We have finished week 13 of the session, but we are continuing to pass policy bills, including bills that have come back from the Senate with amendments, as work on the budget continues. Senate File 2391, known as the Meat Integrity Act, is a bill to establish fair labeling standards on ...
Greetings friends and neighbors! We’re moving closer to the end of this year's legislative session in Des Moines. Last week was a mix of appropriations and tax policy committee meetings, consideration of gubernatorial appointees in the full Senate, and debate of some policy bills in the full ...
No problem is so big that we can’t run from it — or at least avoid thinking about it. That’s human nature. There are many concerns that should command our attention but do not. Too often, we hope or assume a serious problem will go away or will spare us. In the aftermath of the Covid ...
Greetings friends and neighbors! We’re working our way into the final stages of the legislative session now at the Capitol. One of the tasks we worked on this week in our committees in the Senate was to consider the confirmation of the governor’s appointments to state boards and commissions ...
During my first term in the U.S. Senate, Congress established Women’s History Week to recognize the role women play in our nation’s economy, culture and politics. Acknowledging their work, sacrifice, resilience and patriotism inspires future generations to pursue their dreams and ...
Greetings neighbors and friends! Week 11 of the 2024 legislative session is now in the books. We debated dozens of bills in the Senate, including a lot of good bipartisan bills, and unfortunately a few controversial ones like the proposal to reform the Area Education Agencies. With only a ...
A new farm bill is top of mind for many farmers, ranchers, and rural community members. However, amidst the ongoing discussions and negotiations, another important conversation is beginning to unfold. In the weeks ahead, members of Congress will outline federal spending levels for 2025, ...
Greetings friends and neighbors! As I write this, today marks the end of the tenth week of the legislative session and is also the second funnel date for the session. The second funnel is the date by which policy bills must make it out of their originating chamber and out of committee in the ...
We have finished the tenth week of the session, which was the second funnel for when Senate bills had to be through a House Committee. At last count, the House had passed roughly 175 bills over to the Senate so far, and the Senate has sent the House about 60 bills. The House continues to ...