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Opinion

District 53 Newsletter: Feb. 22, 2024 Edition

Editorials

This week was the beginning of debate in the House. We are prioritizing House bills that need to be sent over to the Senate before the next funnel date in March. On Tuesday the House passed a bill that I filed and floor managed on behalf of a constituent, House File 2328, by a party line vote ...

Dengler Domain: Social Media

Local Columns

This past weekend my wife and I went to the grand reopening of the Val Air Ballroom in West Des Moines. Only a few years ago, we went to a concert at this venue, and I was thankful they kept the lights dimmed as much as possible. Soon after this concert, the venue was closed for remodel. ...

Duquesne, Arizona, and the Hunt for the Juniper Titmouse

Editorials

A juniper titmouse was reported on the Tucson Audubon Rare Bird Alert in early January this year. It had never before been reported in the Patagonia Mountains of southern Arizona or anywhere in Santa Cruz County even though the area is arguably the best birding in the USA. On February 11, Matt ...

Living in a land of confusion

Local Columns

Right is wrong, wrong is right, males are females, females are males, the world is flat, the world is round, who can make sense of all this nonsense. Those of us who live by the Bible understand and know first-hand that Satan is the author of confusion. The play book has always been the same, ...

Sweeney from the Iowa Senate: Week 5

Editorials

The first deadline of the year was this week called "funnel" week. We worked to get important legislation through the first hurdle. This also meant we covered a wide range of issues while we worked towards our deadline. I have had several conversations in person and on the phone about the ...

Dengler Domain: Art

Local Columns

In a world where everything goes as fast as possible, time should be taken to appreciate parts of life which are not meant to be commodified. This means art, specifically, is done as a passion whether it is painting, drawings, writing, or performing. Some are lucky enough to create art which ...

District 53 Newsletter: Feb. 15, 2024 Edition

Editorials

Last week was “Funnel Week”, wherein we must have all our individually filed bills through committee. Fortunately, I have been able to move the bills I need to through the process already, so my work this week was focused on the many other bills moving through the committees I sit on, which ...

Covid, Snow, and Canceling Church

Local Columns

It's Saturday night, the snow is falling, and inquiring minds want to know: “Are you going to cancel church?” My pastoral policy is this: “If I can be there, we’ll have church. I trust people to decide if it’s safe for them.” After the most recent Big Snow at the beginning of ...

District 53 Newsletter: Feb. 8, 2024 Edition

Editorials

The legislature is quickly approaching the “funnel” date of February 16 where individually filed bills need to be through the committee process in order to be eligible for floor debate. This week I floor managed through a subcommittee meeting and the full committee meeting HSB 636, that ...

Iowa Outdoors

Editorials

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting a series of town hall-style meetings where local staff provide updates on recently completed hunting seasons, discuss possible changes to hunting rules and regulations, and address other topics as requested. Locally, the Iowa DNR will ...