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Editorials

Cornfields, Common Sense and Community

In the LegislatureWeek eleven finished in the Iowa Senate this week, leaving just over a month left until the scheduled end of the legislative session. Floor debate on a number of bills has continued as we work on legislation to send to the House for their consideration.The Iowa Senate passed a ...

District 72 Update

Newsletter for Thursday, March 28, 2019We continued with debate this week as the next funnel looms large in our minds as we press for our bills to come to the floor.PioneerLawmakersof IowaWednesday afternoon of this week we held a joint meeting of the House and Senate for the 2019 induction ...

Iowa Valley’s $32 million bond issue: Decision time is Tuesday

Campus security, needed infrastructure improvements and benefits to the educational opportunities provided by the Iowa Valley Community College District are some of the chief reasons supporters of the $32 million bond issue call for your vote next Tuesday, April 2.Voters in the South Tama and ...

Iowa Valley Bond Referendum: A Critical Need

On Feb. 13, the Iowa Valley Community College District Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve a resolution calling for a special election on April 2, 2019, for voters to approve a bond issue not to exceed $32 million (cost is $3.38 per month extra for an $100,000 assessed home ...

Cornfields, Common Sense and Community

Week nine in the Iowa Senate included some of the first major debate of this year. Just this week, we passed over 30 bills out of the Senate chamber.The Senate passed Senate File 536 on Wednesday, which took out a restriction in the Iowa code that limited the operation of tele-pharmacies in ...

District 72 Update

Newsletter for Friday, March 15We quickly shifted gears this week, spending much more time in caucus meetings reviewing bills and then debating them on the floor. We debated and passed over 40 bills this week. Many of the bills are non-controversial, taking but a few minutes to discuss and ...

District 72 Update

Newsletter for Friday, March 8, 2019March 8 was the "Funnel" date, the date when our policy bills need to be passed by a committee to stay eligible for floor debate. By one accounting, there have been 1,647 bills filed so far this session in both chambers. The committee chairs, their ...

Sunshine Week Q & A

Q: What is Sunshine Week?A: Sunshine Week celebrates open government and freedom of information. It coincides with the anniversary of James Madison's birth on March 16.As the Founding Father wrote in Federalist 51: "If men were angels, no government would be necessary." He further explained ...

Sunshine your fundamental right

For government to be of, by and for the people it must be out in front of the people.The theme for Sunshine Week 2019 is simply, "It's your right to know."The reason it's your right to know is that it's your government.From the courthouse, to the statehouse to the White House, it is your right ...

Cornfields, Common Sense and Community

In the LegislatureThis was the seventh week of the 2019 legislative session, and a week busy with subcommittee meetings. Next week is the first funnel week of the year, meaning Senate bills need to be out of Senate committees in order to be considered for the rest of the year. This does not ...