The House had 13 bills related to advancing access to mental health care prior to the first funnel deadline. These bills are described below and now are to be considered by the House Floor and the Senate Committee. more

The Iowa Revenue Estimating Committee released the March forecast and Iowa’s grand economic theory is bringing clarity to our direction. Regardless of the Governor’s rosy picture she and the Republican legislators are unable to cut spending/services fast enough to cover the loss of revenue. I often use the phrase, “it’s not real until it becomes personal” and if it hasn’t already, it’s about to become personal for many Iowans through the loss of services. more

Among the bills the Iowa Senate passed, Senate File 277 made several adjustments and clarifications to the chronic absenteeism policy that we passed last year. We have heard from many parents and schools about the policy, and we took what we heard into consideration when making some changes to the law. more

This week in the Legislature is the first week post-funnel. Initially, all 150 legislators can propose any bill at any time – leading to thousands of bills being filed.  There has to be a system in place to narrow down those bills to the roughly 200 ideas that we will actually consider.  more

We have had almost 15 Listening Posts in towns across the District with more to come. The idea behind these meetings is for your legislators to come to your community and meet with residents. The local constituents have enjoyed us in their “backyards.” more

Friends, I want to thank all of you for emailing your concerns regarding specific bills. I’ve been making every attempt to answer them as quickly as possible, but with the onset of funnel week, there have been many bills requiring reading, research, and expert constituent phone calls. Funnel week is when any bill that has not been submitted and received both a subcommittee and committee hearing is no longer viable (they die). more

Last week marked the end of first funnel – a legislative deadline where bills need to be out of committee to move forward. This year the House Commerce Committee advanced 23 bills with the vast majority receiving bipartisan support. Below are some of the bills that advanced on energy, PBMs, insurance, and financial institutions. more

Last week the Iowa Legislature returned Iowa to common sense by removing gender identity as a protected class in the Iowa Civil Rights Code.  The bill also returns the Iowa Code to biological truth by using scientific definitions for male and female by requiring birth certificates to designate gender at birth.  more

I have been seeing information about a bill before our Iowa legislators that suggests that the Bible, a collection of literature unique to one religious practice, could be taught in our public schools. The implication is not written but seems obvious: the Bible should be taught in public schools. more

This week I am excited to share with you progress on three important topics many of you have been asking me about: access to healthcare, help for veterans, and addressing mental health needs.  These three important topics are a high priority for me. more

The Iowa Senate passed a few bills on the floor last week. One of them was Senate File 278. This bill supports students on robotics teams by providing more resources and technical assistance to school districts starting student organizations related to robotics. This allows them to access federal funding for their teams. Senate File 278 is another great step in ensuring Iowa students are given every opportunity to pursue their passion in the classroom. Programs, such as robotics teams, give students real-world knowledge and skills that are needed in the workplace. Senate Republicans are proud to support our students interested in robotics and we look forward to the success they will have in the future. more

A few weeks ago, in her Condition of the State address, Iowa’s governor told us how she was going to Illinois this spring to convince businesses to come to Iowa. more

Fiscal Year 2025 has not been the best for state casino wagering tax receipts, as the first six months have produced flat or declining revenue.  But with the change in the calendar, maybe things have turned for the better as the state has the first month of solid gaming tax revenue growth this fiscal year. more

I have been enjoying my interaction with all of you at my Listening Posts. With the exception of the usual handful of people trying to make the meetings a political event and bringing negativity into the room, I am continuing with a full schedule and will have at least eight more across the district. more

The Public Safety Committee continued to stay busy last week. So far we have moved nine bills to out of committee. I have greatly enjoyed this new role as committee chairman, and appreciate our committee members, all focused on what matters to Iowans. more

Just like home mortgages, payments on bonds issued by the state seem to go on forever. While the state of Iowa has a significantly lower amount of outstanding bond debt when compared to other states, the cost of these bonds still has a big impact on what can be done to address state infrastructure needs of today and tomorrow. more

Last week was also National School Choice Week, providing an opportunity to recognize Iowa’s progress in expanding educational options for families. Since the passage of the Students First Act in 2022, there has been large interest in school choice initiatives. These efforts aim to enhance academic outcomes across all educational settings—public, private, and charter schools—ensuring families have access to the best learning environment for their children. more

Session is in full gear and many of the major pieces of legislation you may be hearing about are in their formulation and public input stage.  As bills begin to have clarity, I will write about those topics in future columns.  For this week, I will give you some highlights of bills that have passed a subcommittee and are up for consideration.  more

Stubbornly high prices for heavy equipment, supplies, and technology continue to impact the budget of the Department of Transportation.  This was the Department’s message as it presented its Fiscal Year 2026 spending proposal to the House Transportation, Infrastructure, and Capitals budget subcommittee Jan. 27. more

Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, the state’s largest grassroots farm organization, will address key priorities including the modernization of the state’s Grain Indemnity Fund, protecting property taxpayers and other important policies impacting Iowa’s farmers and rural communities during the 2025 legislative session. more