Columns

One needs a somewhat thick skin to work in either print or politics. Former Spirit Lake Beacon Editor Abraham Funk worked in both fields during the late 1800s, so I imagine his skin was as thick as the beard he sported in those days. But in both occupations, there sometimes arises the need to challenge the implication that one is lacking in moral fiber, commitment and professionalism. The recent penning of such implications by one of Iowa's state legislators has made for such a time...

"Social media isn't a tool that's just waiting to be used. It has its own goals, and it has its own means of pursuing them." - The Social Dilemma The media has proven to be both unreliable in its reporting and, in a few instances, complicit in the reporting against or for their interests. ...

Floor debate dominated most of our time during the thirteenth week of the legislative session. We discussed a number of issues important to Iowans including expanding broadband service in the state, protecting the constitutional rights of Iowans, cutting property taxes and giving parents more control over their children’s education. ...

House File 588 passed the Iowa House this week with nearly unanimous support. The bill creates a Hoover Presidential Library Tax Credit. The 31st President of the United States was born in Iowa, and his presidential library is located in West Branch. The library’s foundation is currently planning a $20 million renovation of the library, museum and associated grounds...

This week was the twelfth week of the legislative session. It included the next important legislative deadline of the year: the second funnel. In order to be considered for the rest of the year, policy bills needed to be out of their original chamber and through committee in the second chamber. In other words, we largely spent our time this week looking at policy bills sent to us from the House. ...

Iowa's renters and homeowners impacted by COVID-19 are now able to apply for assistance with rent and mortgage payments through two assistance programs. The Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program will provide eligible COVID-19 impacted renters with rent and/or utility assistance for a total of up to 12 months. General eligibility requirements require that applicants:...

This week the House unanimously passed House File 848 making changes to Iowa’s broadband grant program. When the governor introduced her bill, it made significant changes to the existing broadband grant program and focused on increasing broadband speeds around the state. House Republicans believed the emphasis should be placed on connecting Iowans who currently do not have access to broadband internet...

  A: Many Americans may be surprised to learn the Senate rules do not define what constitutes a filibuster. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a filibuster as “the use of extreme dilatory tactics in an attempt to delay or prevent action especially in a legislative assembly.” The fact is, a filibuster can refer to any procedure perceived to slow action...

  When you hear the word infrastructure, what comes to mind? Roads, bridges, locks and dams and maybe broadband? Well, according to the Biden Administration, infrastructure is just a buzz word for every progressive wish list item under the sun. Sadly, the president’s recent “infrastructure” roadmap takes a very sharp left turn at the expense of American jobs and taxpayers...

Iowans take their voting very seriously and I firmly believe we are the best state in the nation for civic engagement. Despite the pandemic, the people of Iowa made their voices heard in record numbers in 2020, both in the June primary and November general election. I’m extremely proud of the way our voters, poll workers and county election officials stepped up...

The Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) projected additional revenue growth in the current fiscal year and the next at its meeting last Friday. The three-person panel raised their forecast for General Fund revenue in Fiscal Year 2021 to $8.0789 billion, which is a growth rate of 1.9 percent. For the next budget year – FY 2022 – the REC raised state revenue to $8.3856 billion or 3.8 percent growth. ...

I was recently talking with some young people, and I was astounded by some of the things they said. Some of them think people’s right to voice their opinion should be limited if they “hurt the feelings” of others and the right of religious freedom should be limited if others are uncomfortable. As I listened to this, I thought I should look this up and see if it is prevalent...

This week was the 11th week of the legislative session. Last Friday the Revenue Estimating Conference met. It is a panel that gives us the budget overlook as we start preparing our budgets for the next fiscal year. Because of the pro-growth policies we have continued to pass throughout the last several years, Iowa has seen growth even through the pandemic and is predicted to see growth in the coming year. This is great news as we work towards tax relief for Iowans and their families. ...

The transition to the news editor's chair here at the DCN has kept me busy, and has been a pain at times — literally, the lumbar support on the chair didn't sit well with my spine. I had to switch back to my usual one that creaks and groans like an old sea skiff. And, as one might imagine, my newfound duties haven't left as much room for ruminating to readers as I might have preferred...

This week was one of freedom and returning rights to Iowans in the way of freedom of speech and the right to keep and bear arms. The Second Amendment to our U.S. Constitution states: A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. ...

This week was the 10th week of the legislative session. The Senate debated several bills to remove barriers to work, reward work and investment and create a tax and regulatory environment conducive to creating new career opportunities in Iowa. Of the 22 bills we debated on the floor this week, I want to highlight two of the most important. ...

Iowa’s nursing homes and their direct care staff have done an exceptional job protecting the health of their vulnerable residents throughout this public health emergency. While the physical health of Iowans residing in nursing homes is extremely important, we must not forget the toll isolation from loved ones can have as well...

  A: The IRS announced a one month delay for individuals to file their federal 2020 tax returns, shifting Tax Day from April 15 to May 17 this year. The federal tax-collecting agency postponed Tax Day for the second year in a row as Americans continue coping with COVID-19 and the IRS faces a mounting backlog in processing returns. ...

