Don't expect the volatile issues of abortion and gay rights to dominate the Legislature this year as they did last session, legislative leaders said.
Republican lawmakers said they still believe the Legislature should further restrict abortions and refer a proposed repeal of the state's same-sex marriage law to voters, but with little chance of success on those issues they're planning to focus on other matters when the Legislature convenes Monday.
"We're not afraid to address those issues, but we're also not interested in squandering Iowans' time," said House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, arguing that voters are more interested in jobs and the economy. "We have a job to do and we're going to do it."
With Republicans holding a 60-40 margin in the House and Democrats maintaining a 26-24 edge in the Senate, the political dynamic in the Legislature is unchanged from last year.
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Complete article at The Republic : http://bit.ly/wPQJrF
