To the People of House District 95

Fiscal Year 2024 came to an end with the state seeing only a slight dip in total revenue when compared to the previous year, according to the Legislative Services Agency. For the full year, the state took in $9.565 billion in net receipts. That is a decline of just 0.7% when compared to Fiscal Year 2023. This beats the estimate of the Revenue Estimating Conference, which had predicted a 2.4% decline in tax receipts for FY 2024 at its March meeting.

Personal income tax – With the continued implementation of the 2022 tax cut, personal income tax was expected to decline in Fiscal Year 2024. For the year, personal income tax collections declined by $606.1 million, or 10.8% less than FY 2023. This is a slightly larger decline than what the REC had forecast in March, when they anticipated personal income tax payments to drop by 9.9% for the year.

Sales and use tax – Sales and use tax collections saw a slight increase in June. For the year, sales and use tax receipts grew by $233.2 million or 5.9% over Fiscal Year 2022. This is almost equal to the Revenue Estimating Conference’s prediction of a 6.2% growth for the year. The continued strength of sales and use tax payments for a fourth year reflects the solid Iowa economy.

Corporate income tax – Changes in the tax rate and filing adjustments due to the pass through entity tax has brought some fluidity to corporate income tax collections in FY 2024. The state collected $890.5 million for the year, which is $93.6 million less than FY 2023. The decline of 9.5% is larger than the 0.1% drop forecasted by the REC in March.

Refunds – State revenue figures would have been stronger but for a spike in tax refund payments. The total amount of refunds paid by the state through June 30 was $1.5391 billion. This is a 30.7% rise in refunds from the amount paid back to taxpayers in FY 2023. Some of the growth can be attributed to the pass through entity tax process, where taxpayers could pay the new tax and get previous payments of individual income tax refunded back to them.

June 30th marked the end of the fiscal year, however the state’s books on Fiscal Year 2024 do not officially close until the end of August. During this time, revenue and refunds that should be counted as part of FY 2024 will be accounted for. This may be more than normal due to the fiscal year ending on a Sunday. Even before those potential changes are factored in, it is clear that Fiscal Year 2024 was another strong year for state revenue.

Yesterday the Board or Regents met to approve the adoption of the Fiscal Year 2025 budgets for the three state universities and the Board office will be the prime topic of discussion. While this is a normal part of the Board’s annual activities, the budget provides a view into how the universities operate and the various programs within them.

For Fiscal Year 2025, the three universities will spend $7.8353 billion, with the funding broken down between the three schools:

University of Iowa: $5.7706 Billion
Iowa State University: $1.7222 Billion
University of Northern Iowa: $342.5 Million

The total budget amounts include all funding sources and programs. For example, the University of Iowa’s total includes the $2.771 billion budgeted for the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. This is an increase of over $300 million when compared to FY 24. The budgets also include capital building projects like completion of the Industrial Technology Center at UNI, federal funds, room and board expenses, athletic departments, gifts and designated funding sources.

General Education spending is the part of each university’s budget that the state’s General Fund appropriation goes for. Below are the General Education budgets for each school, with the General Fund’s portion in parentheses:

University of Iowa: $822.8 Million ($223.5 Million)
Iowa State University: $725.5 Million ($178.4 Million)
University of Northern Iowa: $164.8 Million ($101.9 Million)
Total: $1.7131 Billion

The budget document also covers the programs that receive individual line items from the Education Appropriations bill. These small descriptions provide a concise explanation of what the state is funding through these appropriations.

The full budget can be found here.

Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.8% in June, unchanged since April and 0.1% lower than one year ago. The state’s labor force participation rate decreased to 66.5% from 66.7% in May, primarily due to increases in retirements. Nationally, the U.S. unemployment rate increased to 4.1% in June.

“Despite ongoing economic challenges, Iowa’s workforce held steady during June as private industries advanced by 1,500 jobs,” said Beth Townsend, Executive Director of Iowa Workforce Development. “Iowa’s economy has shown great resilience and employers continue to hire. IowaWORKS.gov includes over 58,000 open jobs and our team is ready to help Iowans find their next new opportunity.”

The number of unemployed Iowans decreased to 46,600 in June from 46,900 in May.

The total number of working Iowans fell to 1,641,400 in June. This figure is 3,200 lower than May and 21,400 lower than one year ago.

