Week six of the legislative session in Des Moines has us working hard to bring our important legislative priorities to agreement as the first deadline to consider legislation approaches. Policy bills have until March 7 to be voted out of their respective committees, or they will no longer be eligible for consideration. A varied number of topics were debated and voted upon this week.
The Iowa Senate passed Senate File 278 to support students on robotics teams. This bill was necessary to give more resources and technical assistance to school districts starting career and technical student organizations related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Programs like robotics teams help students gain exposure, real-world knowledge, and skills to help when they transition to their careers. With the passage of Senate File 278, these programs become eligible to access available federal funding. The bill is headed to the Iowa House and waiting on their approval. Senate Republicans are proud to support our students interested in robotics and other STEM programs, and we look forward to their future success.
On Tuesday, we had 2A Day at the Capitol. Supporters of the Second Amendment held a rally recognizing the accomplishments of the legislature and garnering support for further freedoms in our state. In 2022, the public adopted a constitutional amendment to our state constitution. This amendment enshrines our firearm rights into the Constitution and ensures they are protected for future generations. We have passed a number of pro-Second Amendment bills both before and since the amendment was passed, and we will continue to do so now and into the future. There are a number of bills that I look forward to voting on this year to continue our march towards restoring our rights, but most importantly, our rights are now protected in our state constitution, and shall not be infringed.
