One of the significant bills passed in the last few days of the session was the update to the Iowa Code on Youth Employment, Senate File 542. SF 542 aims to update Iowa’s youth labor laws and expand opportunities for teenagers to work in Iowa. This section of code has not been updated in ...
Who was your favorite teacher? It's a question we all can answer. Not only can we likely tell at least one story of how a teacher has made a difference in our lives, we can likely remember the teacher’s name, the grade, and the core memories of the moments that left an ...
Admittedly, “Smash your smartphone” is a bit of a dramatic exaggeration, meant to shock you into paying attention. I didn’t smash my smartphone. It wasn’t until I dropped my smartphone in the toilet that I finally got rid of it. My wife still uses her iPhone 6 for a camera. My ...
Iowa is warmer. It is approaching 1.5 degrees warmer today than it was in 1988. This does not mean that every year is warmer than the previous one. There is a considerable variation between years, but the overall trend is up. This small increase in temperature may not seem like it could ...
Week 15 of the session was a short week, we debated bills on Wednesday and Thursday in the House. Many of the bills we debated were bills that were amended in the Senate earlier in the week and sent back to the House for consideration. House File 317, a bill that I filed known as the ...
The concept of workers’ compensation did not first appear in the United States. It arose in Germany, under the leadership of Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. It then spread across most of Europe, reaching a consensus that if an employee was physically injured while working for their ...
This week, the House passed several bills for lowan's and our farmers. My friend Representative Wulf was successful in running HF 572 which the House passed. This Bill prohibits the use of remotely piloted aircraft flying over certain property, and providing penalties. The goal of this bill ...
After completing the second “funnel” where Senate bills have to be passed through a House committee to remain active, we are now entering a phase of the session where budget work is more intense in the Appropriations and Ways and Means Committees, and floor action is more sporadic. This ...
This week I was happy to join my House colleagues in giving a warm welcome to Micah Barnes. Micah Barnes is the 2023 TRI-STATE Rodeo Queen. I want to wish Micah Barnes the best of luck as she travels promoting lowa Agriculture, rodeo, and educational opportunities for women involved in our ...
Extreme weather events typically don’t happen very often. However, more and stronger extreme weather events are consistent with what scientists expect from a warming planet. These events are becoming more frequent and severe around the world. Extreme weather events include heatwaves, ...