One critical component of ensuring the safety and well-being of Fort Dodge citizens is emergency medical services (EMS), which, despite its integral role in public safety, is not currently classified as an essential service. This leaves the community vulnerable and exposes local businesses to ...
Fort Dodge, Iowa, like many small cities across the state, faces the intricate task of balancing its budget while addressing the diverse needs of its residents. The city’s budget reflects a commitment to maintaining essential services such as public safety, infrastructure, and community ...
We are four weeks from the first legislative funnel. Bills that originated in the House must pass a House full committee for them to be considered on the floor. This excludes appropriation and tax bills. State Supplemental Aid for Schools SSA funding for our public schools is one of the ...
In 2023, the Iowa legislature passed a massive government reorganization bill with the goal of making government more efficient, aligning similar departments and eliminating redundancies. While it was estimated to save a decent amount of money over the next several years, the governor announced ...
This week, we started floor debate. Thursday, three bills were considered; two had unanimous support and one passed with bipartisan support. However, I did not support HF 144, a bill that extends the moratorium on new casinos in Iowa. The proponents of the bill said that Iowa’s gambling ...
Last week, Senate Republicans released a funding proposal for the next school year, proposing a $235 million increase for K-12 students. The increase in state funding is in addition to the budget passed last year, meaning state aid for schools coming from the state budget is $4.2 million. It is ...