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 ...
According to the National Mental Health Institute, approximately twenty percent of all Americans will suffer from a mental illness or disorder at some point in their life. Despite this high frequency, there are a lot of negative misconceptions, stigmas, and just plain lack of common knowledge ...
April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and that made it the perfect time for the Iowa Legislature to approve the Safe at Home Act. I proudly support this legislation, which passed the Iowa House 100-0 last month and the Iowa Senate on April 15, 45-0. The Safe at Home Act provides ...
On occasion, I may encourage parents, staff, and other members of the public to please speak out for adequate funding and resources for our schools. This is definitely one of those times we need “all hands on deck” if you advocate for a strong future for our rural schools in Iowa. The ...
As many of you may know, Marshalltown Medical & Surgical Center (MMSC)will be building a 75,000-square-foot Outpatient Center as Phase 1 of a 3 phase hospital replacement. The new facility will be located on 30 acres at the southwest corner of the intersection of Highway 30 and Highway14, ...
During the tugs of war that crop up in Washington during political debates and policymaking, it’s not surprising the act of legislating has often been compared to the art of sausage making. The give-and-take that has long characterized the legislative meat grinder on Capitol Hill has been ...
We think of education as the great equalizer, and we count on our schools to give every child a fair shot at success as an adult. Unfortunately, some kids face bigger challenges in school than their classmates do because their families are struggling to make ends meet. The number of Iowa kids ...
When I was a little girl, my father would take me to church on Thanksgiving Eve or maybe Thanksgiving morning. He would march me down the aisle and plop us two rows from the pulpit, right in front. Now, I never did know if that was because that is where he liked to sit, or if it was an attempt ...
Is cancer preventable? That’s a provocative question. For some types of cancer — like colorectal cancer — the answer is a resounding “yes”; colorectal cancer may be largely preventable or treated with greater success if detected early. However, people must be made aware of the ...