Disagreement isn’t the problem

February 4, 2026

Disagreement gets a bad reputation. We tend to treat it as something to avoid or smooth over as quickly as possible. But disagreement itself isn’t the problem. How we handle it is. In community work, disagreement is unavoidable. People come to the table with different experiences, priorities, and pressures. That doesn’t mean everyone is acting in bad faith. More often, it means they’re seeing different parts of the same picture. I saw a good example of this recently during a budget discussion. A department head came forward with a clear and firm position about staff pay, rooted ...

Growth continues for UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge surgical services

February 2, 2026

Throughout 2025, we saw tremendous growth in our surgical services at UnityPoint Health — Fort Dodge. We are also making strong progress on the surgery renovation and expansion project. Much of the exterior work is now complete, and construction teams are focused on interior work to prepare the space for our teams to move in next spring. The construction team has begun working on basement framing, precast erection and the corridor steel erection in the addition. Within the renovation area, framing is approximately 85 percent completed. The team will next complete mechanical, ...

Putting students first in higher education policy

January 31, 2026

At Iowa Central Community College, our purpose is simple and student-centered: we want students to finish their degrees or certifications in the shortest time possible, with the least amount of student loan debt, so they can have a better life. This purpose helps us fulfill our mission by meeting Iowans where they are and preparing them for successful careers that strengthen our communities. That mission guided our participation when the Iowa Legislature asked community colleges to study whether offering bachelor’s degrees could help address unmet workforce and student needs. What ...

Eminent domain, human services bills addressed in House

January 26, 2026

Last week, the House passed HF 2104, a bill that will prohibit the use of eminent domain for a carbon dioxide pipeline. I supported this bill. The House has been working on this issue for four years. It’s early in the session, and I’m optimistic we can finally come to a resolution this year. Protecting property rights is essential. Our committee work is in full swing, and I’ve already chaired or served on several subcommittees. This is the time when the public is able to weigh in on legislation. It’s the first step in the process of a bill becoming a law. Last week, two bills ...

Property taxes, pipelines top Senate agenda

January 24, 2026

Last week, the Senate released our proposal on property tax relief, with Iowans as its focus. It implements limitations to rein in spending and growth of government, eliminates the rollback to help provide more certainty and transparency, and provides a permanent 50 percent taxable value discount on your homestead property. It also eliminates involuntary property taxes for Iowans 60 years old and older who have fully paid off their mortgage and own their home. It is clear property taxes are a big priority for everyone at the Capitol this year. Many of you have contacted me with ...

Getting the 2026 legislative session started

January 17, 2026

We are back at the Capitol in Des Moines and the legislative session has officially started. The first week is always busy with speeches from legislative leaders, the governor, the chief justice and the adjutant general. Senate Republicans are proud of the progress our state continues to make. Throughout the last several months, we have seen several successes come from the policies we have moved through the legislature and to the governor’s desk. This last September, we saw 528 Iowa schools improve in one or more performance categories. We saw absenteeism rates decrease, 15,154 ...