Iowa House speaker says no special session before new governor takes office

Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley said Friday he does not believe a special legislative session will be called before Gov.-elect Rob Sand takes office in January. Though Republicans maintained majority control over both chambers of the Iowa Legislature in the 2026 election, state lawmakers will no longer be working with a Republican governor. Sand, a Democrat, will take over when Gov. Kim Reynolds ends her term. In addition to losing the governorship, Republican majorities shrunk in both legislative chambers. Some Democrats and observers have questioned whether Republicans would use the final two months before Sand takes office to restrict gubernatorial powers by calling a special session. But Grassley told reporters Friday, “I would say at this point in time, that’s not on the table.” State legislatures in Michigan, Wisconsin and North Carolina have used so-called lame duck sessions to restrict future elected officials’ powers after the majority party’s candidate lost an election.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.