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 ...
A week of debate This was the seventh week of the legislative session and it was filled with debate following our first legislative funnel deadline last week. Some of the bills we passed in the Senate this week include: Senate File 2219: This bill requires school districts to grant a ...
The La Porte-Dysart FFA Chapter is inviting the community to help grow the future of agricultural education at Union High School. In 2026, the chapter is launching the Greener Futures Greenhouse Campaign which is a multi-year effort to raise $130,000 to renovate the educational greenhouse at ...
Funnel Week The sixth week of the legislative session officially kicked off the rush toward the first major legislative deadline. The initial "funnel" deadline is this week, making it imperative to advance any ideas intended for further consideration. This deadline brought a flurry of ...
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 ...
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 ...
First legislative deadline next week This week was the fifth week of the legislative session, and with our first legislative deadline coming up next week, our focus remained on subcommittee and committee meetings to consider legislation for this year. More subcommittee and committee meetings ...
Iowa caucuses Monday brought the Iowa caucuses. This meant many of us stayed home in our districts so we could participate. Since 1972, Iowa has been the first in the nation to hold the caucus. Caucuses are a great time to get involved at the local level, talk with candidates and have a voice ...
I don’t think I could’ve been happier seeing recent news that South Tama, Urbandale, and Cedar Falls school districts passed Public School Strong resolutions. Cedar Rapids was a week before, and they joined Albia, Belmond-Klemme, Decorah, Bennett, and Keokuk who passed resolutions late last ...
Since Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump has been working around the clock to put American Farmers First after inheriting one of the toughest farm economies our country has faced in decades. Here in Iowa, farmers and ranchers know the challenges firsthand – rising input costs, volatile ...