When I was young, I accidentally read a sign for “Funnel Cakes” at the county fair as funeral cakes. This image has stayed with me for decades and when I moved to Iowa and heard about how the Iowa legislature has two different funnel weeks, my mind went to funeral weeks. Oddly enough, seeing funnel weeks as funeral weeks almost works since most bills need to pass through committees during these weeks or they are left for dead (though some can be resurrected or brought back to life).
The first funnel is this Friday. During this week, some bills will find their way through the funnel, others will only find a funeral. There will be bills that we are excited to see make it to the next round. For other bills, we will mourn their passing. There will likely be a few bills that are funneled into a better place with their funeral this week. In the midst of the funnel, may we hope the legislature blesses the work of climate action.
In the hectic flurry of the season,
bless those working for justice and climate action.
In the midst of politicization and deep division,
bless our public servants and open their hearts.
As we wait to see what bills will become law,
bless those who will be impacted and uplift their voices.
When things go in directions that hurt,
bless our sadness and turn anger into action.
When things go in ways that bring joy,
bless the feeling and invite others in.
Through the remainder of the season,
bless our advocacy for creation and strength for the journey.
At Iowa IPL, we have declared on a few bills and are tracking many more. You can see all of the bills we are following on our 2024 Legislative Session page. Our friends at the Iowa Environmental Council also have a legislative portal that tracks all the environmental bills.
Iowa IPL envisions a world where we live in right relationship with our neighbors and planet. With this intersectional lens, we continue to monitor several non-environmental bills and anticipate declaring on a few. We hope to witness climate action and equity in our state house this week.