Republican House leader says agenda will be limited

The northeast Iowa republican just reelected to a second go-round as republican leader in the Iowa House says the G-O-P agenda will be limited in 2005 & 2006. House Republican Leader Chuck Gipp of Decorah says he’s in a challenging position with just 51 republicans serving in the House. It takes 51 “yes” votes to pass a bill through the House, so it will take all republicans voting together to get legislation passed. “I suspect that it will cause for a limited agenda — things that we can get agreement on and put over to the Senate,” Gipp says. Getting bills through the Senate will be no easier, since there’ll be 25 republicans and 25 democrats serving in the Senate when it convenes in January. Gipp was elected yesterday to a second, two-year term as Majority Leader in the Iowa House — which means he’ll control the debate agenda for republicans in the House.