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Getting the 2026 legislative session started

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 ...

Standing up for our farmers and rural communities

As a lifelong Iowan and proud representative of one of the most productive agricultural districts in the country, I will always stand up for Iowa farmers and our rural communities. Since my first day in office, I have been committed to delivering real results for the farmers who feed and fuel our country and the world. Whether that be keeping our farmland out of the hands of foreign adversaries, keeping farmers safe on the job, or ensuring Iowa has a strong voice at the federal level, I take my job serving our producers very seriously. Last week, the Trump administration unveiled great ...

’Tis the (budget) season

Say it with me: Ugh. Budget season. It’s January, which means it’s time for us to review the budget. What does that mean? Well, it’s mostly quiet work that happens over time, with a lot of reviewing, questioning, and weighing options. It also brings close attention from the public, strong opinions, and a wide range of perspectives on what priorities should be. This year, there are added layers to consider. Legislative budget mandates shape what counties must do. There’s also the pledge that more property tax reform is coming this session. We don’t know for sure what that ...

It was Christmas Eve. The gifts were laid beneath the Christmas tree at the home of Merlin and Nelda Powers in Urbandale. But the family’s holiday celebration ended abruptly that day in 1968 when the Powerses’ 10-year-old daughter Pamela disappeared from the YMCA in downtown Des Moines while the family attended her brother’s wrestling meet. Two days passed before the family received the horrible answer to their “where is Pamela” question. Police located the girl’s body in a roadside ditch just off Interstate 80 near Mitchellville. The discovery came after Cleatus ...

For 170 years, Laufersweiler Funeral Home has served the community

From the time in 1856 when Fort Dodge pioneer Conrad Laufersweiler conducted his first funeral service to the present day when his descendants Mark and Luke Laufersweiler continue the family business, there’s been an underlying theme. When the brothers succeeded their uncle Joe ...

Delivering high-quality, affordable health care for Iowans

As a father of four and former volunteer EMT for 15 years in my hometown of Hull, I know the vital importance of affordable and accessible health care for Iowa families, particularly our neighbors in rural Iowa. Traveling across our district, I’ve had countless conversations with Iowans about the skyrocketing cost of health care and declining access to care in rural communities. Iowans are paying too much for routine checkups and prescription drugs and traveling long distances for doctor’s appointments and emergency care. It’s unsustainable and must change. Fortunately, on ...