From the ground up

Week four was a short week because of the Iowa caucuses on Monday. While the week was shorter, it included the first floor debate of the year.

I spent most of my time this week gathering information on bills from other committee chairs. It is also my responsibility to share with others what is happening on my committees (agriculture, natural resources, and transportation). Hundreds and hundreds of bills are being considered early in the session. It is our job to sort and sort until the good ones rise to the top. The days are long. I typically get to the Capitol at 6:30 a.m. and try to finish by 7 p.m. With that being said, the day goes fast. Virtually every 15 minutes the topics and the people change but the challenge is invigorating.

We made our first votes on the floor Thursday morning and early afternoon. The bill topics were:

• Extra flooding help for flood victims in western Iowa.

• A bill to create efficiencies in the department of education.

• A bill to expand second amendment rights for county attorneys.

• A bill to remove regulations inhibiting small business owners.

As always…From the Ground Up.