The second legislative funnel at the Iowa statehouse came and went on April 4. That process winnowed down bills that are eligible for consideration so lawmakers can focus on legislation that has traction in both chambers in addition to spending bills. Of course, property tax reform will ...
The week of March 31- April 4 marked the 12th week of the legislative session and brought with it our second major legislative deadline. Much of our time was spent in subcommittees and committees reviewing House bills – an important step in prioritizing legislation that has the support ...
It hasn’t been a good news cycle for Iowa’s public schools recently. The Waterloo Community School District announced budget cuts of over $10 million for their upcoming school year. Then I saw that the Cedar Rapids Community School District is facing a $12 million budget deficit and is ...
It hasn’t been a good news cycle for Iowa’s public schools recently. The Waterloo Community School District announced budget cuts of over $10 million for their upcoming school year. Then I saw that the Cedar Rapids Community School District is facing a $12 million budget deficit and is ...
Last night (March 26), I attended the Tama County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. I attended on behalf of the Clean Energy Districts of Iowa (CEDI) to speak about the economic benefits of renewable energy projects. The Tama Clean Energy District (TCED) is a member of CEDI. I also ...
In a recent case study on the economic impact of wind energy in Howard County, I had the opportunity to work with the Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA). The full report is written by Alex Delworth, Senior Policy Associate, and is available on the CFRA’s website. To collect information for ...
We have officially reached the half-way point of the 2025 legislative session. Last Friday (March 7) marked both the end of Week 8 and the end of the first Funnel Week. Funnel Week is a self-imposed deadline designed to winnow the pool of legislation up for consideration during a given year. ...
This was week 8 of the session. This was the first funnel week, so we were busy with subcommittee and committee work to keep bills eligible for debate. Over the last several sessions the Republicans in the Legislature have done great work to lower income taxes. More recently, Iowans have been ...
This was Week 7 of the session. We are quickly coming up on the funnel date when individually filed policy bills must be through committee to remain eligible for debate. Thursday, the Iowa House and Senate passed Senate File 418, a return to common sense by removing “gender identity” as a ...
Most Iowans aren’t satisfied with their state government. That’s what we’ve been hearing at the Capitol, at town halls and legislative forums, on social media, and in our daily conversations. Your goals and aspirations aren’t being reflected by the choices made on your behalf. Your ...