As we start the new year and look ahead to what we as public servants can achieve, there are a number of important issues facing Iowa's agricultural industry where our roles on the state and federal levels intersect. Recently, one issue has been defending and advocating on behalf of biofuels ...

In the LegislatureAs we moved into the fifth week of the legislative session, subcommittee work remained the primary focus while bills have been moving through the Senate.This week one of my sponsored bills, Senate File 88 passed out of the Transportation Committee. This bill creates a new ...

Newsletter for February 14, 2019Work continues at a fast pace. I'm continuing to work on bills I've filed on behalf of my constituents on a variety of topics, as well as work on bills assigned to the Environmental Committee I chair, and bills that have been assigned to me in the committees I ...

In case you've missed it, 11 February was the 40th anniversary of the Iranian revolution.On 14 February 1979, the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was briefly overrun by leftist anti-shah/anti-American militants an event not to be confused with the subsequent seizure of the embassy seven months later on ...

In the LegislatureThe attention of many Iowans was focused on the work being done in the Senate this week. Several key issues being discussed this legislative session began to work their way through the process and have been the topic of many discussions at the Capitol.Some of those bills ...

Bill creating a contractor bond would help consumers recover money--------It's become a familiar story: A home improvement contractor takes money from several homeowners but leaves behind nothing but broken promises and unfinished projects. Even if lawsuits are filed and judgments ordered, ...

After the Iowa Legislature adjourns, Iowa's Community College Presidents and Trustees review the activity of the past session and look to the future to identify issues that impact the statewide system before they prepare for the upcoming session. The list of legislative priorities are ...

In the Legislature-This week we continued to run at a busy pace. While most of the week was consumed by subcommittee and committee work, a good portion of time was also spent meeting constituents and organizational representatives from our area.On Monday representatives from our Rural Water ...

In 2019, Iowans will hear the phrase "fake news" whenever a report sullies a political party or presidential hopeful. We may support or scorn candidates without knowing fact from factoid.This column explains what you can do about it.People typically do not differentiate between journalism and ...

Last week was a shortened week due to the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday. Most of the week was spent working on subcommittee assignments. Subcommittees are the first step in the legislative process and gives the public and other interested parties an opportunity to support, ...