The number of bills filed this legislative session is a topic of discussion among Jasper County’s lawmakers. State Senator Ken Rozenboom is in his 13th legislative session, and says the combined 1,500 bills filed in the House and Senate are way too many.

“I went into this session, after years of experience, saying it’s a good year to do less rather than more. I apparently lost that battle. The House didn’t get the memo. The Senate isn’t any better, because we have filed over 600 bills.”

State Representative Jon Dunwell says of the approximate 900 bills in the House of Representatives, over 320 could still become law.

“In the House, somewhere around 138 bills have passed and another 189 are on the white calendar. That means they are still eligible to be debated and still eligible to be passed. Those are not typically appropriation bills or ways and means bills. Those are policy bills.”

This was the 11th week of the current legislative session, which is scheduled to end May 2nd, when per diem expenses for legislators ends.