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

Davenport Republicans joined party members in McCausland, Princeton, Walcott and LeClaire to drive former President Donald Trump’s domination of Scott County’s Jan. 15 caucuses. more

Iowa Federation of Republican Women members helped organize and run caucus gatherings in 1,670 precincts in 99 counties, and National Federation of Republican Women leaders traveled to be on the ground in the Des Moines area for the big night, Jan. 15. more

Jan. 25, 1984: The Park View Owners Association and volunteer organizations gifted the North Scott School District a blacktopped basketball court at Neil Armstrong Elementary School. The Owners Association pledged $4,500 for blacktopping, with an additional $1,500 to come through fundraisers at Biddy Basketball games. The Park View Jaycees said they would also kick in if fundraising fell short. more

Who says you can’t go home again? more

We felt we had arrived, the small staff of the five-year-old NSP, when the four of us – Helen, Rosalie, Lora and I – moved into our first "real" office one September day in 1973. Until then, we had made do from our homes and limited space in two locations in downtown Eldridge, connected only by a telephone and neither large enough to turn around. more

One of the topics we have been hearing a lot about is area education agencies (AEAs). I appreciate all the messages I have been getting from my constituents, teachers, administrators, and parents/grandparents on this issue that demonstrate a strong commitment to our kids. more

In December, the state collected $30,707,971 in casino gaming taxes. This is an increase of $2.3 million from what the state collected in December 2022. December is the first month in Fiscal Year 2024 when casino gaming tax revenue outpaced the previous year. Even with December’s growth, gaming tax collections continue to lag behind FY 2023’s receipts. For the first half of Fiscal Year 2024, the state has received $162.8 million in casino gaming taxes. This is a decline of $4.2 million over the same time period in Fiscal Year 2023. more

The Iowa Legislature had a busy second week of the session. This week was the deadline for senators and representatives to request individual bills and joint resolution drafts from the Legislative Services Agency. The LSA also provided the Overview of Budget Recommendations for the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, which I chair. more

A community forum 11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 26, at Davenport West High School auditorium will focus on school violence and the role of unrestricted access to weapons. more

"What a comfort it is to know that no matter what tomorrow holds, God has my back and His angels show up right on time. May His peace fill you all ..." more

"Iowa students deserve every opportunity at success. And if we lose AEA services, we will hurt our students ..." more

"The state is going to reduce services to kids, parents and teachers with no input from stakeholders. Remember this in November ..." more

Musings from week No. 1 of cabin fever when I'm convalescing at home while snow swirls outside and friends and family members are sending messages from Tucson, the Florida Keys and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. more

Jan. 20, 1999: Members of the Scott County Library Board informed the Eldridge City Council that the Eldridge branch was overcrowded and would need to expand to meet future needs. Linda Tubbs, Library Foundation chair, asked the council to help form a committee to form a liaison between the library and the city and for the city to consider financial involvement in an expansion project. Mayor Larry Rauch and councilman Rick Sharp agreed to meet with the board to discuss a path forward. more

We are all very focused on common-sense policies to help move our state forward and looking at more income tax cuts to help Iowa working families and small businesses. more