On Monday, I took the oath of office and was officially sworn in to the Iowa House of Representatives.
Taking the oath on Monday, March 24 with my parents by my side!
Shaking hands with Speaker of the House, Pat Grassley
Standing with my grandparents after being sworn in
Standing with Majority Leader,
Matt Windschitl
It was a special day, I am glad I was able to have my parents join me
I am honored to be sitting at Representative Graber’s old desk
Legislative Action
It has been a whirlwind of a week, but I was able to hit the ground running. Monday started with me getting sworn in, receiving my committee assignments, and jumping right in to debating and voting on bills.
House File 970
HF 970 changes the types of food items that can be purchased with SNAP benefits, limiting items such as candy, pop, chips, and desserts. It does not restrict what anyone can buy with their own money, but it does prevent taxpayer money meant for nutrition from being used to buy food items with little to no nutritional value.
House File 928 and House File 954
HF 928 reforms Iowa’s election recount process, including setting a threshold for requesting a recount, and putting the County Auditor’s Office in charge of conducting recounts rather than a recount board consisting of people appointed by the campaigns. HF 954 aims to help the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office verify the citizenship of the voters. Ensuring that only American citizens vote in our elections is vital for maintaining trust in our elections.
House File 943 and House File 639
HF 943 simply prohibits the use of eminent domain to take agricultural land for a liquified carbon dioxide pipeline. HF 639 requires hazardous liquid pipelines to have insurance to cover potential damage, including injury and property value reduction, states that if individuals face increased insurance, or are unable to get insurance, due to the pipeline, the pipeline owner must provide insurance or reimburse the individual for additional costs, provides stronger safeguards to ensure that only legitimate public uses are recognized to request eminent domain, and mandates that all members of the Iowa Utilities Commission must be present during hearings related to public utility regulation, electric transmission lines, and pipelines.
