Republicans in the Iowa House have voted to alter the system that governs how employers compensate workers who are injured on the job. Bill backers say the system has become a bonanza for some of the attorneys who file lawsuits for injured workers and it’s driving up costs for businesses. Representative Gary Carlson, a Republican from Muscatine, says that is a distortion of the system’s original intent.

Critics say those adjustments are a start, but the bill still would dramatically reduce benefits for workers. Representative Todd Pritchard, a Democrat from Charles City, calls the bill immoral.

The bill now goes to the Republican-led Iowa Senate. Governor Terry Branstad has indicated he’s open to changes that would address recent court rulings on workers comp cases and repeal some recent regulations.