Seasonally Adjusted Nonfarm Employment
Iowa establishments gained 300 jobs in June, raising total nonfarm employment to 1,610,000 jobs. While the state experienced strong gains in February and March, payrolls have been relatively flat over the last three months. Private industry gains in June were most evident in health care and social assistance along with professional and business services. On the other hand, losses in manufacturing led to a small drop in goods-producing industries. Overall, private industries advanced by 1,500 jobs in June. This gain was contrasted by a drop of 1,200 in government, which was related to the expected employment changes from schools breaking for the summer.

Among private industries, June’s largest gain was within health care and social assistance (+1,800), which has advanced by 3,900 jobs over the past three months. Professional and business services also added in June (+1,100 jobs). Scientific and technical services fueled most of these gains (+700), although administrative support and waste management services also showed signs of hiring (+300). Other gains in June included retail trade (+600), construction (+400), and finance which added jobs following losses over the prior three months (+300). On the flip side, manufacturing shed 1,000 jobs in June to lead all sectors. Both chemical product and food industries were among those factories shedding jobs versus May. Leisure and hospitality reflected the only other decline (-800). Accommodations and food services fueled this loss.

Compared to last June, Iowa establishments have added 20,900 jobs. Health care and social assistance gained the most jobs during that span (+7,100). Leisure and hospitality industries also showed strong signs of hiring, adding 5,900 jobs over the last twelve months. Hiring in accommodations and food service businesses was responsible for all these jobs gained. Alternatively, losses were smaller by comparison and led by transportation and warehousing (-1,400). Retail continues to trend down and has lost 1,200 jobs over the last twelve months. Manufacturing shed 300 jobs with losses stemming from nondurable goods factories.

From March 2020 until April 2023, the federal government prohibited states from disenrolling ineligible individuals from Medicaid. This results in roughly 100,000 ineligible Iowans receiving free health insurance, without paying any premiums or copays, and the state paying a monthly capitation payment for every single ineligible member. Nationally, Medicaid enrollment increased over this time from around 71 million at start of COVID to more than 92 million in December of 2022.

According to HMA, Iowa is one of five states that had completed the determination process for all members by May 2024. With this determination process complete, Iowans are seeing the final enrollment in Iowa and how it changed throughout the public health emergency through the DHHS dashboard and in the chart below:

Throughout the COVID public health emergency, states were receiving enhanced federal funding for the additional members, but the loss of those one-time funds will impact the state budget for many years to come. In December 2023, LSA estimated a $341.6 million Medicaid shortfall for FY2026.

Before Election Day
All voting machines and electric tabulators purchased by the counties are certified through the Board of Examiners to certify that the voting machines function properly and do not exhibit any issues. When the equipment is not being used it is stored in secure facilities accessible only to authorized election personnel.

Before election day all voting equipment is publicly tested in every county in front of members of each political party, the media, and any member of the public who chooses to view the test. Members of the public are even entitled to submit test ballots they marked themselves at the public test of the equipment.

In addition to the secure storage and regular testing of the voting equipment, routine voter registration list maintenance is performed by county auditors and the Secretary of State’s office to ensure that only voters who are eligible to vote in that precinct are on the list.

During the absentee ballot period, county auditors and the Secretary of State’s office are now required to publish daily the number of absentee ballot requests received, absentee ballots sent, and completed absentee ballots received by the county auditors. This increase in public reporting is another redundancy to ensure transparency in the process. In addition to the increased reporting, county auditors are now limited to establish only one ballot drop box that is secured and monitored on county property. These drop boxes are required to be emptied and recorded at least four times a day during the absentee voting period.

Election Day
Voters are required to provide valid identification to poll workers before they are able to receive a paper ballot. The only identification that is accepted is an Iowa issued driver’s license or ID card, Iowa issued voter ID card, United States Passport, Department of Defense issued photo ID, or a federal recognized tribal photo ID. Voting equipment in Iowa does not connect to the internet or any other voting equipment. Every ballot casted in an election in Iowa is a paper ballot reviewable by the voter before submitting the ballot. After the polls close on election day, the bipartisan election board canvasses the votes at each polling place. This canvass is done publicly to credit each candidate with the number of votes for the candidates and a member from each party keeps a separate tally of the count to be compared. The election board then prepares a written report of the election results and the results are delivered to the county auditor in person by a precinct election official. Before adjourning, the election board encloses the paper ballots in a container with a tamper evident seal and returned to the county auditor to be kept securely for a minimum of 6 months for nonfederal elections and 22 months for federal elections.

