Welcome to the 2025 Legislative Session! We kicked off 91st General Assembly on Monday and it’s been a busy week already.
I am proud to be assigned to the following committees: Education (Ranking Member), Health & Human Services, Economic Growth & Technology, and Administration & Rules. I am also excited to continue in my role as an Assistant Leader in our House Democrats Caucus.
You might be wondering, what does it mean to be the Ranking Member of a committee? Well, in a nutshell, I lead the Democratic members on the committee and communicate regularly with the Chair on the legislation moving through. I assign my members to bills that are being given a subcommittee (including myself, of course). And I help guide our team on proactive policy proposals as well as responses to bills we may oppose. The Education Committee is known as one of the busiest in the House and it’s my goal to be as productive and bipartisan as possible. It’s also true that this committee is known for passing out some very divisive legislation. It’s my hope that we can prioritize positive support for our school districts, students, and teachers over the next 100+ days.
One of the most notable parts of the week has been the Governor’s Condition of the State, which she gave on Tuesday. I am pleased that there were several ideas she mentioned where we might be able to find common ground! Specifically, her support for expanding a pilot project on child care assistance for child care workers, ending distracted driving (no cell phones/ hands-free), supporting local school district policies for no cell phones during instructional time, seeking federal approval for additional medical residency programs, and investing $1 million to kickstart a dedicated team at University of Iowa to study Iowa’s increasingly awful cancer rates (we are 2nd in the nation) and what factors might be causing them. She also talked about a “continuum of care” when it comes to preschool and childcare, announcing a grant program for providers who work together on community solutions. I look forward to seeing the details of the proposal as I am also a strong supporter of expanding voluntary preschool across Iowa.
Something I did notice though, is that none of the Governor’s proposals focused on immediate economic issues, like tackling the rising costs of housing, childcare, health care, and energy bills. I look forward to introducing legislation with my colleagues on ways to lower costs for Iowans. More to come on that!
I also want to hear from you! Please note the survey in an article below and take a few minutes to share your thoughts. My office hours will once again be held every Friday during session from 9-10:30am at Main Street Café. The first one is next Friday, January 24. Check out the Facebook event to stay up to date. And of course, please reach out anytime or come see me at the Capitol!
Finally, if you aren’t already following me on Facebook and Instagram, I hope you will so you can get more frequent updates since newsletters come out every two weeks during session.
