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What years had the least and most laws passed in Iowa’s General Assembly?

To answer this question, we dug into the online records for the Iowa legislature, which date back to 1915. In those first years with records available, when adding together the number of House Files and Senate Files signed by the Governor, the Iowa General Assembly passed 332 bills. More than 400 House Files and Senate Files were signed by the governor in the next three General Assemblies. 

The year with the most House and Senate Files signed by the Governor was 1965 with 489. Harold Hughes was the governor at the time.

In 1964, the 60th General Assembly was an extraordinary session with only 30 House and Senate Files being signed by the governor. This technically makes it the lowest number passed, but the session only lasted from Feb. 24 to April 8, 1964. 

The number of vetoed bills also appears in these records. Gov. Robert D. Ray had 14 vetoes in 1978 and 1979, 10 vetoes in 1982, and 18 in 1983. The session with the most vetoes in one session was Gov. Terry Branstad, who vetoed 37 bills in 1989-90. 

Gov. Kim Reynolds is less veto-happy than some of her predecessors, vetoing only eight bills since becoming governor in 2017. In the most recent General Assembly, which lasted from Jan. 11, 2021, to Jan. 8, 2023, Gov. Reynolds signed 340 bills. 

What were the most popular baby names in Des Moines in 2024?

MercyOne, UnityPoint and Broadlawns announced the most popular baby names for kids born at their hospitals. At MercyOne, the top boys’ names were Liam, Oliver, Theodore and Henry. The top girls’ names were Olivia, Mia, Eleanor and Amelia. 

UnityPoint was similar to MercyOne. The top boys’ names were Luca, Theodore, Oliver, Jackson and Liam. For girls, the top five were Lilian, Sophia, Eleanor, Isla and Olivia.

Broadlawns differed greatly from the two other hospitals. The top boys’ names were Arthur, Asher, David, Elijah and Henry. The top girls’ names were Angel, Aria, Ava, Clara and Evelyn. 

Is learning how to write in cursive being taught in Iowa schools?

In June 2024, the Iowa Department of Education adopted new standards that require cursive instruction at Iowa’s public schools. Cursive writing was cut from Iowa schools in 2010 but is now making a comeback. With the addition of Iowa, 24 states now require cursive writing in public schools, according to mycursive.com. The site says the Iowa Board of Education includes cursive in its requirements, but it is not required by law. ♦