Post-Election Day
Following the election, the Secretary of State audits one precinct in each county to ensure that the results match the ballots and the paper receipt from the tabulators. In addition to the county audits, candidates within a certain percentage of votes of winning are entitled to request and receive an official recount of votes. Iowa’s elections are conducted off-line and with transparency. At precinct, county, and state levels boards publicly canvass and certify the results of the elections. Audits, and if necessary, recounts are conducted to ensure the official election results are accurate.

The Federal Department of Education released the Spring Unified Agenda that included an update on the long-awaited Title IX rules relates to athletic participation for transgender students. The rule is now listed as a “long-term action” when previously it was listed as it its “final rule stage.” “Long-term action” means the agency does not expect action for at least the next year, while “final rule stage” meant it was one step away from release. There is no final deadline listed for the rule. You can view the rule list here.

The Department has delayed the athletics rule multiple times stating it was due to the high volume of public feedback. The proposal has gotten over 150,000 comments compared to more than 210,000 comments the broader Title IX rule received. Previously, the Washington Post reported that the rule was delayed due to the upcoming election, however Secretary Cardona denied those claims during a seminar in Las Vegas.

Perhaps this is a small win for conservatives as many are speaking out against this rule and making it’s path forward unknown. In 2021, the Iowa Legislature passed HF 2416, the Protect Women’s Sports bill.  The law only allows females to participate in any team, sport or athletic event designated as being for females in K-12 schools. Sex is determined by the person’s biological sex on their original birth certificate. Democrats vocally the opposed the bill. Additionally, the Legislature passed SF 482, the Bathroom / Locker Room privacy bill, in 2023. Again, it was opposed by Democrats. The bill stated it was not discrimination for a public or private school to require restroom or changing facilities be designated for use only by persons of the same sex. Not surprisingly, House Democrats attempted to force girls to asks for an accommodation if they didn’t want to change in the locker room with a biological boy (Amendment H-1129).

July has come and passed, which means speed cameras are now operating under a new state law. For a city or county to operate an automated traffic enforcement (ATE) system under the new requirements, they would have to show the speed and safety issues at the camera’s location and how utilizing the speed camera is necessary to improving traffic safety at that location.

Communities have to apply to the Department of Transportation for a permit to set up the speed camera and issue citations for those caught speeding. In order to get a permit, they must provide the following information showing that the ATE system is needed to improve traffic safety:

Here is what they must show DOT in order to keep operating the ATE system:

• Number of traffic violations at the location of ATE system in the year prior to it being put into operation;
• Number & severity of accidents at the location of the ATE system;
• Analysis of the speed data for the locations of the ATE system;
• Cause of critical safety issues at that location;
• Alternative methods to reduce safety and accident issues at that location that the community has already employed;
• Any discussion with outside sources on the traffic issues;
• An explanation detailing that the ATE system is appropriate and necessary to address the traffic safety issues at that location.

The new law also sets a standard for all speed cameras. Penalties cannot be imposed if a driver is less than 10 miles an hour over the speed limit. The law also sets out a statewide fine schedule. The fines would be:

• Between 10 and 20 mph over – $75 fine;
• Between 20 and 25 mph over – $100 fine;
• Between 25 and 30 mph over – $250 fine; and
• In excess of 30 mph over – $500 fine.

Fines are doubled in construction zones. Violations are considered civil infractions and will not be considered by DOT in determining driver’s license sanctions. Violations will also not be considered in the determination of auto insurance premium rates.

The bill also sets requirements for signage around the ATE systems. Communities who are granted permits from the DOT are also required to perform calibration tests on the cameras and document these efforts. Annually, a community with a permit would be required to submit a report to the DOT.

The new law places some restrictions on the use of mobile speed cameras. Communities with populations under 20,000 are not allowed to use this type of ATE system.

For those communities whose ATE systems were in operation and issuing citations prior to January 1, 2024, they were allowed to apply to the DOT for a permit to operate the cameras by July 1. According to the DOT, 26 cities and 1 county submitted applications by the July 1 deadline. These communities are allowed under the new law to continue operating their ATE system until the Department has rendered a decision on their application. The law requires the DOT to have this work done by October 1. If an application is not approved, the community will have to stop issuing citations.

