"In Washington lately, bipartisanship or compromise is the kiss of death for any piece of meaningful legislation.  Partisan politics take priority, especially in an election year.  The 118th Congress is on track to be one of the least functional sessions ever ..." more

Feb. 10, 1999: The North Scott School District formed a Y2K committee to study whether computer systems would need to be upgraded in order to properly function starting Jan. 1, 2000. more

This one hurts. more

For 32 years, from 1971-2003, I was The NSP's reporter at almost every school board meeting. During that time, I observed who were the leaders, the followers and just a few who were in it for the glory. The common denominator, however, was that decisions were made in support of "what's good for kids." more

His shirt wasn’t always buttoned for the day when I would walk into class ahead of the bell. more

In 1969, a pioneering initiative took root in the Davenport-Bettendorf area, shaping the local landscape of civic engagement and discourse for decades to come. The Legislative Forum, an event that transcended political affiliations, owes its inception to Mary Ross, then the President of the Davenport-Bettendorf Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and a dedicated member of the League of Women Voters. Since its humble beginnings, the forum has evolved into a testament to the community's commitment to open dialogue and informed citizenship. more

At the beginning of the month, the Iowa Department of Education released statistics for this school year regarding how many Iowa families utilized the new Education Savings Accounts (ESA) to help pay for non-public school. The results already bust many of the myths told and quiet the fearmongering so widely repeated during the school choice debate last year. more

This week I will explain my continued opposition to the AEA bill.  Before I get into the why I oppose it, I want to acknowledge an opinion that has been nearly unanimous – there is room for improvement in our AEA system.  more

"In a democracy we have to be strong enough to accept defeat ..." more

"Addressing water quality issues requires significant investment, and many smaller communities lack the necessary resources ..." more

"AEAs have played a significant role in education for over 30 years. Their support goes beyond party lines, benefiting both public and nonpublic schools ..." more

I was surprised to read recently that the city of Eldridge is receiving proposals for civil engineering services. The engineer they had – Greg Schaapveld with Shive-Hattery – in my book, was darned good. I base this not only on personal friendship through Rotary, but results. Greg, of Park View, is a guy who clearly knows what he's doing and applies the oid adage, "measure twice, cut once." more

Jan. 30, 19741: The North Scott School Board heard a preliminary proposal for a six-classroom elementary school to be constructed in Park View. The 6,000 square foot building was suggested to help reduce overcrowding at the existing elementary schools. The proposal suggested a possible lease agreement, where another party would pay for construction and the district would rent the property. more

The third week of the session was full of subcommittee meetings to discuss several introduced bills. Within the past week, the committees have created almost 100 subcommittees for legislation, roughly half of the subcommittees for the session so far. We are finding rhythm, so meetings and floor discussions should pick up quickly. That said, I want to highlight a bill that I oversaw as a subcommittee chair. more

The third week of the Iowa 2024 legislative session was extremely successful. I had many meetings with different associations, and was able to start building House Republican’s budget for this upcoming year. more

The Senate moved SSB 3069 past the first step in the legislative process.  more

"This November, I will be casting my vote for Christina Bohannan who is running against Miller-Meeks. Christina respects the incredibly personal decision of families to make their own reproductive choices ..." more

"In her remarks, directed at her constituents back home, Rep. Miller-Meeks also neglected to say that she voted NO for both the Rescue Plan Act and the Infrastructure and Jobs Act ..." more

"Generosity throughout Eldridge contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child ..." more

"We are a million miles away from being overpopulated in this country. Even if we add only a half a billion people over the next century, imagine how many great minds we would be adding to our ranks ..." more