to amend the legislation before Friday's funnel deadline.
"I put this legislation into drafting when the session began," Holt says. "We're now in week, what, eight is it? And I just received this legislation. That's really unfortunate because obviously from the comments in this room this is a situation that needs a lot of conversation. A lot of discussion."
The legislation was put forth by Cicero Action, a group based in Texas. They've helped push similar laws in other states. Dennis Tibben spoke on their behalf in the subcommittee meeting.
"I would note that several of these provisions are based on ordinances or state statutes that have been enacted in Georgia, Oklahoma, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee," Tibben says. "I do want to emphasize this legislation is not about criminalizing homelessness."
Opponents argue it does do that by imposing fines on people who do not move when told to do so. They say the bill is one size fits all and doesn't account for individual needs in Iowa. Courtney Guntly is the Director of Iowa Balance of State Continuum of Care.
"There are individuals experiencing homelessness in every county in Iowa," Guntly says. "Every single one. This legislation, as proposed, would require every county or city that has one individual sleeping outside to construct a designated public place for this single individual to sleep. The requirements for this designated public camping space are immense, and all of this is while the state is not allocating additional resources to communities."
While the bill advanced out of subcommittee in the House, it was stricken from the agenda for Thursday's full Judiciary Committee meeting. Holt says he does want to continue the conversation in the future.
"I think we can do better than what we're doing," Holt says. "I can't stand to leave my hotel room every morning and see a veteran standing on the side of the road when it's 13 below zero."
An Iowa Senate companion bill also went before subcommittee Wednesday, but was officially "tabled until future meeting" which effectively kills it in the chamber due to the funnel. That's because State Sen. Dave Sires (R-Cedar Falls) didn't sign off on it.
"The more I look through it and the more things that are in here. It's amazing to me," Sires says. "I'm just surprised. I'm shocked. $800 fines for people who really don't have any money or are down on their luck...I know that sounds crazy coming from a conservative Republican."
The meetings were part of what's known as "funnel week" because non-appropriations or ways and means bills must be through committee by Friday.