Other communities who may have put an ATE system into operation after January 1, 2024 were required to stop issuing citations on July 1. Any additional speed cameras cannot start issuing citations until the DOT begins to issue permits for additional ATE systems. The law says this cannot start until July 1, 2026.

The United States Supreme Court released a number of rulings in the past several weeks. Here’s a short rundown of some of the more significant cases and what they mean for Iowans.

Fischer v. United States- January 6th Defendants
Three individuals were charged for offenses relate to their involvement in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. These three were convicted of multiple crimes, including obstruction of an official proceeding (18 U.S.C. § 1512(c), Sarbanes-Oxley Act- Witness, Victim, or Informant Tampering). The defendants appealed this conviction arguing it was made in error because the law applies to evidence tampering in official proceedings. The Supreme Court agreed in a 6-3 decision, ruling that the act only applies to evidence tampering and that the Government’s interpretation of the act was too broad. The case is now back in D.C. circuit court for reconsideration based on the Supreme Court interpretation of the Act.

Why does this decision matter to Iowans? More than 300 individuals have been charged for actions related to the riot on January 6th. Many of the charges were based on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the federal Government’s interpretation. With a new understanding of the law, many of these individuals could be entitled to new trials, including some people from Iowa.

United States v. Rahimi- Domestic Abuse and Firearms Possession
In 2020 a Texas man, Zackey Rahimi had a civil protective order placed against him for domestic abuse. Months later he was found to have firearms in violation of the protective order. He was charged with violating a federal law that prohibits individuals subject to domestic abuse orders from possessing firearms. Rahimi argued that the federal law violated the Second Amendment and was in violation of the Bruen decision. During the appeals process the 5th circuit agreed. However, the Supreme Court overturned the decision 8-1 ruling that the law does not violate the Second Amendment and is in line with the Bruen case from two years ago. The majority opinion explained that when courts are looking at a modern firearms law being challenged, they should look at “relevantly similar” historical regulations. History shows that “firearm laws have included provisions preventing individuals who threaten physical harm to others from misusing firearms.”

Why does this decision matter to Iowans? The Rahimi decision provides guidance for lawmakers and Judges when evaluating the constitutionality of firearms laws. The ruling reinforces that those who have a domestic abuse protective order placed on them cannot have firearms under federal law. It also provides clarity on how the Supreme Court will evaluate firearms laws in light of the Bruen decision.

Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless, Inc v. Department of Commerce
In 1984, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council. This ruling required a court to uphold an agency interpretation of a vague statute if the agency interpretation was reasonable. Until last month, federal agencies had immense power under the Chevron Doctrine to interpret laws, in fact, the Chevron case had been cited almost 19,000 times by various federal courts in the past 40 years. The two cases, Relentless and Loper brought the Chevron doctrine front and center before the Court. In a 6-3 ruling the Supreme Court overturned Chevron and curtailed federal agencies’ powers to interpret laws outside of congressional action. The Administrative Procedures Act requires the Courts to use their judgement to determine if an agency has acted within the scope of the law and not defer to the agency.

Why does this decision matter to Iowans? Federal agencies have long acted as if they were Congress under Chevron. Agencies and the unelected bureaucrats who run them, used their their power to interpret laws as they see fit. Whether it was environmental policies or health care regulations, these bureaucrats were able to interpret laws at will and often change interpretations based on who was in power. This ruling takes power away from the administrative state and places it back where it belongs, with Congress, or the Courts, if Congress refuses to provide clear guidance. Federal agencies will no longer receive a pass from the courts and will have to prove their interpretation of rules unless there is better guidance from Congress. This ruling protects Iowans in all areas of life from administrative state overreach.

These are the general steps that may be taken by parents, guardians and community members when they have concerns about public school districts or their governing boards.

Local Remedies
Parents, guardians and community members should work with district staff to resolve disagreements or concerns. Potential actions include:

• Contact the teacher or service provider
• Contact the principal or direct supervisor for assistance
• Contact the superintendent
• Contact the school board
• Make a formal request of or complaint to the school board

Some formal requests are made of local boards on a routine basis, such as open-enrollment. School boards may also take action on requests made of them by parents, guardians and community members that are not routinely found on the agenda. An example might be a request to review curricular materials. Parents, guardians and community members should read and understand their local board’s policies on making requests or filing complaints.