This week was the ninth week of the legislative session, and much of our time was focused on floor debate in the Senate chamber. Some exciting news was released this week. Iowa ranked number one in the country for opportunity according to US News & World Report. This rating specifically measures affordability, economic opportunity and equality. Expanding opportunities for all Iowans has been a priority as long as Republicans have been leading the Iowa Senate, whether it is career opportunities, opportunities in education or the opportunity to make Iowa home. . ...

This week, the Iowa House passed House File 294, which will require health insurers to pay for mental health services delivered through telehealth at the same rate as they pay for in-person mental health treatment. Additionally, the legislature is considering House File 731 which would require insurers to accept out-of-state telehealth providers in their network if they meet all requirements for in-state health care providers. ...

I have often been asked what the best way is to talk with a legislator and how can you be impactful when you do so. To be honest, I had not thought about it since I had been a legislator. In the last six years, I have had many different forms of communication, some good and some bad, directed toward me and as I think about it, I can give a good summary of how to talk to a legislator that is both fun to read and informational at the same time...

James Madison is known as the father of open government. During the week of his birthday, March 16, we honor his legacy with “Sunshine Week” to celebrate the public’s right to know. Thirty-five years after drafting the Constitution, Madison wrote that democracy without information is “but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy.” Nearly 100 years after that, Justice Louis Brandeis observed that publicity can remedy social and industrial wrongs. ...

This week the House passed Senate File 364 that provides three very important pandemic related tax exemptions. Collecting tax on pandemic related payments from Iowa’s small businesses and families is not the right thing to do. First, Senate File 364 fully conforms with federal law for those fiscal-year filers who previously were excluded from such conformity and allows such filers to take business expense deductions using federal paycheck protection program loan proceeds that were forgiven. ...

Recently, the Iowa House released a major piece of legislation that deals with firearms and the possession of them. The biggest piece of this legislation that I have been asked to accomplish since I have been a legislator is the ability to carry a weapon without a permit. ...

The eighth week of this year’s session is known as “funnel week” in the legislature. This week is the first legislative deadline of the year. All Senate policy bills must have passed through committee in order to be considered for the rest of the year...

It’s no secret that the worst global pandemic in a generation has brought unforeseen challenges and hardships. But it’s often during these challenging times when the American people band together, and we’ve seen it: folks across Iowa have risen to the occasion to help out their friends, family members, neighbors and communities. ...

Many Iowans are familiar with the popular series of quarters that feature each of the 50 states in the America the Beautiful Quarter Program. Issued in 2004, the Iowa quarter was the 29th coin to join the series because it was the 29th state to join the Union. ...

The election of 2020 left a bad taste in the mouths of many. Polling that was done in November and December shows that 30 percent of Democrats and 68 percent of Republicans felt the election was stolen from President Donald Trump. That is a huge number of citizens that felt the election results were false and, while Iowa’s results were much better, we cannot stand for the situations that happened in November in states where these red flags occurred...

The seventh week of session was busier as many bills moved out of committee. I am the chairman of the Senate Labor and Business Relations Committee, and we passed nine bills out of committee. Next week is the first funnel week of this legislative session, meaning all Senate policy bills need to be out of Senate committees in order to be considered for the rest of the year. This deadline ensures we are focusing on the bills with enough support to advance through the process. I was also proud to hear Gov. ...

Last Thursday, the House passed House File 532, which provides school districts with additional money to assist in covering costs related to COVID-19. This extra $27.2 million goes to schools that provided in-person instruction, whether that was fully in-person or hybrid, starting July 1, 2020, and ending Jan. 29, 2021, with the enactment of SF 160. We heard there was a need and wanted to help these schools during this unprecedented time...

    A: First, let’s take account of what’s already in the pipeline. Since last March, Congress has approved $4 trillion to fight the pandemic and help hard-hit U.S. households put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Five bipartisan COVID-relief laws included two rounds of direct payments, expanded unemployment benefits, nutrition assistance, relief for student borrowers and emergency rental assistance for low-income families. ...

Just recently, I was catching up with a friend from Montgomery County who confessed she had been having a difficult time balancing both her job as an essential worker and her responsibilities as a mother of three. When COVID-19 hit last spring, and schools transitioned to virtual learning, her kids struggled to adapt to the unfamiliar routine of online schooling. ...

This was the sixth week of the 2021 legislative session. The Senate passed several bills during the week, discussing a number of topics such as education funding, the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), increasing flexibility of continuing education requirements...

This week in the House Ways and Means Committee, we passed two EMS bills with unanimous support. There is currently a tax credit of $100 for volunteer fire fighters and EMS personnel as well reserve peace officers. House File 144 increases that credit to $200, starting with tax years beginning on or after January of this year. House File 144 is projected to reduce net General Fund revenue by $1.2 million per fiscal year, beginning with FY 2022...

