As the president, governors and legislators elevate the stress and anxiety in higher education in the United States by seeking to change how colleges and universities operate and what they teach, the … more

The 11th week of the legislative session was filled with debate and subcommittees. The second legislative deadline is coming up fast, so we have been busy getting bills of priority through and over … more

Last week the House took significant and historic action on eminent domain abuse reform.  From Day One, I have been one of the leaders in the state in ensuring that wealthy individuals cannot bulldoze their way through your Fourth amendment private property rights.  It started with a lake in Clarke County where wealthy developers wanted to condemn hundreds of acres of prime farm ground for a recreational lake. I knew that if it could happen in Clarke County it would not be long before someone tried that in Scott, Cedar, or Muscatine Counties.  We were successful in those endeavors and a law is on the books.  more

March is the 3 rd month of the year, having 31 days.   John Philip Sousa, now there’s a man who knew marches.   He wrote so many he was known as the March King.   A favorite … more

April 1 is right around the corner, but I’ve never been one for pranks. It’s not that I get offended, I’m just too much of a softie. I even think some of the dumb phone call pranks … more

What kind of man bullies a Quaker? Berates a disabled retiree? Badgers a veteran? What kind of man stands in front of voters here at home and says, “Everybody knows glyphosate causes cancer” … more

“First They Came For” This poem, written as a confessional by Pastor Martin Niemöller in 1946 was his coming to terms with his failure to speak out against the Nazis during what … more

Last week in the Legislature we spent a marathon day debating education bills.  We passed four pieces of Legislation from the Higher Education Committee that I serve on and four pieces of legislation for our K-12 public schools. All four higher education bills had the support of the Board of Regents and all four of the K-12 education bills had wide bipartisan support. more

A few months ago I wrote a letter regarding the fact that we can’t seem to afford the upkeep on our pool or decent streets but now we’re getting a third lane on 5th Street for a turn … more

Pushback is growing against the wholesale firing of federal employees in the VA, FAA, National Park Service, Federal Arsenals, US Geological Survey and other public agencies. The head of the … 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

Community can be a powerful thing, and as the Durant Iowa Food Pantry continues to support its neighbors, its team is also encouraging friends to support each other through tough times and being … 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

Some good news this week. Sen. Kerry Gruenhagen and Rep. Bobby Kaufmann stated at their Stockton listening post Saturday they oppose all public library bills moving through the statehouse. These … more

I was born a biological girl, and I’ve always thought of myself as a girl. I’ve never had to question my gender identity, and while I may not be the most girly or feminine woman around, … 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

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 … more

Many of us at the legislative forum in Tipton came away confused by the numbers our state representative and senator used. While we praised them for supporting small newspapers and solar tax credits, … 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