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Homegrown Iowa biofuels support American energy dominance

Domestic energy production is a critical component of both our short- and long-term economic growth, bolsters our national security, and strengthens our international competitiveness. From getting to work and heating and cooling homes to keeping the lights on and growing crops, our families, farmers, businesses, manufacturers, and many other sectors of our economy rely on reliable, affordable, and abundant sources of energy. President Trump recognized this reality when he declared a national energy emergency on his first day in office and later established a National Energy Dominance ...

Colorectal cancer in Iowa: A concern for our communities?

March marks Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, a time to highlight the impact of colorectal cancer in our state and encourage screening to save lives. Colorectal cancer remains the third most common cancer diagnosed in Iowa and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths, with an estimated 1,650 new cases and 550 deaths expected in 2025 alone (Iowa Cancer Registry)?. Despite advances in prevention and treatment, Iowa continues to have a rate which exceeds the national average. This concerning trend underscores the urgent need for increased screening and education, especially in ...

Lincoln’s Law smells like a rose in 21st Century

Eight score and two years ago, President Abraham Lincoln signed the False Claims Act into federal law. The anti-fraud tool, enacted March 2, 1863, became known as Lincoln’s Law. Our 16th president embraced meatier measures to go after fraudsters bilking the U.S. Treasury during the Civil War. Contractors were selling inferior supplies to the Union Army, outfitting the troops with poor quality uniforms and boots, mixing sawdust with gunpowder and even selling blind horses to the Union cavalry. Back then, Congress resurrected the legal principle known as qui tam — part of a Latin ...

Iowa Senate tackles health care costs

Last Monday, the Iowa Senate passed Senate File 75, requiring a county that has the main campus of a Regent university in it to use districts to elect supervisors. This bill would provide a more accurate representation of the demographic that truly represents the area. The Iowa Senate passed SF 277, making several adjustments and clarifications to the chronic absenteeism policy passed last year. This bill gives schools more flexibility in addressing this issue while continuing to focus on ensuring students are in the classroom. The Senate also passed SF 295, authorizing the ...

The power in giving back to your community

Throughout our lives, from childhood to adulthood, community is an essential part of everyday existence. Sometimes we don’t see or fully understand its impact, and sometimes we may think it is irrelevant. But for both rural towns and larger cities, community is vital in ways we can’t imagine. No matter where we grew up, it is almost certain that, in some way, your community contributed positively to your formative years. This is why it is so important to return these favors, and to give back, even in small ways. There are many ways of contributing to your community. Giving back ...

Restoring security at our southern border and delivering justice for Sarah Root

Nine years ago, on Jan. 31, 2016, tragedy struck the Root family. 21-year-old Sarah Root, who was driving home to celebrate with her family and friends after graduating from Bellevue University in Nebraska, was hit and killed by an egregiously drunk driver. Instead of answering for his crimes, Edwin Mejia—an illegal immigrant driving three times over the legal limit—posted bail, fled our country, and was not seen from again. Until recently, the Root family had been left without closure. However, on Feb. 27, Honduran law enforcement officials found and arrested the driver—Edwin ...