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Editorials

District 53 Newsletter: March 23, 2023

The legislature continues to bring bills to the floor and pass House bills to the Senate and Senate bills to the Governor’s desk. Two significant bills signed into law this week by the governor were the “Bathroom Bill” that prohibits persons from using the facilities that don’t ...

The Weekly Scoop: Edition 10

Joining lowans in celebrating National Ag day this week, I met with Farm Bureau members from Hardin County to listen to the 2023 policy priorities for this legislative session. After discussing what the House Republicans plans are for landowner rights, we later discussed the scope of ...

Smash Your Smartphone, Part 3: Artificial Intelligence

So far in this series I have argued that Christians need to make an intentional withdrawal from digital technology, what I term “digital monasticism,” and that screens and social media are not like other tools because of their primary design to capture your attention. This brings us ...

District 53 Newsletter: March 16, 2023

On Thursday (March 16) we passed House File 622, “Protecting Privacy in School Bathrooms and Locker Rooms”. This bill gives schools guidance on bathroom and locker room requirements. The bill states that people may not use a multiple occupancy bathroom or changing area that does not ...

The Weekly Scoop: Edition 9

This week in the Administration and Regulation Appropriation Subcommittee We received our last group of presentations. We heard from the Department of Human Rights and low Racing and Gaming Commission. The Department of Human Rights is in the Executive Branch. Core priorities that we ...

Keeping the Community in Community Based Corrections

Community Based Corrections or CBC provides a vital service to Iowa communities. In corrections, prisons and jails are well known, but CBC is a part of the system that you may not know about because it has been operating quietly in the background for the past 50 years, saving millions in ...

The Weekly Scoop: Edition 8

The voice of our people believed in the spirit of our nation when they wrote the Declaration of Independence and signed the Bill of Rights. The House Republicans carried on this tradition as we stood on the House Floor to honor children before making such a life altering decision. I am proud ...

District 53 Newsletter: March 9, 2023

This week we entered into the Debate phase of the session, sending bills to the Senate, and a few to the governor’s desk. This week, Iowa House Republicans passed Senate File 75 to establish licensure in Iowa for Rural Emergency Hospitals. This bill was a priority bill for the ...

Public notices belong in newspapers

Some members of the Iowa Senate do not think that public notices published in newspapers remain relevant and necessary. A bill filed in the newly formed Technology Committee just over a week ago moved through committee in two days and last week moved through the Ways & Means Committee in ...

Sen. Annette Sweeney’s Week 7 Newsletter

When I begin the newsletter for the week, it is a reflection of what has transpired and also looking to the next week. There is an old saying here at the legislature, "Session normally starts out like a freight train, slowly gets up speed, and then don't get in front of it!" Not true this ...