Iowa’s nonpartisan redistricting process has long been held up as a model for the country, even though most other states have shown little interest in adopting it. This year, Iowa’s much-heralded but little-emulated process is proceeding under two sets of unusual circumstances. The first, ...
Q: Why is it important to strengthen enforcement of synthetic fentanyl? A: Deaths and illnesses from COVID-19 have caused immeasurable pain and suffering among American families for more than a year. The pandemic is distressing our economy, supply chains and schools, causing continued anguish ...
Iowans want to know what their local governments — county supervisors, city councils, school boards — are up to. They always have. The very first newspapers in many of the state’s counties regularly published local public notices, paid for by local governments. It’s an American ...
Q: What goes through your mind two decades after 9/11? A: As the world observes the 20th anniversary of 9/11, it’s notable that an entire generation of Americans was born after the horrific terror attacks. No matter if you watched it unfold on television in real time or read about it in ...
During Mass on Sunday morning at the Iowa State Fair, Father Ed Hurley paused in his homily to issue a warning: He said he usually tried not to talk about politics. That’s often a sign that what comes next is going to make some people mad. “I think we’ve gone overboard with this ...
Winter is almost over and spring is supposed to be here this week and I finally got around to writing one of these letters. I did see about six robins this last week and the snow is almost gone. Some spring flowers are coming up and I think the eagles are on the nest at the lake so maybe we can ...
The seventh week of session was busier as many bills moved out of committee. Next week is the first funnel week of this legislative session, meaning all Senate policy bills need to be out of Senate committees in order to be considered for the rest of the year. This deadline will narrow the ...
In my last newsletter I reported on the use of the “Black Lives Matter” curriculum in the Ames Community School District (ACSD) and that the Government Oversight Committee would be holding a public hearing on the issue. This hearing was a result of parents in Ames contacting the Republican ...
The 89th Iowa General Assembly has begun. There is much the same as previous years of course, but much that is different as well due to the Wuhan virus. We continue to social distance, we are meeting in larger rooms, and we are taking care to minimize the number of meetings. What hasn’t ...
Dear Constituents, I hope this finds you all well and healthy. Our state has been through a number of unique challenges since my last newsletter and I am proud of Iowa’s determination to persevere and rise above the derecho and all the complications from the pandemic. The Legislature has ...