If a local school board makes a decision on a formal request, it may be subject to administrative review by the state board or the director of the Department and / or to further challenge in district court (Iowa Code 290.1).

House File 868 signed by the Governor on June 8, 2021 includes a requirement for a local board of directors of a school district to add a proposal to its agenda that is specified on a petition filed in accordance with law within 30 days of receipt of the petition. The petition must be signed by eligible electors of a school district equal to at least 10% of the persons who voted in the last preceding election of school officials, or 500 eligible electors, whichever is less.

Petition Process Guidance – Provides school districts, local school boards, and eligible district voters with information related to the petition process.

Calls to the Department of Education
Parents or guardians who call the Department are generally provided with the contact information for the school improvement consultant who serves their area of the state. Consultants ask the same questions of all parents to determine how to handle their concerns, many of which help inform parents of potential next steps. In general, before the Department can or should take action that interferes with the local process for dispute resolution, parents should exhaust all opportunities available to them to settle disagreements by engaging with the district.

If the Department is contacted about any of the following, intervention may be required:

• Potential violation of the rights of a student with a disability, including bullying.
• Potential bullying or harassment of a student on the part of a staff member.
• Potential harm to a child or student.
• Any other act in disregard of legal requirements that places students or staff at risk.

Board of Educational Examiners
Parents and guardians may file a complaint with the Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE), if appropriate. Department of Education staff are required to file a report of any misconduct suspected of an educator licensed by the BOEE (Iowa Code 256.160(2)).

Appeals and Petitions to the Director of the Department of Education

Appeals
Certain decisions may be appealed to the director of the Department of Education as outlined in specific state statutes. See specific Iowa Code references, procedures and timelines for specific appeal types.

Petition for Review of Accreditation
Iowa Code 256.11, subsection 10, paragraph “b” requires the Department to conduct an accreditation review for any district or accredited nonpublic school if:

1. A petition is filed with the director of the department signed by a number of eligible electors residing in the district equal to at least 20% of the registered voters of the school district, or;
2. A petition is filed with the director of the department signed by 20% or more of the parents or guardians who have children enrolled in the school or school district.

State Board
The State Board of Education may hear from parents, guardians and community members if they have exhausted their local remedies. There are formal and informal options for bringing issues before the state board.

Informal

• Parents, guardians, or community members may always speak during public comment at state board meetings. Public comment may also be taken in print and read at the meeting if the board president chooses to do so.
• State board members have iowa.gov email addresses and receive messages from members of the public regularly.
• Community members may provide information to the state board as a group, such as a letter or informal petition.

Formal
The state board hears formal appeals from students, parents, or guardians. See specific Iowa Code and Iowa Administrative Code references and timelines for formal appeals.

District Court
Certain final decisions by a local school board will give rise to a right for the injured party to pursue the issue in district court. This is only true for final action of the local board for some decisions. Only individuals sufficiently impacted by the board’s decision will have the ability to challenge the decision in district court.

As always, you can always reach out to me and let me know what’s going on as well. House Republicans have and will continue to make sure parents’ concerns are heard and issues can be resolved.

This session, the legislature appropriated $2.2 million to the Military Homeownership Assistance Program. This program provides a $5,000 grant to service members and veterans for down payments and closing costs on qualifying homes.

The Iowa Finance Authority began accepting applications July 8th.

The following requirements are in place for participating and facilitating lenders offering the Military Homeownership Assistance (MHOA) Program.

• Must notify IFA to cancel a reservation as they occur to free up funds for another military member.
• Must have a pre-close commitment prior-to-closing.
• Must close the loan as presented, documented, and approved during the pre-close review.
• Must not reserve the funds too soon OR without a valid Purchase Agreement. Reservation is valid for 60 days.
• Must submit post-closing package within 30 days of closing. (Watch expiration dates.)
• Must provide a legible DD214 Member 2 or higher form with honorable discharge and not for training. (No COE, NGB22, letter from military branch personnel, or retirement docs will be accepted.)
• Must submit DD214 with eligible service dates between 8/2/90 – 4/6/91 or after 9/11/2001.
• Must provide a valid reason for non-IFA MHOA. (Example of an invalid reason: Loan is over the purchase price but submit for lower rate/fees when the rate offered is a higher rate than IFA.)
• Must submit a locked LE when reason for non-IFA is lower rate/fees. For all other reasons approval will be subject to a locked LE.
• Must not charge points to lower rate less than IFA.
• Must have an internal system within your organization to track MHOA reservations.
• Must track all stages, including receipt of reimbursement and identifying the borrower to whom the funds belong.
• Must not give too much cash back at closing. MHOA funds must be used for down payment and closing costs only.
• Must not require IFA to cancel a reservation because the guidelines were not met. Reservation will automatically be cancelled 30 days after expiration date with no opportunity for reimbursement.
• Other actions that harm the integrity of the program may be deemed actionable at IFA’s discretion.

