‘Meskwaki Nation Does Not Pay Property Tax, and That Isn’t Fair!’ Does this sound familiar? It may not sound familiar if you don’t live near Indian Country. I live in Tama County, Iowa. Tama County is home to the only federally recognized tribe in Iowa. I have heard this statement or ...
One moment can change a child’s life forever. A car crash. A fall. A sports injury. Suddenly, a student who once kept up in class is struggling to remember directions, control emotions, or keep up with schoolwork. When that student walks back into school, the question becomes: Who knows what ...
We have entered “debate season” in the House chamber. Each day this week we caucused on a long list of bills, then debated them on the House floor, sending over 80 of them to the Senate. One significant bill that we passed late last week was House File 2565, creating a Human Trafficking ...
February 20 saw the passage of the first legislative funnel. This is a deadline lawmakers set to winnow down bills eligible for consideration for the remainder of the session. It doesn’t apply to spending bills, but does a good job of narrowing what lawmakers will focus on around the midpoint ...
As we wrap up Week 6, I wanted to give some insights into what happened at the Capitol this week, especially because it was Funnel Week. What is Funnel Week? For those who are unfamiliar, Iowa lawmakers have self-imposed deadlines that help to keep bills moving through the legislative ...
A recently released U.S. House farm bill proposal underinvests in proven solutions farmers rely on to cut fertilizer waste, protect drinking water and reduce climate pollution, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). With mounting financial pressures on farmers, lawmakers should ...
That damn socialist mayor out in New York threatened to hike property taxes by 9.5% unless he can ram through a wealth tax. Wait a New York minute: Property taxes on our humble metal shed along Railroad Street shot up more than 70% this year. Potholes pock the streets and we can barely afford ...
I started my career in rural Iowa in 1974 as an English, speech and reading teacher. Our students were top performers and the state’s education system was the gold standard. Educators and public schools in general were revered and respected by their communities. We didn’t have a lot of ...
As we wrap up Week 5 of Session, let me share what has been happening this week. Agriculture Committee Pushes Important Bills Ahead of Funnel The House Agriculture Committee was active this week, advancing legislation on a range of issues including thoroughbred and quarter horse racing, ...
Hello Friends. As we wrap up our fourth week of session, I wanted to brief you on what is happening here at the Capitol. Audits of the State Auditor’s Office Are Behind Schedule At the close of each fiscal year, the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) releases the Annual ...