The middle class struggles because our elected representatives, such as 1st District Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks, do not work for us - We the People. Miller-Meeks supported privatizing … more

I grew up on YouTube and Vine, so I never really felt the need to get a TikTok account. Whenever anything goes viral on there (for better or for worse), I usually hear about it second hand. This … more

During the 13th week of the legislative session, lawmakers focused on debating bills that made it past the final legislative deadline. With just one month remaining, the focus now turns to passing Iowa’s state budget for the upcoming fiscal year. more

Last week was the final funnel deadline for bills to be considered.  We did not have floor debate so I wanted to give you some insight into a day on the Ways and Means Committee I Chair. We met … more

The 82nd Indivisible group that I belong to believes that libraries protect intellectual freedom. It was predicted, with the advent of the internet, that libraries would disappear completely. … more

Last week was the final funnel deadline for bills to be considered.  We did not have floor debate so I wanted to give you some insight into a day on the Ways and Means Committee I Chair. We met Wednesday and passed 15 bills out of committee.  All 15 bills received bipartisan support and were about a variety of topics. Committee work rarely garners headlines but as you see below – that work does impact many of you in many ways.  more

As the president, governors and legislators elevate the stress and anxiety in higher education in the United States by seeking to change how colleges and universities operate and what they teach, the … more

The 11th week of the legislative session was filled with debate and subcommittees. The second legislative deadline is coming up fast, so we have been busy getting bills of priority through and over … more

Last week the House took significant and historic action on eminent domain abuse reform.  From Day One, I have been one of the leaders in the state in ensuring that wealthy individuals cannot bulldoze their way through your Fourth amendment private property rights.  It started with a lake in Clarke County where wealthy developers wanted to condemn hundreds of acres of prime farm ground for a recreational lake. I knew that if it could happen in Clarke County it would not be long before someone tried that in Scott, Cedar, or Muscatine Counties.  We were successful in those endeavors and a law is on the books.  more

March is the 3 rd month of the year, having 31 days.   John Philip Sousa, now there’s a man who knew marches.   He wrote so many he was known as the March King.   A favorite … more

April 1 is right around the corner, but I’ve never been one for pranks. It’s not that I get offended, I’m just too much of a softie. I even think some of the dumb phone call pranks … more

What kind of man bullies a Quaker? Berates a disabled retiree? Badgers a veteran? What kind of man stands in front of voters here at home and says, “Everybody knows glyphosate causes cancer” … more

“First They Came For” This poem, written as a confessional by Pastor Martin Niemöller in 1946 was his coming to terms with his failure to speak out against the Nazis during what … more

Last week in the Legislature we spent a marathon day debating education bills.  We passed four pieces of Legislation from the Higher Education Committee that I serve on and four pieces of legislation for our K-12 public schools. All four higher education bills had the support of the Board of Regents and all four of the K-12 education bills had wide bipartisan support. more

A few months ago I wrote a letter regarding the fact that we can’t seem to afford the upkeep on our pool or decent streets but now we’re getting a third lane on 5th Street for a turn … more

Pushback is growing against the wholesale firing of federal employees in the VA, FAA, National Park Service, Federal Arsenals, US Geological Survey and other public agencies. The head of the … more

Among the bills the Iowa Senate passed, Senate File 277 made several adjustments and clarifications to the chronic absenteeism policy that we passed last year. We have heard from many parents and schools about the policy, and we took what we heard into consideration when making some changes to the law. more

This week in the Legislature is the first week post-funnel. Initially, all 150 legislators can propose any bill at any time – leading to thousands of bills being filed.  There has to be a system in place to narrow down those bills to the roughly 200 ideas that we will actually consider.  more

Community can be a powerful thing, and as the Durant Iowa Food Pantry continues to support its neighbors, its team is also encouraging friends to support each other through tough times and being … more

We have had almost 15 Listening Posts in towns across the District with more to come. The idea behind these meetings is for your legislators to come to your community and meet with residents. The local constituents have enjoyed us in their “backyards.” more