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Editorials

From the Desk of Senator Giddens: Update from a Busy Week in the Iowa Capitol

Greetings from Des Moines! This week was very busy with lots of committee and subcommittee meetings. Here is a list of bills I voted on this week and how I voted on each bill: Transportation Committee: -SSB 3034 - Reporting requirements of the DOT. My vote: Yes -SSB 3088 - Maximum weight of ...

Make Your Voice Heard in the Iowa Senate, from the Desk of Senator Giddens

Greetings! Week Three of the legislative session is now complete, and activities in the Capitol are in full swing. Every day is a whirlwind here, with subcommittee and committee meetings and organizations holding different events, such as firefighters from across the state who had a chili ...

Wulf’s Weekly Roundup: Setting the Pace for the 2024 90th General Assembly

As we dive rapidly into week three of the 90th General Assembly 2024 legislative session in the Iowa House of Representatives, I am reminded that just a year ago, new members, new positions, and new committee assignments were just being sorted out at this time. This year is off to a much more ...

Increasing Opportunity for Iowans, from the Desk of Senator Giddens

Greetings friends and neighbors! I’d like to wish you a belated happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I am grateful for Dr. King’s work and his legacy that reminds us to treat everyone with dignity and respect. His lessons are especially important to me as I work with all of my colleagues in ...

New Tama-Toledo Christian School

Our children’s education is one of the most important and most sacred responsibilities of parents. Parents have the largest impact on their child’s education and parent involvement is one of the most significant indicators of a child’s success in school (Mapp, Carver, & Lander, 2017). ...

Opening Week in the Iowa Legislature, from the Desk of Senator Giddens

As Iowa’s 2024 legislative session kicked off last week, I want to take a moment to say hello and thanks for your engagement in Iowa’s future. This year, I’m committed to living our Iowa values and offering A Better Deal for Iowans. To do that, we need passionate Iowans like you to stay ...

Rural voices essential to democratic process

Iowa lawmakers are gathering once again in Des Moines for another year of debating and passing legislation. The democratic process is something America prides itself on and one that requires input from citizens to thrive. As new bills are being introduced and debated, lawmakers need to hear ...

District 53 Newsletter: Jan. 12, 2024 Edition

The 2024 Legislative session began on January 8, and as always, the first week was filled with speeches and all the ceremony that surrounds them. Of course, the highlight of those speeches is always the Governor’s Condition of the State address that was delivered by Gov. Reynolds on Tuesday ...

A Better Deal for Iowans, from the Desk of Senator Giddens

As the Iowa legislature reconvenes this month, I am returning to the Capitol with a clear purpose and an Iowa-first agenda. In 2024, I’ll be advocating for a better deal for Iowans. On every bill, at every hearing, and in every debate, I’m going to put middle-class Iowans first and lead ...

Q&A: Unfinished Business in 2024

Q: What’s ahead in the new year? A: The appalling violence at Perry High School this week was a shocking and tragic beginning to the new year. Barbara and I join the Perry community, and all of Iowa, in grieving for those affected by this terrible event. Our prayers will remain with the city ...