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Senate advances flat tax amendment

Grain Indemnity Fund Senate File 2401 is one of the bills we debated last week to help support farmers and the agriculture industry in our state. In 1986, the Grain Indemnity Fund was created during the farm crisis and acts similar to an insurance policy for the grain farmers store at grain elevators. Currently, all grain dealers and warehouse operators are required to participate in the Grain Indemnity Fund and pay fees on purchased or stored grain. If at the end of a fiscal year the fund exceeds $8 million, the fees are waived, but if the balance of the fund falls below $3 million, ...

The Moser family: Making Fort Dodge a better place to live

Back in the late 1970s, when 27-year-old Sam Moser and his young family arrived in Fort Dodge after he was hired as an assistant football coach at Fort Dodge Senior High, no one could have guessed the dividends that hire would make for the school and the city — dividends that continue to ...

Ag, veterans issues come before Iowa House

We have now been here for 12 weeks. We have two weeks left. We received our budget targets today. Budget sub-committees will start meeting to get their budgets put together for the full Appropriations Committee. This will finalize the State budget, on the House side anyway. Interestingly enough, getting the budget done each year is really the only thing the legislature is required to do. So, the process is started, which is a good sign. It sounds like we are not going to have joint target numbers with the Senate. Which means each side will do their own budget, and this will only add ...

Senate Republicans zero in on state budget

Week 12 has come to an end. The scheduled end of the legislative session is coming quickly with the goal to finish on April 16. After working through additional legislation this week and discussing appointees by the governor, our focus will soon turn to the budget. As in previous years, Senate Republicans are dedicated to responsible, conservative spending. Even in the face of a difficult national economy, Iowa has continued as a fiscally strong state. While state revenue continues to grow, we are focused on providing sustainable increases to education, public safety, and health ...

State Senate addresses wide range of issues

Last week was busy with floor debate. The Senate passed over 30 bills, talking about a range of issues, including insurance companies, the duties and compositions of state departments, emergency medical services, deer hunting, and public safety. One bill, House File 2594, establishes the crime of organized retail theft. This bill targets groups that go into stores, steal a large amount of merchandise, and try to sell it. It has become a more prominent problem over the last several years, and this bill will establish more consequences for this crime. I was proud to floor manage Senate ...

Fort Dodge enjoys unique culture, robust history

Richard “Dick” Johnson, 95, of Great Falls, Montana, passed away on Feb. 21, 2024. For many people and kids in Fort Dodge and the surrounding communities, Dick Johnson was known as Uncle Dick. “Uncle Dick’s Fun House” hosted by Dick Johnson was a kiddie TV show that quickly found a huge audience with FD children. In 1953, Dick Johnson came to KVFD TV at Ed Breen’s invitation. He served as an announcer, weatherman and newscaster. A time slot opened after the “Eve’s Kitchen” show and Breen asked Johnson if he would host a children’s program at that time slot. During ...