Senators’ work getting busier

The Senate is now in the third week of the legislative session and members have been getting busier with subcommittee and committee work.

This week was another full week as we debated our first bill of the year. House File 68, the school choice proposal put forward by the governor, passed the Iowa House and Senate this week.

Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver had the opportunity to make some remarks, saying, “Republicans in Iowa have continuously fought for school choice. But school choice means different things to different people. It might be public school to public school through open enrollment. It might mean public school to charter school, it could mean public school to nonpublic school or as we found out throughout COVID, it might mean, can my kids even go to school in a classroom. Throughout this entire conversation — we put parents and kids first. With the passage of House File 68 last night, Iowa will lead the nation in educational opportunities and school choice options for our families.”

The communications I received on this topic were really important and I appreciate my constituents taking the time to reach out with their questions and concerns. Please keep in contact as the session moves forward with your thoughts on the issues and legislation before the Senate.

Rural Emergency Hospitals (REH)

As the sponsor of REH legislation, I attended the subcommittee meeting on Wednesday. With the closing of the Keokuk Hospital, REH legislation could help provide the structure to bring Emergency Room services back to South Lee County. This legislation is approved language from the Governor's office and follows federal CMS rule, making it highly supported and crucially important for other rural areas.

Veterans Day on the Hill

Last week, Jan. 18, marked the annual event at the Capitol. It was great meeting and speaking with over 200 veterans from all over Iowa. As chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, I was honored to speak at this event. Other speakers included Gov. Reynolds, Iowa National Guard Major General Corell and the House Veterans Affairs Chairman Chad Ingels.

Promises Made, Promises Kept

One of the focal points of our mission as Senate Republicans is ensuring Iowans get to keep more of their hard-earned money. While we have passed several unprecedented tax relief bills, last year we delivered transformative tax relief that cut income taxes for all Iowans.

Starting Jan. 1, parts of our tax relief bill have started to take effect and Iowans are already seeing the results. One part of the tax bill passed in 2022 started reducing rates for Iowans. This year there are four tax brackets, brought down from nine, now with a top rate of 6 percent. Over the next few years, the rate will continue to be reduced until we reach a flat tax rate of 3.9 percent. This means this month, Iowans are seeing more money in their paychecks, more money in their pockets, and more money to help manage President Biden’s tough economy.

Iowans want common-sense solutions to the challenges we are facing. As other states are implementing policies to chase the productive segments of their economy out of their state, Iowa is lowering taxes, eliminating needless regulations and becoming an attractive state for those Americans. We are confident Iowa is on the right path, and we will keep delivering real results for working families.