Junior Firefighter program bill passes through Senate

(2-27-26) This week was the seventh week of the legislative session and it was filled with debate following our first legislative deadline last week. Among the legislation being moved through the Senate, on Tuesday we passed SF 2086, my Junior Firefighter program bill. This bill allows schools to offer an elective junior firefighter program to students that are juniors or seniors. This is not a requirement for the schools, it simply allows them to offer this program if they choose. Having been a volunteer firefighter for 34 years, I am proud to have led this effort because 92% of the firefighters in our state are strictly volunteers and the average age of these men and women has consistently increased every year. This means that fewer younger Iowans are volunteering for such a GREAT cause that benefits every community in Iowa.

Another bill I was excited to see passing out of the Senate this week was SF 2186. This was a bill that I drafted and it states that a parent who is subject to a short-term military deployment or monthly obligation may make up any physical care or visitation rights that they otherwise would miss due to the short-term deployment. We should do everything possible to help our military members and their children, and the last thing that is fair to either of them is missing time together when the parent is meeting their military obligations. This bill now moves to the House.

This week, the Senate held a subcommittee on the governor’s proposal on property tax relief. There are three different Republican proposals in the legislature to address property tax relief, and the subcommittee on Wednesday started comparing and contrasting some of the different ideas in the proposals. The Senate’s proposal, filed the first day of the legislative session, is scheduled to have a subcommittee on March 3rd. Senate Study Bill 3001 is proposing the biggest overhaul in decades that ensures Iowans are the focus — bringing real relief to Iowa families, dedicating additional funding to roads and bridges, and allowing Iowans the ability to truly own their home.

In the State of the Union speech on Tuesday, President Trump highlighted strong economic momentum, lower energy costs, and a continued focus on border security and strengthening American jobs. Following the President’s address, the Senate has shifted our focus to how we can address illegal immigration in Iowa. This is another top concern of many Iowans, and on Wednesday the Senate passed several common sense proposals aimed at addressing issues that have come up over the last several months. One of the first bills we passed was Senate File 2203, which requires the Secretary of State to verify that those on voter registration lists are United States citizens. Last year, the Secretary of State’s audit of the voter registration list found 277 noncitizens were registered to vote and 35 noncitizens had successfully voted in the 2024 general election. This bill is one more way we can help secure Iowa’s elections and ensure Iowans can have confidence in them. The bill passed with a bipartisan vote of 34-13, with only Democrats voting against this common sense bill.

As our legislation passes the Senate and moves over to the House, I am looking forward to continuing to deliver results for SD 44 and the State of Iowa. From supporting our firefighters and veterans, to reforming property taxes and protecting the integrity of our elections, we are focused on the issues that matter most to Iowa families. There is still much to accomplish this session, and I remain committed to fighting for practical solutions that strengthen our communities.