During the legislative interim, rules have been drafted, reviewed, and redrafted for consumable hemp. House File 2605 passed in spring of 2024, set clear standards for consumable hemp products, THC potency, serving limits, and age restrictions for consumers. The rules, as drafted and approved, provide guidelines to growers, producers and distributors of consumable hemp.

HF 2605, coupled with the new rules make the following significant changes to the consumable hemp industry:

• THC is capped at 4mg per serving and 10mg max per container.
• A liquid serving is considered 12 oz. Up to 4mg of THC can be in a 12 oz container. Up to 8 mg THC can be in a 24 oz container, and up to 10 mg THC can be in a 30 oz container.
• Consumable hemp products cannot be sold to those under 21 years of age
• Safety labels shall be placed on consumable hemp products. HHS guidelines require notices that the product has not been approved by the FDA, that it can cause a person to fail a drug test, impact motor skills, should not be used by pregnant women, could adversely impact health and other medication, and should not be used by those under 21.
• Synthetic THC cannot be sold or produced in the state.
• Changes to enforcement so those who illegally produce or sell consumable hemp can be appropriately prosecuted.
• Alcoholic beverages cannot be mixed with hemp products in a licensed facility.

The Department of Health and Human Services reviews all products before they go to the shelves to ensure they meet the minimum guideline provided in the bill and rules. A copy of the rules can be found here, and an FAQ page can be found here.

It is hard to believe most Iowa students will go back to school in less than a month- that means it is time for back-to-school shopping. This weekend, August 2nd and 3rd, will be Iowa’s annual sales tax holiday weekend. In general, select clothing and footwear are tax exempt—meaning no state sales tax and no local option sales tax will be collected. Sales do not have to be in person and will still be tax exempt if they are ordered and paid for online during the exemption period.

Iowa Code section 423.3(68)(a)(2) states the sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on the first Friday in August and ends at 12:00 am midnight the following day—so the sales tax is back for Sunday purchases! Businesses that are open on these days are required to participate. It is not an optional holiday, and a business cannot advertise that they will pay or otherwise absorb the sales tax on items that do not qualify.

The exemption does not apply in any way to the price of an individual item selling for $100.00 or more. The exemption does apply to each article priced under $100.00 regardless of how many items are sold on the same invoice to a customer. Things that are not exempt include: watches, watchbands, jewelry, umbrellas, handkerchiefs, sporting equipment, skis, swim fins, roller blades, skates, and any special clothing or footwear designed primarily for athletic activity or protective use and not usually considered appropriate for everyday wear.

Iowa’s sales tax-free weekend is always a very popular event—more information can be found here.

Last week, Iowa State Extension and USDA-NRS issued a press release announcing that these two entities are collaborating on a series of cover crop fact sheets for Iowa farmers interested in adopting the practice or trying new cover crops to achieve specific goals on their operation.

Thousands of Iowa farmers, including at our farm, plant cover crops annually to help reduce soil erosion, increase soil organic matter, suppress weeds, minimize soil compaction, scavenge excess nutrients or provide supplemental livestock grazing.  A large percentage of Iowa farmers use cereal rye (what we use), oats, wheat, radishes and turnips. However, there are many other cover crop options available. The collection of fact sheets includes legumes like hairy vetch and cowpeas, broadleaves like flax and buckwheat, grasses such as millets and triticale, and brassicas like camelina and rapeseed.

More than 25 fact sheets are currently available on the Iowa NRCS website, with 33 fact sheets expected by the end of August and the potential to add additional species as interest develops. Each fact sheet includes sections on identifying features, cultural traits, planting information and performance ratings, and pictures that highlight various features and growth patterns.

As always, you can can shoot me an email with any questions or concerns at taylor.collins@legis.iowa.gov or you can call the Capitol Switchboard and leave me a message at (515) 281-7340.
Sincerely,

Rep. Taylor Collins