"Education is not the means of showing people how to get what they want. Education is an exercise by means of which enough men, it is hoped, will learn to want what is worth having." - Ronald Reagan House Republicans passed a Supplemental State Aid (SSA) increase for schools of 2.4% for FY22 for both the regular program and the categorical supplements. ...

  On Monday, August 10, 2020, a massive storm system with high winds and isolated tornadoes tore through the midwest, leaving a 700-mile path of destruction in its wake — from Nebraska all the way to Indiana. In Iowa, early estimates indicated that 43 percent of cropland was impacted across the state, flattening millions of acres of corn and soybeans, crippling grain bins and tearing barns and machine sheds apart...

  Just last month, President Biden raised eyebrows when he took executive action to begin transitioning federal government vehicles to electric vehicles. It followed a similar move spearheaded by California Gov. Gavin Newsom who, last September, fully embraced the Green New Deal and implemented a move to all-electric vehicles by 2035...

Iowa’s efforts to improve the state’s infrastructure are funded through the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund (RIIF) which receives its resources through gaming revenue. The decision of Nebraska voters to allow casino gaming in their state will endanger that funding. Just how endangered became clear on Tuesday, as the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) appeared before the Transportation, Infrastructure and Capitals Appropriations Subcommittee...

If you are like me, the discussions happening in Washington D.C. are a bit ludicrous, but I especially feel the $2 trillion relief package making its way through Congress right now is out of this world. It would be one thing if we had $1.9 trillion, but in the last year, the federal government has spent nearly $5 trillion of money that it does not have. While the federal government spending money it does not have is nothing new, this is an excessive expense...

The fifth week of the legislative session included more debate on important education issues, as well as continuing our work in subcommittees and committees.   One of the bills the State Government Committee discussed this week is Senate File 163, which provides an extension for professional and occupational licenses for those working on continuing their education. This means Iowans licensed by the state for their occupation can apply for an extension to their licensing board if they were unable to meet continuing education requirements by the renewal deadline due to an unforeseen financial or medical hardship. ...

  At a press conference this week, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki moved the goal posts once again — claiming that the Biden Administration’s aim is to have more than 50 percent of schools offer “some teaching” in person “at least one day a week” by the 100th day of Joe Biden’s presidency. Yes, you read that right: President Biden’s goal is to have kids in school only one day per week, and no sooner than the end of April...

    A: The leadership landscape shifted in January with the inauguration of a new president and a new majority in the U.S. Senate. That means for the next two years, one party will control the political branches of government, from the White House to the federal bureaucracy and both chambers of Congress. ...

I have been asked by several people what kind of bills I am running this year. So, in this newsletter, I would like to give you a bit of a synopsis of the bills that I have personally authored and why I have authored those bills. You will find, as I move through this brief essay, that the bills that I have written deal a great deal with Federalism or returning Iowa’s operations back to the state versus the Federal government...

This was the fourth week of the legislative session. We continued our work on many important issues in subcommittee and committees and also had some more floor debate. I floor managed two Judiciary Committee bills which passed the Senate floor unanimously...

In reviewing the state tax collections in January, it looks like things slowed down. The culprit for this change was not Iowans’ spending habits but rather the calendar.  The report, compiled by the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency (LSA), shows that net state revenue had slowed to neutral growth through seven months. But LSA was quick to point out one big factor — as the month ended on a Sunday, payments for certain tax filers were not due until Monday. And this calendar quirk had a big impact.. ...

The state of Iowa is one of the best financially managed states in the nation. In the Iowa Legislature, we maintained a balanced budget because we abided by a simple budgeting principle — one that businesses and families across the state live by every day: Don’t spend more money than you take in. If you do take out loans or have credit card debt, you manage your spending to reduce the debt...

  On Jan. 20, I joined my colleagues on the front steps of the Capitol for the inauguration of our 46th president, Joe Biden. At a time when divisions run deep within our country, I thought President Biden’s call for unity—where he pledged to be a president for all Americans—struck the right tone. As my colleagues in the Senate can attest, I am always willing to work with anyone—Republicans, Democrats and Independents—on issues that will improve the lives of my fellow Iowans, and all Americans...

We are fortunate to have great cross country skiing trails in the Iowa Great Lakes to enjoy during the winter months. Groomed trails are available at Brooks Golf Course up to the Dickinson County Nature Center and at Kettleson Hogsback Wildlife Management Area. ...

My name is Camryn Huyser, and I have the extraordinary honor of serving as Rep. John Wills’ clerk for the 2021 legislative session. I am a student at Drake University with double majors in law, politics and society as well as Spanish. I plan to graduate in May of 2022 and attend law school thereafter. My ultimate goal is to study family law with an emphasis on children's rights or advocacy. I am an Iowa native from Pella, so I have no shortage of Iowa or Dutch pride...

House File 1 passed the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously this week. This bill increases the maximum Iowa net income threshold for the Iowa child and dependent care credit and the early childhood development tax credit. The current income limitation has not been changed in more than 15 years — leaving out many hard-working Iowa families from this benefit. House File 1 allows more Iowa parents than ever to claim this important credit...